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I wanted to know if there are any stitches that only be achieved through knitting as well as any stitches that can achieve through crocheting only?

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    Welcome! You mean between the two crafts? The stitch itself or the effect? As far as I'm aware, nearly all of the stitches are unique... I think the only one that comes to mind that is not is the slip stitch... but it's likely possible to get similar results between the two. Could you please be more precise in what you're looking for?
    – Catija
    Dec 19, 2016 at 6:26
  • @Catija Hello there. Yes, pretty much between the two and the stitch itself.
    – D.k. White
    Dec 19, 2016 at 6:30
  • Hello D.K. White. Are you looking for a list of the main differences between the two crafts?
    – EmRoBeau
    Dec 28, 2016 at 17:39
  • @EmRoBeau No, just if there are stitches that can only done through crocheting and stitches that can only be done through knitting. However, if you do have something in the question you're asking, then post it on the comments. I would be interested to know.
    – D.k. White
    Dec 30, 2016 at 4:42
  • Yes for sure. I am not the most experienced knitter, and have never done crochet, so I will leave the answering to the experts we have on this site. I think the thing that might be throwing people off is that crocheting and knitting are completely different, each with completely different stitches. It is almost faster to answer what is similar about the two (as I see one user did), because there are so many differences.
    – EmRoBeau
    Dec 30, 2016 at 12:56

3 Answers 3

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Not completely.
You can get the same effects or the same journey of the thread/string while using other methods to construct the fabric. Knot tyers often use the basic knitting stitches when making fenders out of rope, but constructed completely different.

And when working with string or rope you can copy almost all knitting and crochetting stitches. But in most cases it is not worth the work.
Specially crochetting is hard to copy and not worth the effort.

When doing both knitting and crochetting you will find that the stitches are unique to one or the other, and it is almost never possible to create the effect of stitches in one while doing the other.

There are a few stitches which need both knitting and crochetting. But you need both to make them, you can not make them with either one alone.

I am a creative knot tyer and do knit, crochet and other crafts. And I am good in seeing/recognizing patterns. Most people will not know about the patterns cropping up across other crafts.

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According to my best understanding of your question, you're looking for whether there is overlap between the stitches that you can perform between the two different techniques. The answer to this question is, no, there isn't.

Stitches you commonly perform in knitting:

  • Casting on - not done in crochet
  • Knit stitch - not done in crochet
  • Purl stitch - not done in crochet
  • Yarn over - technically you could say that you do this in crochet, as you have to wrap the yarn over the hook to do, say, a double crochet, but the result is completely different.

Stitches you commonly perform in crochet:

  • Chain stitch - technically possible but inefficient in knitting
  • Single crochet - not done in knitting
  • Double crochet - not done in knitting
  • Treble crochet - not done in knitting

Etc. (There are many different stitches in crochet that are not able to be performed in knitting.)

Since crochet is done on one hook and knitting is done on two needles, the skill set for one doesn't overlap very much to the other.

If you're looking for a basic compare and contrast between the two, here's my two cents:

Crochet: pros: goes faster, has greater variety of stitches, easier to change colors Cons: harder on your wrists, makes a stiffer, more bulky fabric, can't fix a mistake several rows down without ripping it all out

Knitting: pros: can do by feel (in the dark or with eyes closed), easier on wrists (less repetitive movement), can correct a mistake many rows down by undoing just that section and knitting it back up, makes a softer fabric that conforms better to the body for hats, sweaters, gloves, socks, etc. Cons: slower than crochet, takes longer to master

Both: can make any shape, can make lace, can work with color

Also, both techniques can to some extent replicate the look created by the other, but never to the extent that someone who knew both techniques couldn't instantly look at a piece and tell if it was knitted or crocheted.

Hope this was helpful to you. :)

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  • What about the slip stitch?
    – Catija
    Jan 15, 2017 at 0:49
  • Well, I think of those two as distinct entities that happen to share the same name. In knitting, the slip stich means that you merely pass a loop from the left needle to the right needle. In crochet, the slip stitch means that you insert the hook into the stitch, draw up a loop, and continue drawing that same loop through the loop that's already on the hook. This creates a completely different result.
    – securehope
    Jan 15, 2017 at 1:03
  • Sure. :) I figured it might be worth mentioning in your answer as the two stitches having the same name might make someone think that they were the same stitch.
    – Catija
    Jan 15, 2017 at 1:18
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The closest intersection of knitting and crocheting that I know of is Tunisian crochet, where you use only one needle that looks like a knitting needle base with a crochet-hook tip. You start with a chain of crochet stitches as you would with any crochet project, but you hold stitches/loops on the needle as you start a row (left to right) and release the stitches as you finish the row (right to left). It's been a long time since I've done it, and I wish I knew better how to describe what is happening technically, but it's possible to do almost all the knit/purl stitches and combinations thereof in this manner using only one needle. In that sense, there are no knit stitches that are exclusive to knitting, at least as long as you concede that Tunisian crochet and "regular" crochet are the same thing (which I'm not sure I'm willing to concede).

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  • I am not sure I like the question but the OP is looking for stitches that are mutually exclusive to the crafts. Tunisian crochet is the opposite of what the op is asking for.
    – Matt
    Dec 22, 2016 at 13:20
  • I didn't explain myself very well, I'm afraid. I'll see if I can edit my response to address the question more directly...
    – McCaverty
    Dec 22, 2016 at 14:15

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