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If you're new to knitting or crochet, you may have a hard time telling the difference between the two. You may wonder if it's easier to learn how to knit or crochet. I know I did! I first became interested in learning to knit in high school. My best friend knew how to crochet, and she promised me it was easier. In fact, I've had no less than 4 close friends or family members tell me that it's easier to crochet.
So here I am to speak my truth to you: I think it's SO much easier to knit than crochet! I vastly prefer knitting over crochet for several reasons. Unlike crochet, in knitting you carry all of your stitches on your needles (unless of course they are held on a stitch holder). I think this is much easier for a beginner who may not know how to tell stitches apart. I have lost my way in many a doomed crochet project!
Please don't think I dislike crochet. I've always admired the way crochet allows free form designs to come to life. Sadly, crochet just doesn't seem to come easily to me. Until I wrote Cats In Hats, I'd never tried to crochet my cat hats. My publisher wanted some crochet patterns so that the book would appeal to a wider range of crafters. I rolled up my sleeves, asked my sweet, talented crocheting cousin to reteach me the basics, and made some cat hat patterns I'm pretty proud of.
But guess what? It was hard. Real hard. Crochet carries a different tension than knitting. If you're wondering if it's easier to knit or crochet, it may be best to consider what you want to make. I think crochet is faster, since the patterns are often much "airier" than knitting. Making a blanket? It's probably easier to crochet. Need to make mittens, or something that is stretch and warm (like socks, sweaters, hats...)? I think it's much easier to knit. Cat hats don't require tons of garment construction knowledge, and I think crochet held up pretty well. But truth be told, from a fitting perspective, the knit cat hats fit much better.
When someone tells you that crochet is easier, they might be saying that because crochet has one needle whereas knitting has two (seriously, I've had people use that excuse with me before). It does take some getting used to when holding two knitting needles, but I don't think the difference in needles makes crochet any easier than knitting. Often, practice is what makes holding knitting needles or a crochet hook easier.
Crochet has a wide range of basic stitches. A single chain, double crochet, treble crochet... these are just some of the standard stitches you need to understand when crocheting. They are really beautiful when worked across a pattern! But I don't find crochet to be easier to learn than knitting, which primarily consists of two stitches: knit and purl. This combination is counted out in different ways to produce other stitches, but you can make plenty of beautiful knitted garments with simple knit and purl.
I think deciding if knitting or crochet is easier is simply a matter of personal preference. But since I so often hear that crochet is 'definitely easier' than knitting, I had to put in a good word for team knitting! If you can, it's probably a good idea to learn how to knit and crochet. That way, you'll have a fiber arts arsenal whenever you plan out your next project. And if you know how to knit and crochet, you'll be able to correct all those people who get the two craft forms confused!