Friday Open Discussion: Crochet Snobbery

I'm an environmental snob, I guess, because I choose natural fibers because they are made from sustainable resources, not a finite resource like petroleum, which is what acrylic yarn is made from.  The processing of acrylic yarn produces toxins that harm the environment.  I have felt acrylic yarn that is soft, but most of it feels too hot and scratchy.  Plus it doesn't have the fire retardant or antibacterial properties of natural wool.

The snobbery I encounter the most, & frustrates me the most, is the difference between what crochet designers get paid, or can charge, for their patterns, verses similiar knit designs. A pair of crochet socks? you are lucky if you can charge $2.99 & get anyone to pay for said socks (assuming uniqueness / well written / well photograhed / tech edited & tested, etc) a same well written, photographed, edited knit pattern, can easily fetch twice that - and with twice the sales as well. The same is true when submitting patterns to magazines - why is this? Yes, crochet is faster in many cases, but it's just as much a skilled art as knitting.

Just this week I realized that I have become a total crochet snob when I found myself being rather rude to one of my few friends (who I haven't converted) who admitted that she did not plan to crochet much more and only wants to knit. I think it began in defensiveness of all the knitting snobs I encounter in LYSs and especially at Sock Summit. I usually tell people I CAN knit, but I PREFER to crochet. But most knitters will usually agree when I explain that as a mother of small children who are apt to pull out my hooks and needles it is simply easier to stick the hook back in and pick the project right back up than it would be to find all those sts in knitting.

As for yarn, having spent many years working and teaching at Michaels stores I have always gone for the inexpensive stuff because that is what I had access to and could afford. I also do a lot of charity crochet, so I will continue to use some easy care acrylics. But I have to admit that since I started designing and have had the opportunity to work with pricier yarns including hand dyed and organic cotton/wool... I may never go back.

When I suggested starting a crocheting club for the young boys in our school, the Textiles teacher laughed! I was hurt at this, as I was one of those who helped her get the job to teach textiles to the boys in the first place. I almost regretted that instantly. How insensitive!

I think my only snobbery about crocheting is that I don't like using weird yarn or tricks to create a look. A friend made me a scarf using "special" yarn that makes it fuzzy and to me it is just a trapping. If you make a great product you don't need to hide it with loops or fuzz or other gimmicky yarn. That probably sounds terrible. I find I am pretty traditional in my crocheting, most of my pattern books are 15 years old and I update the look through the use of color. I love looking at new patterns and I have tried some new ones in the last year I have really liked. But I like that crocheting is a traditional craft. I can appreciate the updated look of some of the items out there but I like to see the creativity shown through the stitches and use of color not weird yarn.

And I think I am a bit annoyed that there is a big trend to make crochet look like knitting. If I wanted to knit an item I would learn how to knit. It seems almost like it is condescending for a company to push constantly to have customers learn to "knit" using a hook. If you want to knit then knit, but don't bastardize our craft and imply it is not as good in the process. Wow, guess I had some strong feelings about that...

I have been called a yarn snob...I can't help it I am addicted to beautiful handspun hand dyed yarn my absolute favorite is neighborhoodfiberco. If I am really honest (kind of scared to put this out there) I am a crochet snob too. It is the only craft I do it is the only one I want to do...I have no desire to learn to knit, sew, or any other DIY craft. My Great Aunt taught me how to crochet and for some reason I feel like I have to protect that...I really dislike when people mis identify knit as being crochet and vice versa...I also don't like that people dislike crochet being associated with "grandma" it is something to be said about a craft that has been passed down from generation to generation...my Aunt crocheted out of necessity and now I get to do it simply because I enjoy the art and the beauty of it...I do it in rememberance of her and so yes I will start a project over again and again and again if I feel like the stitches are not just right. I actually feel kind of better now that I have said that...thanks for this open forum and if I have projected my crochet snobbery on anyone at anytime and it has offended or hurt you please forgive me!