Evil Crochet (TM)

[leahbobet]

Okay, kids. Let me tell you a story.

One day last summer ksumnersmith and I were strolling through Kensington Market, past Lettuce Knit (a very nice yarn store, and worthy of your consideration) and I saw a sign in the window that said Crochet Friendly. I remarked on this sign, and what I felt to be the redundancy of it -- I mean, it's a yarn store, are they crochet-unfriendly? -- and Karina, who does crochet, told me that no, actually, they can be. Crochet is, in a lot of fiber arts circles, thought of as some cheap knockoff non-craft, and knitters used to or maybe still do scorn it, and yarn stores would sometimes not sell nice yarn to crocheters because they'd "just be wasting it".

There was a knitter-versus-crocheter slapfight. Seriously.

I think I burst into tears I laughed so hard.

Why? Because 99.9% of the people in the world cannot tell the difference between knitting and crocheting. And they don't give a shit. It's totally inconsequential to them. And that?

That is every slapfight ever.

---

I tell you this story so that, tonight and in future, when I point to something, howling with laughter that I can't even keep in by slapping both hands over my mouth, and yelling Evil Crochet! Evil Crochet! you know exactly what I'm saying about the issue. Because I am on the whole an advocate of people being passionate about the things they are passionate about, and letting one's freak flag fly, and am on the whole opposed to pointing and laughing at people for being passionate, which is the founding principle of Fandom Wank. Not down with that.

But y'know? A shot of perspective is good for the soul.

We should never get so narrow that we can't step back and laugh at our damn fool selves being big damn fools.

Comments

[sarcasm-hime.livejournal.com]

Ba-blink...

Really? I find that really bizarre, because I was just recently explaining to Dawn how she might be able to get into crochet (since she said she could NEVER get the hang of knitting) because it doesn't follow a pattern so much and can sort of grow organically and make it up as you go along, which is more her MO, and mine too now that I think of it. It's strange to me that it would be considered a second-class craft/art.

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

Srsly. It's simultaneously really petty and horrible and...well, I just about peed myself. Evil Crochet!

And yeah, crochet's also much faster, so you get the shot of project-done happy sooner. I need to go out and learn it to finish the Neverending Sweater, as it has crocheted shoulder bits. Which I may do to see how they look.

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

Actually, crochet can follow a pattern as closely as knitting, and knitting can be as free-form as crochet. It depends on the crafter. I remember your friend with the katamari hats. A friend in Halifax knits much the same way.

It really is funny how people will say that knitting is crochet and vice versa, and will reminisce about an older family member doing that in their childhood. That's extra *snrk*-inducing.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

According to Ravelry discussions, that sign is not uncommon - because there's a perceived need for it (also according to those discussions, there seem to be a number of stores that are also unfriendly to knitters. They tend not to stay in business long, though one I know of has been around forever.) Also, given how useful it is to use crochet to edge the neck or sleeves of a knitted garment or to decorate it, the two crafts are in no way opposite and in fact are best combined.

This last point applies to a lot of slapfight targets.

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this is why I could not get why this slapfight would happen. I mean, as above, my Ms. Marigold needs crocheted shoulder edging. I will have to learn it. And it's all the same sticks and string.

It was a wonderful, wonderful shot of perspective, though. I think once I finished convulsing with laughter I went: Oh god, this is what science fiction looks like to everyone else.

[kateelliott.livejournal.com]

I take offense at this!!!

Oh. Wait. Never mind. I don't.


But, srsly, I agree. Although now I'm curious because my sister is a knitter. I'll have to ask her how she feels about crochet.

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

Report back!

[time-shark.livejournal.com]

Yes! So true! I bow to you.

[tithenai.livejournal.com]

Also, if you don't have an Evil!Crochet! icon by this time tomorrow, I will have failed you in my heart.

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

Me and Photoshop have a hot date once I get home to the desktop. :D

[jmeadows.livejournal.com]

Yes. Back when I first started knitting, someone showed me a video of knitters badmouthing crochet. (I'm pretty sure it was a joke.) It was sad and hilarious when I realized some people actually felt that way.

If you ever are bored enough to hang around the forums on ravelry, sometimes you'll see both sides getting defensive and yelling at each other.

(Let's not mention the wood vs. metal needle and hook debate, or the natural vs. synthetic fiber debate.)

[moon-custafer.livejournal.com]

or the natural vs. synthetic fiber debate

AKA melting babieeeessss.... :P

[ceelee.livejournal.com]

I was surprised that some of the crafty people I blog with are yarn snobs (their term)... only the finest handcrafted yarns will do for them, yada yada ...

[wirewalking.livejournal.com]

Not for the first time, and likely not the last, I wish more people had your sense of perspective.

Andyes. Evil Crochet icon!

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

Now that I think about it, I picture the Evil Crochet icon as involving some regular crochet and a pencil-thin, curly moustache.

[coffeeem.livejournal.com]

Insert Hilaritation Here. Because yes, exactly.

EVIL CROCHET! EVIL CROCHET!

Gawd, we should start a Ravelry group.

No, we shouldn't. *g*

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

My knitting icon calls yours EVIL!

[sevenravens.livejournal.com]

This is... bizarre to me. I've never heard of crochet prejudice. And I worked in a yarn store for a while!

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

Ooh, yarn store job. I would have never brought any money home...

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

oh, judgy monkeys.

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

Can't take them anywhere.

[aliseadae]

Hello there! I friended you recently having found you through some combination of aamcnamara and the general internet. Evil crochet describes arguments quite well.

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

Hello! Welcome aboard!

[harvestar.livejournal.com]

As a crocheter, I've encountered lots of snide remarks about crochet from knitters. It's just uncalled for.

One time it was at a SnB and a woman was talking about how crochet has all sorts of silly patterns (dolls to cover toilet paper and the like) while knitting "never would". Another lady there set her straight - there's silly patterns in whatever craft you like.

Another time, I got some really bad vibes at a yarn store because I crocheted.

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

I...yeah. I don't understand that. It's like the Shakespeare course instructor I had in third year who was so hot on running down other 16th century playwrights, because Shakespeare clearly needed his defense (that's a whole other issue): why does something else have to be peed on for one's own thing to be fun and good?

(That is a rhetorical question. It does not. Judgy monkeys!)

[melissima.livejournal.com]

:koff: years ago, (well before the birth of the internet) I went into conveniently close local yarn store to replace a crochet hook I had lost. The ladies inside definitely considered me a poseur, and would only point at the racks of notions with a pickle-eating expression on their faces.

So, this anti-crochet prejudice was definitely real for some knitters at one time. /shrugs./ I haven't gone back to a knitting shop with my hooks lately, but the folks at my weekly stitch n bitch seem to appreciate both skills.

[hoppytoad79.livejournal.com]

Absolutely unbelievable and incredibly stupid and petty. I knit and crochet and each has its plusses and minuses, though I prefer crochet because it works up faster. People can get hung up on the most pointless minutae.

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

And frequently do!

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

To add to the ridiculousness, in many languages, among them Russian and Japanese, there's no real distinction between 'knitting' and 'crochet.' So it's a slapfight over a distinction that doesn't even exist in many cultures.

This post is total win.

(Alas, my extra icons have expired so I cannot use my knitting icons.)

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

Oh, interesting. Do you know how the word in Russian or Japanese glosses; is it like a generic "that fiber art thing"?