How to Make Crochet Look Like Knitting (The Ultimate Guide)

*This post may have affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclaimer for additional details..

Beyond the fact that crochet involves a hook and knitting involves two needles, both fiber crafts typically create different stitches. Of course, since their stitches are different, crochets and knits ordinarily do not look the same. But if you want, you can make crochet look like knitting.

Now, you might be wondering how to make crochet look like knitting. So, here’s the good news: you can make crochet look like knitting simply by working with certain types of crochet stitches. That’s it! You do not need to stop crocheting to make crochet look like knitting. You only need to use specific stitches.

Below, we discuss some stitches that can make crochet look like knitting. Also, since this is the ultimate guide, we answer some pertinent questions about crocheting and knitting.

Close-up of crochet threads and handmade products.

Crochet Stitches That Make Crochet Look Like Knitting

If you want crochet that looks like knitting, try out the following stitches:

Back Loop

The back loop is perhaps the easiest way for a beginner to make crochet look like knitting.

To pull a back loop off, examine the top row of your crochet stitch. You’ll find that each of the stitches looks like a V. The top of the V will point toward the hook, while the bottom is further away.

The bottom of the V, which points away, is the back loop. Crochet through this loop only as opposed to the whole stitch, and you will get a back loop stitch. The front loop stays visible, creating a rib stitch similar to ribbing styles in knitting when you do this.

You can work single crochet or half double crochet into back loops. But when you do work half double crochet, the ribs are a tad wider but comparable to double-knit or worsted yarn.

You can also work double crochet stitches into back loops. But you’ll end up with broader spaces between the ribs, losing some stretchiness.

Camel Stitch

The camel stitch is a modification of the back loop stitch. However, unlike the back loop, you can only pull off the camel stitch with half-double crochet.

To create a camel stitch, make a round of half-double crochet stitches. Then, join the edges with a slip stitch.

Continue by working another round of half-double crochet stitches into the first row. But as opposed to inserting your hook through the V at the top row, work into the third loop. The third loop is the angled stitch beneath the V.

By working the next row of half-double crochet stitches into the third loop, you create the camel stitch. Keep repeating this with each row to continue the camel stitch.

The camel stitch leaves most of the stitches on the wrong side of the crochet. So, on the right side, you only have rows in V-shapes – just like in knitting.

Front Post/Back Post

The front post/back post stitch is usually the first crochet ribbing you will learn. While it does not create the V-shape seen in other techniques, it does make a knit-like ribbed texture.

You can do the front post/back post with single, half double, double, and even treble crochet. Here’s how:

Front Post

To make a front post stitch:

Place your hook in from front to back. Then weave around the stitch of the post.
If making double crochet, complete the stitch as you normally would.

Back Post

To make a back post stitch:

Place your hook in from back to front. Then weave around the stitch of the post.
If making double crochet, complete the stitch as you normally would.

Continuing alternating between front post and back post with each round. Starting and ending the rows helps keep the sides even and neat.

Beyond ribbing, you can also do cables with front post/back post double crochet.

To do this, skip a few stitches as you weave. Then place a front-post double crochet around a post some stitches away. After doing this, return and work the stitches you jumped over.

The sequence in which you follow the instruction above will determine the shape and direction of the cable.

A woman sits on the floor and knits with a crochet and thread

Shepherd’s Knitting

This stitch is also known as Bosnian Crochet or Dutch Knitting, and it comes from rows of slip-stitch. Ordinarily, you would make crochet fabric with just slip stitches. But when you do, you create shepherd’s knitting.

To make slip stitches, place your hook into the next stitch. Then yarn over and pull the yarn through the stitch and the loop on the hook.

To make shepherd’s knitting, simply do slip-stitches all the way.

If you do not use a shepherd hook while doing shepherd’s knitting, ensure the crochet hook you use is chunky. This will keep the loops loose and easy to work with.

Surface Crochet

You can also make crochet look like knitting through a surface crochet. A surface crochet is basically a decorative layer of crochet added to the surface of an already completed crochet fabric.

You can create a surface crochet that looks like knitting by slip stitching along the surface of your crochet. As long as the yarn remains in the back of the crochet while the loops stay in front, you should have knit-like V’s on the surface.

Waistcoat Stitch

The waistcoat stitch is like a modification of the single crochet. You can create this by placing the hook in the bottom of the V of the stitch then working in rounds.

While waistcoat stitch creates knit-like V’s, it is very dense and tight. So, to make weaving easier, work with a chunk hook. You can also ease things by using a stretchy yarn.

The upside of the tightness of waistcoat stitch is it is great for bags.

What Looks Better Crochet or Knitting?

The more attractive option between crochet and knitting is purely subjective. Your stitches look like little V’s or straight lines when you knit. On the other hand, crochet stitches are more textured and bumpier.

So, knitting looks better if straight-line stitches or tiny V stitches appeal to you. Then if bumpier, textured stitches are more attractive to you, crochet looks better.

Besides the primary differences in their stitch patterns, you can create various stitches with crochet. But with knitting, you primarily work with two types of stitches.

Can You Make Crochet Patterns into Knit Patterns?

You can make crochet patterns into knit patterns. More times than not, you will come across resources that focus on converting knit to crochet. But you can convert crochets to knits for sure.

To convert your crochet pattern to a knit pattern, have the following at the back of your mind:

You must replicate the stitch gauge of your crochet project when converting to a knit pattern. This is very vital.
The row gauge of the original crochet project and the knit project you create must also be the same.
Knit stitches are typically shorter than crochet stitches. Therefore, you will have to knit more stitches to match the row length of the crochet pattern.
Know that your knit pattern will not feel or look exactly the same as the original crochet pattern. This is logical since hooks and needles do not work the same way, and the stitches are different.

Hands of a woman crocheting knitted blanket against white background

Can You Crochet Onto Knitting?

You can crochet onto knitting through surface crochet. We already talked briefly about surface crochet above, so you can do a recap.

To do surface crochet on knitting, you need the following:

Complete the knit project
Some contrasting yarn
A suitable crochet hook for the chosen yarn

Can You Knit Anything You Can Crochet?

You can knit pretty much anything you can crochet. While crochet and knitting have different techniques and produce different results, they share many similarities. Both these crafts are products of yarns, and they require hand-eye coordination.

Whether knitting or crocheting, you can create items like bags, blankets, hats, sweaters, toys, socks, and more.

While there are many types of yarns, you can use any of them in crocheting and knitting. Knitting and crocheting consume about the same amount of yarn for similar projects. However, you may be unable to use crochet thread in knitting.

Crochet thread is usually used alongside thin crochet needles for delicate crochet projects.

woman knits knitting needles on the couch

Is It Harder to Knit or Crochet?

In many cases, people find knitting to be more complicated than crochet.

People hold this opinion because when knitting, you have to create stitches by moving the yarn between two needles. But when crocheting, you work with just a hook.

Apart from that, knitting projects have more details and can be time-consuming. So, you generally need a lot of patience to pull them off. Besides this, knitting projects are also more likely to unravel than crochet projects.

Contrarily, after learning the basics of crocheting, things become less complicated. Also, the projects are faster, and you can readily frog a stitch to correct a mistake.

Final Take

At the simplest, you can make crochet look like knits by working with back loop stitches. But beyond that, you can create a knit-like look if you work camel stitch, front post/back post stitch, waistcoat stitch, and shepherd’s knitting.

You may also do slip-stitch surface crochet on a complete crochet project to get the knitted look.