Sewing vs Knitting

If you are a sewer, you may have thought at some point about sewing vs knitting or vice versa. Both, sewing and knitting, work wonders for making both beautiful and useful products, but they each require completely different equipment and methods.
Sewing and knitting are both techniques for creating fabric from yarn or thread. They are similar in that both can be used to make a wide range of garments, accessories, and home textiles, but they involve different techniques and tools.
Sewing involves creating stitches using a needle and thread to join fabric pieces together. It is a versatile technique that can be used to make a wide range of items, including clothing, bags, and home decor. Sewing can be done by hand or machine, and there are many different stitches and techniques that can be used to create different effects.

Knitting involves creating fabric by looping yarn through itself using two needles. It is a technique that is often used to make garments, such as sweaters and scarves, as well as accessories like hats and gloves. Knitting can be done by hand or machine, and there are many different stitches and techniques that can be used to create different effects.
Overall, both sewing and knitting are useful skills to have, and the choice between them depends on the specific project you are working on and your personal preferences.
In the section that follows, we’ll explain what sewing and knitting are, how they differ, as well as their benefits and drawbacks. We’ll also talk about other important things that every sewer should know about sewing and knitting.

What is Sewing?

Fabrics are stitched together either by hand or by machine using a thread and needle in the craft of sewing. It’s a needlecraft, but unlike knitting, crocheting, embroidery, cross stitch, needlepoint, and similar crafts, it’s useful rather than ornamental.
One of the earliest textile arts is sewing, which dates back to the Paleolithic. For countless years, hand stitching was the only option. The invention of the manual sewing machine in the 19th century and the rise of computerized sewing machines in the late 20th century made it possible to make a lot of things that were sewn.
Unlike knitting, sewing can be done by hand or with a sewing machine, and it is more adaptable. All mass-produced clothing and other fabric-based objects, such as blankets, furniture, pillows, and many other things, are made through the sewing process. Read our sewing basics terminology here

What is Knitting?

A technique for working with yarn to make a fabric or textile is knitting. Knitting results in a tube or line of several yarn loops, or stitches. When knitting, there are several active stitches on the needle at once. Both sewing machines and hands can be used to knit.
Knitting by hand has been a popular craft for ages. The oldest thing we know of that was knitted was a pair of socks made in Egypt around the year 1100. These vintage socks were made using the old technique of needlebinding, which involved tying and looping thread to make cloth. (read the history of knitting on wikipedia)

Weft knitting and warp knitting are two important subcategories of knitting. Weft knitting is a way to make fabric by making horizontal loops from a single yarn and then weaving them together crosswise in a circular or flat pattern.
A stitch-forming technique known as “warp knitting” involves supplying threads to the knitting zone in the direction of the wefts. Every knitting needle used for warp knitting comes with at least one unique yarn.
Even though most people knit by hand, there are machines that can knit on a much larger scale and are mostly used for business.

Sewing Thread vs Knitting Yarn

The main difference between sewing thread and knitting yarn is that sewing thread is used to sew and embroider, while knitting yarn is used to knit and weave.
Long, thin strands of synthetic or natural fibers make up thread and yarn, respectively. Fabric can be made using yarn. Contrarily, thread is a specific type of yarn that is used for both hand- and machine-sewing.

Sewing Thread

The long, thin strand of cotton, nylon, or other fibers that we use for stitching is known as a thread. Threads can be used for a variety of sewing tasks, such as creating garments or dresses or darning, which is the process of mending holes and tears in clothing and other fabrics.
Several materials, including silk, cotton, rayon, wool, and polyester, can be used to create threads. They come in a range of colors as well.

Knitting Yarn

A continuous thread of twisted artificial or natural fibers is known as a “yarn.” It is, in other words, a length of entangled fibers. The most popular yarn fibers are cotton and polyester.
There are two primary categories of yarn: spun and filament. Staple fibers are twisted together in an S or Z twist to create spun yarn. The filament fibers that make up filament yarn are twisted or simply gathered together.

Sewing vs Knitting: The Needle Types

In comparison to knitting needles, sewing needles are thinner and more pointed. Knitting needles, on the other hand, are enormous in comparison to sewing needles.

Sewing Needles

Thickness and purpose are used to categorize sewing needle sizes. The size of sewing machine needles is determined by the thickness of the needle. To best pierce the cloth strands, different needle tips must be made for different fabrics and uses. (Read our article on the Best Sewing Needles here)

The most popular sewing needle sizes are 60/8, 70/10, 75/11, 80/12, 90/14, and 100/16. Very delicate fabrics like silk and chiffon would be sewn using 60/8, whereas denim and canvas would be sewn with 110/18.

After looking at the sizes of the needles, we need to figure out what kind they are. The following are some of the most popular sewing machine needle types and their applications:

• Universal Needles: You’ll use these needles the most frequently. Any type of fabric can be sewn by them. The tip of universal needles is slightly rounded.
• Ballpoint Needles: Cotton and polyester can all be stitched with ballpoint needles. As their name implies, they have a rounded tip that allows them to pass through fibers without cutting them.
• Jersey Needles: These are intended particularly for knit materials with a medium stretch factor. The rounded tip’s purpose is to slide through fibers without creating holes or laddering.
• Denim Needles: These needles are used to stitch denim, which is a heavy, dense fabric. They are powerful enough to make yourself a pair of jeans and frequently come in larger sewing machine needle sizes.

Sewing needles typically last 6 to 8 hours. Although this might seem like a limited lifespan, sewing needles are inexpensive, and frequent replacements will lead to better stitching.

Knitting Needles

The width and length of knitting needles are two crucial characteristics that determine their size. Knowing the needle size can help you choose the right kind of yarn to use.

The most popular knitting needle sizes are 2mm–2.75mm, 3mm–4.5mm, 5mm–6.5mm, and 6.5mm–10mm. For a more lacy pattern with broader gaps or holes, for instance, you could use the 15/3 yarn on a 6–10mm needle size range.

There are three fundamental knitting needles that you absolutely need to be familiar with:

• Straight Knitting Needles: The yarn won’t fall off while you’re knitting with the help of the knob at the end of the straight shaft of a straight knitting needle. Smaller projects are made with these needles.
• Circular Knitting Needles: Cables are linked to the ends of each individual needle on circular knitting needles, making a single, long needle from end to end. These needles are ideal for projects where working in the round is necessary.
• Double-Pointed Knitting Needles: Double-pointed knitting needles are pointed on both ends and shorter. Small projects are typically made with these needles.

So, as you can see from the above comparison, sharp needles with thread supplied through the eye are necessary for sewing. This will enable them to join together two pieces of already-existing fabric.

Knitting needles, on the other hand, are used to construct fabric rather than join pieces of fabric together because they are thicker, more substantial, and do not have sharp edges.

Sewing vs. Knitting: What are they used for?

The biggest similarity between the two is that they are both intriguing processes for making clothing and several other products.

What are the benefits of sewing?

Sewing can be used for a variety of purposes, such as patching ripped or damaged clothing or making our own garments, blankets, cushions, curtains, and so on. If it’s a simple task, we can opt to stitch it by hand, or for more time-consuming tasks, we can use a sewing machine.

What could be knitted?

Knitting is incredibly adaptable. We could create almost anything by knitting with our creativity. In addition to gorgeous ornamental blankets, slippers, dresses, pillowcases, phone covers, purses, and other home decor items, we can knit hats, socks, gloves, scarves, puffy sweaters, and ponchos.

Sewing vs Knitting: Tools needed

We hope this subcategory clears up any questions you may still have about the difference between sewing and knitting. The lists of materials we will require for the two crafts are provided below.

Let’s look at some essential sewing supplies needed for sewing:

• Seam Ripper: Using scissors to attempt to rip a seam could harm the cloth. The seam ripper is made to slide between the layers of fabric and precisely cut the thread.
• Iron and ironing board: Prevent future catastrophes by ironing your fabric before cutting your pattern pieces. The accuracy of the cut determines how well a garment is ironed. After finishing your garment, iron the seams to give it a polished, neat appearance.
• Sewing Threads: To stitch the fabric together, you will need sewing threads. A thin, strong piece of string known as sewing thread is available in many different kinds of materials.
• Sewing Needles: To perform sewing, you will need sewing needles that come in many different sizes and types (Find the best sewing needles here)
• Scissors: In order to sew, you will need to cut the fabric with scissors. (Read our article on best sewing scissors)
• Clear Ruler: When drawing a pattern and including seam allowances, a clear ruler is quite helpful.
• Hem Guide: This is a quick way to figure out how deep and curved the hems of your clothes are.
• Sewing Machine: Although optional, we recommend using a good sewing machine (Find a machine for less than $200 here)
• Sewing Book: Read our Best Sewing Books article here

For knitting, the basic tools required are:

• A pair of scissors: You need a pair of scissors to trim the extra yarn from your creation.
• Knitting needles: Large-eyed knitting needles are necessary so that the yarn may easily slide through them. It’s acceptable to purchase any size of aluminum or plastic needles. Right next to the knitting needles, you can also choose from tapestry needles or yarn needles.
• A crochet hook: A crochet hook is a useful tool if the ends of your yarn are too short to be woven in with a knitting needle. Most yarn weights work well with a size G or H hook.
• Yarn: Fabrics are made from yarn, which is a continuous length of interlocking fibers. There are so many different fibers that may be used to create yarn. Both synthetic and natural fibers fall into this category. Sewing thread is substantially thinner than yarn, which also makes it much softer.
• Sewing Machine: Optional.

Pros and Cons of Sewing vs Knitting

Sewing Pros

• A creative ability like sewing might inspire us to feel more creative.
• Sewing promotes attention and eases anxiety and tension. Sewing is a meditative activity that promotes happiness and a sense of relaxation.
• The environment benefits more through sewing than from new product purchases, which can be more expensive.

Sewing Cons

• Maintenance issue with the sewing machine.
• Choosing the proper fabric may often be a difficult task.
• Grueling work.

Knitting Pros

• When you knit, you feel productive. It is very likely that you may acquire some apparel that can be used for practical purposes.
• Your mind is forced to be stimulated by knitting in such a way that you must retain memories and thoroughly practice your next knit. As a result, it enhances memory and focus.
• Knitting is inexpensive and only needs a few pieces of easily accessible equipment.

Knitting Cons

• Knitting is a full-time occupation that takes a lot of time to finish just one item.
• Knitting is challenging at first. When your first project takes three minutes per row to finish because you have to keep thinking about where to put the needle and which way to wrap the yarn, it can be very frustrating to start learning how to knit.
• Because knitting sessions can last anywhere from 6 to 8 hours, it might make your arthritis worse if you are already suffering from it.

Sewing vs Knitting – Stitch types

Despite how similar sewing and knitting stitches may appear, they are very different. Professionals can identify the stitch type simply by glancing at the pattern. Knitting stitches are used to make a fabric, while sewing stitches are used to connect two different fabrics and make sure they stick together tightly.
Knitting uses different stitch types to give projects different looks, while sewing can use different stitch types to reach different goals.

Some of the most commonly used sewing stitches are:

• The straight stitch is the most functional and popular stitch. It can vary in direction and length and is created by sewing one straight line into another.
• To generate strong seams that won’t unravel, the reverse stitch is a straight stitch that is sewn backward.
• An effective finishing stitching method that avoids frayed ends is the zigzag stitch.
• For a polished finish, the overlock stitch cleanly joins several pieces of fabric. Final garments benefit from additional strength and stretch thanks to this stitch.
• The blind hem stitch produces a hem that is undetectable. In general, wider straight-stitched hems benefit the most from this stitch, which resembles an asymmetrical zigzag.

Some of the most commonly used knitting stitches are:

• The knit stitch and the purl stitch are the foundations of all knitting stitches. Every additional stitch you see is a mix of these two stitch types or a variant of one of them. It’s crucial to count out the rows of stitches you’ll be using when planning your knitting stitches.
• The most fundamental type of knitting stitch is the garter stitch. It entails making rows of uniform ridges that are the same on both sides by employing the knit stitch for every row.
• Another incredibly popular form of stitch used in knitting is the stocking stitch. Based on the right and wrong sides of the fabric, rows of knit and purl stitches are alternated.
• The opposite of the stocking stitch is known as the reverse stocking stitch. Purl stitches are placed on the right side of the fabric, while knit stitches are placed on the wrong.
• Another common knitting stitch is the rib stitch. By alternating knit and purl stitches, columns of the rib stitch are made.
• Another textured knitting stitch is the moss stitch, which alternates knit and purl stitches in each stitch but in the opposite order every two rows as opposed to every one row.

Compared to knitting, is sewing harder?

Although the abilities may be comparable, sewing is seen as more complicated than knitting. Experts advise beginning with the simpler hobby of knitting.
Once you know how to do the basics, knitting is much more relaxing and fun than sewing. Knitting is incredibly relaxing because of the motion of working one stitch after another. Sewing may be quite overstimulating, from cutting out patterns to the sound of the sewing machine. Knitting is a lot more open-ended than sewing, though. Compared to sewing, it’s much less daunting and tidy. It almost feels soothing once you get into the knitting zone. There aren’t any irate mechanical noises from a heavy fabric becoming stuck in the feed dogs, frantic trips to the ironing board, or loose threads.

Sewing vs. Knitting: Which should you learn?

It all comes down to individual choices. Sewing will be more practical for certain people. Others find knitting to be the ideal pastime.
You should learn to sew if you’re more interested in making adjustments to previously owned clothing or making new clothing, mending worn-out clothing, and adding missing buttons.

On the other hand, you should learn to knit if you like the way yarn looks and how the finished products turn out.

Summary: Sewing vs Knitting

If you’re looking for a new pastime, sewing is a fantastic choice. Even though it is not the same as knitting in many ways, it is productive and can be done quickly with the help of a sewing machine.
Knitting allows you to express your creativity; all it takes are a few motions with a knitting needle and a ball of yarn to produce something extraordinary that is unique to you. And when you’ve made it, it will continue to be a special and limitless source of more inspiration.

Please post a comment if you would like to share your thoughts.

If you are an advanced sewist, have a look at our best sewing books and best sewing magazines posts and if you are looking to get a basic, heavy duty or industrial sewing machine, have a look at some of our great articles. If you are a beginner sewist, review our best sewing books for beginners and best sewing machines under $200 to get started. Happy Stitching.

Similar Sewing Basics posts you will enjoy

Frequently Asked Questions