Hi, everyone, and sorry for disappearing – life has been crazy and hectic lately, but I’ve still carved out some time for my crochet hook and knitting needles.
Almost four years ago, I shared a lovely little hat I made in Malabrigo Worsted, a delightful single-ply 100% merino yarn. It was well-loved and -worn for years, until it finally got too small. My daughter liked the look and feel of it so much that she requested a new hat in the exact same yarn and color.
Being new to knitting, I thought it would be interesting to make a knit hat this time and see how it compares to crochet. This was my first project on circular needles (4mm).
Another point in favor of knitting was saving yarn. One 100-gram hank of Malabrigo Worsted is enough for a crochet hat, but barely, and only if I chose a yarn-economical stitch, no cables or front/back posts. My daughter asked for a hat with some room. So I could buy two hanks, use up about one and a third, and end up with leftover expensive yarn.
So, I bought just one hank and started knitting. I cast on 80 stitches, did ribbing, and continued knitting upward in stockinette. I made a slight decrease and then cinched the top with a large tapestry needle.
The comparison, in the end, was astonishing. It really drove home the point about crochet being a yarn-eater in solid fabrics. The crocheted hat (right) used up exactly one hank. The knitted (left) used slightly less, yet it’s much bigger. It’s long enough to fold the brim comfortably. It’s also a lot thinner, stretchier, and softer.
My daughter choose the same shade, Damask Rose, for both hats, but as you can see, there’s a substantial color difference. That’s the beauty of hand-dyed yarn – no batch is exactly the same. This goes to show that when you work on large projects in Malabrigo, you should buy all your yarn at once, because otherwise you’ll get hanks from different dye lots.
My inevitable conclusion is that worsted-weight yarn is probably a better candidate for knitting if you prefer less bulk and want to make your yardage go as long a way as possible.
