Are there any stitches that are specific to knitting/crocheting only?

Question

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?

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

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. :)

Answer 3

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).