Yes, I both crochet and I knit. I am the “B” in LGBTQ yarn artisans. As part of Pride month, I wanted to declare with pride that I am BiStitchual.

Why I Am BiStitchual

First things first. I saw a TikTok video on Instagram (what does that even MEAN?) of one of the most amazing yarn-garment designers I know.

Thomas Gregory, in addition to being an amazing person, also designs some of the most extraordinarily beautiful garments with yarn.

Anyone who has disdain for yarn-crafting in any form is either ignorant about what can be created using yarn. Or they are just talking out of their ass. I have no tolerance for anyone who utters hateful shit about any yarn-craft. But especially not for anyone yarn-crafter who talks shit about another yarn-craft.

So, to any knitters who dismiss crochet, I offer the following advice.

• Find a crocheter who designs nicer items than you can with knitting.
• Develop a better understanding of the characteristics of crochet that allows you to leverage what it does better than knitting.
• Find and make a crochet design that you like

Why I’m BiStitchual

Three reasons why I choose to include crochet in my repertoire:

1. I was fortunate enough to know a master crocheter when I first started knitting. She also knits, so she could demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of both crafts. She also gave me some great early advice on successfully designing crochet garments.
2. Crochet was the first yarn craft I learned from my paternal grandmother. I was too young to stick with it around 7 or 8 years old, I think. But I never forgot the magic of creating a chain with yarn and a hook.
3. Crochet is MUCH better when it comes to shaping garments, ripping out mistakes and creating fabric faster. And I’m not a very fast crocheter. Why would I possibly dismiss any tool in my yarn-designing toolbox? To me, that’s like saying a hammer is a shitty tool for putting getting a screw into wood, so I will ALWAYS tell people hammers are crap and screwdrivers are the ONLY tool I’ll use. Why self-limit like that?!?!

Finally, I’d just like to say that when we named the Men’s Knitting Retreats, it was a mistake. Eventually, we will change over the actual name of our group and associated web sites and social forums to something more inclusive. While our logo currently states “And all other fiber-crafts too!”, it doesn’t really encourage every guy to participate as much as we’d like.

Current Crochet

Yes…crochet. Fellow bistitchual, Tommy (he’s probably more polystitchual as he also quilts) told me about this crochet design which I like for many reasons.

This is April Showers Shawl by Erica Fedor. Blog readers may recall that I made this shawl in a lighter-weight yarn a couple of years ago. It’s going even faster with Aran weight yarn (which is what the pattern calls for).