What is weaving and how does it differ from other braiding, knitting, and crocheting?

The Webster’s collegiate dictionary’s definition of Weave (used as a verb) is: “to form by interlacing strands; to make by intertwining."

All this really means is that weaving uses sets of fibers in an interlacing right-angled pattern to produce a product. The product can be cloth, harnesses, baskets, or any other item that can be formed when fibers intersect at right angles. The fibers can be yarn, string, twine, leather strips, grass, bark, or pliable branches.

Braiding is actually a simple form of weaving defined as “interweaving with 3 or more strands”. Knitting and crocheting (from the same WebsterÕs collegiate dictionary) are defined as “the interlocking of looped stitches formed with a single thread”.

Based on these definitions, it would be very difficult to crochet a basket from willow withes but it’s very easy (if you know how to make a basket in the first place) to weave a basket.