Any Non-Knitters Share This Pet Peeve?

terithread · Any Non-Knitters Share This Pet Peeve?

Or is it just me?? Maybe I am too oversensitive about it. But as a non-knitter and avid crocheter who crochets often in public, I have to say, it BUGS me when well-meaning people come over and say, "What are you knitting?" Grrrrr. Now I'm sure some of you think this is silly and that I should be glad they are coming over and admiring what I am doing -- and I am. But I generally do feel compelled to say, I'm not knitting anything, I'm crocheting (whatever it is)". Then they tend to apologize and then I tend to feel guilty that I corrected them. But I really hate for my crochet work to be called knitting. I KNOW people who do neither usually won't know the difference. But this all goes along with knitting getting the majority of the attention, which has always been mystifying to me since crochet is so beautiful and so much easier to coordinate one hook than two needles and just as versatile. It is not my intention to offend any knitters here. I know many love that craft, and it's great that you are skilled at it. I just tend to feel crochet gets treated like a stepchild or ignored entirely, and it does bug me a lot because I LOVE crochet SO much and feel it should be recognized much more than it is. There is even a catalog store, KnitPicks, that literally acts like crocheters don't exist, even though we use yarn too. They carry ONE set of crochet hooks, period, "for embellishments" and that is IT. I find it hurtful and insulting to be ignored by their company and, again, don't understand their shutting out crocheters. OK, I will get off the soapbox now but I do hope there is someone else here who can relate to how I feel about this matter. Teri

jchllm

I know how you feel. My hubby will say 'what are you knitting now?' and I will give him 'the look' and he'll say 'ok, what are you crocheting...same difference'. I'm sure he says it just to get under my skin but still...........

Colyak Crocheter

For some reason, I hear the question "Now, is that knitting or crochet that you're doing?" This is a much better thing to hear, I think. Then I can explain the difference to them. I get my share of people referring to crochet as knitting, but I just figure that they've led a sheltered life and missed out on having someone crafty in their life.

I've noticed that it's the same with some of the LYS here. One store here knows nothing about crocheting. In fact, 2 gals in my office went over there to take a knitting lesson. One woman is very left handed and they told her that they would only teach her right handed. I'm right handed, but to me I would think they would help her with a mirror or something to make it look right. I know there are instructions on-line for crocheting left handed. There should be some for knitting too. That would just make sense to me, but maybe I'm in the minority on that way of thinking.

I've tossed around learning to knit, but right now, I'd just get frustrated with it I think. Too many other things to do.

Hounddog

I have tried knitting and really didn't have the knack or patience for it. It was so frustrating. I took lessons too. I taught myself to crochet and couldn't believe the difference of how relaxing it is. I never crochet in public so haven't had anyone insult me yet but my husband has said knitting before and then he calls it croquet too. LOL. I do think there are knitting snobs but not on this board.

terithread

I'm glad to see there are others here who understand where I am coming from and that I don't intend it as a putdown on knitting. I admire the talent of people who can knit well. Judging from my first self-lesson in years, I don't see myself becoming one of them, LOL. It would be nice to know the basics. But it just isn't coming very naturally to me at all, and part of me wonders why I am still thinking about it, since there are about a zillion things I want to crochet that I will never be able to get to. But I digress. It does bug me that my beloved craft gets overlooked, ignored or even made fun of, like in that stupid recent TV commercial where they had this old lady crocheting a tree-shaped cover for an air freshener. I truly don't get it. It's nice to be among kindred spirits here! Teri

TX CrochetLover

It's a stereotype thing. People see yarn and think the image of grannies knitting. Like the Lola cartoon on the Lion newsletter.
But, with the publicity on PBS shows, websites, blogs, UTube, forums like this, etc. people will come to realize there are many fiber arts out there. And that Crochet is a popular and viable art! Well, I hope, anyhow! LOL!

tamking

I knit and crochet and I've heard crochet called knitting more times than I could count. It's never really bothered me one way or another. I don't get offended if someone gets the name wrong, I just offer to teach them to knit or crochet so that they know which is which.

Ambersafghans

I get this all the time. :) I do say "It's crochet" a lot, and explain the difference, but I always do it in a joking type manner. It doesn't really annoy me, unless it is a relative/sibling that is doing it on purpose....I guess that doesn't really annoy me either. It's just fun to play with.
So on one hand, I'm not sensitive about it, but on the other hand I do address it. lol

Way to go for all of the handcrafters. (My brother calls it elegant knot tying)

Amber

tamking