Can Machines Crochet?

There are cars on the roads that practically drive themselves. There are people going into space for tourism. Whether you love it or hate it, technology is amazing. But you know what’s even more amazing? Despite all of those advances in technology, there are certain things that only work right when we do them by hand. A lot of people ask, “can machines crochet?” Despite the fact that there are so-called crochet machines out there, the answer is a resounding no.

Knitting Machines and Weaving Machines and Sewing Machines

We do have machines for all different types of crafts. Of course, everyone knows that we have sewing machines for both individual and industrial sized projects. As you might know, weaving machines and knitting machines also exist. That said, there are still plenty of people who knit, weave, and even sew by hand. There’s just something to be said for the handmade touch.

Handmade: Made With Love

You’ve probably seen, and maybe even used, the phrase “handmade with love.” When you take the time to sit down and stitch something piece by piece, loop by loop, you are dedicating your time, energy, and yes, love to that piece. The piece gets infused with that energy and spreads to the people you gift with your creations.

The Benefits of Crafting By Hand

As we’ve discussed in various posts on this blog over time, knitting and crochet offer a diverse array of mental and physical health benefits. You can heal from grief and trauma, work through depression and anxiety symptoms, and practice mindfulness meditation through crafting. While some might argue that you can do with a sewing machine, there’s definitely something unique about the tangible benefits of seeing yarn move through your hands to become a handcrafted item.

Can Machines Crochet?

So, even if the answer to “can machines crochet” were to be yes, a lot of people would still choose to crochet by hand. Perhaps that’s why there’s never been deep investment into creating crochet machines. That said, there are machines out there that are marketed as such. These mostly exist at the industrial level. For example, if you search for Comez crochet machines, you’ll find products that they call as much.

However, the truth is that machines can’t crochet the way that people can. Knitting and crochet, although so similar in many ways, have key differences. In knitting, of course, you pull up a bunch of live loops onto the needle in each row. In contrast, in crochet, you pull up one loop at a time and essentially bind it off at the end of each loop. Knitting machines are able to replicate the stitchwork of that craft. However, there are no crochet machines that can replicate the loop-by-loop design of crochet.

Crochet Is Always Handmade

Therefore, if you see crochet fabric in a store, then you’re looking at one of two things:

• A machine made it, in which case it’s not crocheted. Look closer and you’ll see that it’s some other lace variation on knitting.
• It was made by hand. As a result, you want to source finished crochet items carefully in the marketplace to make sure that the maker is getting paid fairly for that hard work!

Did you know that machines can’t crochet?

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