Crochet works appear in many places, from scarves to blankets, from clothing to home textiles. This art, which has been around for centuries, maintains its place as a hobby that many people enjoy. So why isn’t there a crochet machine even though it is so much a part of our lives and technology is so advanced?
Although there are devices sold as crochet machines, what you see is not a real crochet machine. We thought we weren’t the only ones wondering why the machines we know don’t copy crochet.
Can’t knitting machines do crochet?
Crochet is one of the few crafts that still requires direct human intervention. One of the things that makes it so rare is the complexity of the crochet stitch. These complex sewing techniques and dexterity are also something that machines cannot replicate.
The sweaters or scarves we see in stores are products made entirely on knitting machines. While large machines are used for mass-produced knitted products, knitting machines cannot do crochet work because knitting and crocheting are not done with the same technique.
What are the differences between crochet and knitting?
In order to better understand why the crochet machine cannot be made, it is useful to touch upon the differences between crochet and knitting. One of the most visible differences is the tools used. While knitting is done with two needles, crocheting requires a single crochet hook.
In textile products made with knitting, each stitch is moved from one needle to another and the stitches are kept on the needle. However, the situation is different in crochet. In crochet knitting, the loops are attached directly with a crochet hook.
Knitting and crocheting threads are also different from each other. More flexible and smoother threads are generally used in knitting. The threads used in crochet are stronger and denser. That’s why, although there are shawls and cardigans made from crochet, knitting threads are commonly preferred in clothes. However, crochet is used more frequently in works such as blankets, pillows and amigurumi that are required to be durable.
Why haven’t machines figured out crochet yet?
The main reason why crochet is challenging is that it is three-dimensional. To create this image, the crochet hook is passed through a previously made layer, creating a complex look.
Since machines generally work on a single layer, they cannot replicate the look of crochet. Since it is necessary to pull each stitch through another stitch in crochet, this workmanship is not suitable for automatic production methods.
Although simpler techniques such as amigurumi have been tried in crochet machine making projects, successful results have not been obtained.
We cannot know whether robots will one day perform movements such as poking, looping and pulling the yarn, but it does not seem possible in the near future. Therefore, if you like the crochet look, you can continue to use your hands.
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