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Original poster

Crochet: What am I doing wrong?

34 replies

Marmiteandjamislush · 13/08/2015 20:09

It is making me really angry! I consider myself fairly crafty, but I just can't get it. I can loom knit, sew, needle felt and bake beautiful things. Why oh why can't I do this?! I thought I'd got it a while ago, but what I was actually doing was pulling loops over each other ala loom knitting! I just can't get the 'knack' of grabbing the yarn with the hook. I know I shouldn't be so bothered, but I'm looking for something that I can do in between feeding DD1, without too much stuff, whilst DS 1 and 2 are HE by my Dad.

FYI I am using a 5mm metal hook with a rubber grip (have bamboo too though) and DK cheapie yarn.

TIA

OP posts:
ThisIsClemFandango · 13/08/2015 20:15

It took me a while to get the hang of it too. I couldn't figure out how it worked then it just clicked.
Have you tried watching a basic YouTube tutorial? It helped me to literally copy what they did - and you figure out how to hold the yarn your own way eventually. YouTube was a 'penny drop' moment for me Smile
Good luck - be warned once you start properly, it escalates into an addiction pretty quickly.. Wink

HolidayHeidi · 13/08/2015 20:26

Marmite I could have written this. Several years ago I was addicted to the attic24 blog and determined to crochet a granny stripe blanket for our super king bed. The balls and balls of yarn are still in the bag. I watched you tube tutorials over and over. I paused them every few seconds. It didn't work and I'm still no further on with it. In fact I've given up! Like you I can see, knit, weave etc. but this far crochet has eluded me.

Scoopmuckdizzy · 13/08/2015 20:30

Keep trying. You will get it eventually and once you do there will be no going back!

PurpleDaisies · 13/08/2015 20:32

The absolute worst bit is doing the chain and then the first row. After that your work is more stable and miles easier.

I don't like rubber grips and prefer the cheap metal pony brand hooks. A 5mm is quite large too-you might find a 4mm suits your wool better. Definitely persevere-once you get it there are hardly any stitches to learn and you can make really lovely things.

Where in the country are you? I learnt the basics on a hen do craft afternoon and the rest from YouTube. There's a lovely alpaca farm near Rugby that runs a beginners crochet workshop which is excellent. You can also buy wool there (expensive but gorgeous) and walk around and see the alpacas that it came from.

www.toft-alpacas.co.uk/Home.aspx

Original poster
Marmiteandjamislush · 13/08/2015 20:35

Thanks, I have tried a few, but it's just not clicked yet, I'll keep going though.

OP posts:
Original poster
Marmiteandjamislush · 13/08/2015 20:38

Purple, I'll have a look, I'm in London, so I'm sure they'll be something near by.

OP posts:
Crumblevision · 13/08/2015 20:39

Definitely agree with Purple - the foundation chain and first row are worst bit. I found Knitwitch and VeryPink.Com really helpful on Youtube. Where are you op? County wise? If you're near me, I'd be happy to show you

PurpleDaisies · 13/08/2015 20:42

The hen do was at a cafe in London...I will try and remember the name!

MrsMummyPig · 13/08/2015 20:42

www.purplelindacrafts.co.uk/learn-to-crochet-booklet-b10-407-p.asp

I learned from this booklet and a friendly assistant in my local yarn shop. I used to get frustrated with YouTube as the tutorials were to quick to follow and I was forever stopping and starting and then starting over.

TheHormonalHooker · 13/08/2015 20:44

It took me a while to get it because I was doing a knitting motion more than the crochet motion. I put it down and cam back to it a week or two later and it clicked. I used a 4mm hook with a rubber grip, I couldn't get on without the grip. I went into Hobbycraft and looked at them before I bought them.

Now it's clicked I can't stop!

broomchickabroomchick · 13/08/2015 20:48

Have you tried a granny square? Far easier then stripes I've found and once you learn the basic stitches there its easier to adapt them to other things

DeladionInch · 13/08/2015 20:50

Ignore the foundation chain and working into it, thats a complete fucking nightmare. Look up Foundation Double Crochet instead!

BitterChocolate · 13/08/2015 20:53

I did a Craftsy class, I don't think the exact one that I did is still available but there are other beginner level ones. They have sales every so often so if you sign up and put a class on your wish list they will probably send you a special offer within a few weeks.

It was handy because you can set the video to repeat a section and it will keep repeating until you tell it to stop, so you don't have to keep putting the crochet hook down to manually go back the way you would have to on YouTube.

My advice is to do one thing over and over again until it feels comfortable and every stitch is a uniform size and tension. So I chained and unravelled and chained and unravelled for four or five days before moving on to double crochet (dc) stitches. Then I did dc stitches for about a week until they felt automatic, before moving on to treble crochet (tc).

ALittleFaith · 13/08/2015 20:54

I found it tough to start with but have fallen in love with it now. I highly recommend Jayda. When I struggled, she got me started. I helped to crack the granny square with her help.

BitterChocolate · 13/08/2015 21:01

This one would be a good start. It's taught using American notation (their single crochet is our double crochet) but don't worry about it at the moment, you will need to know both UK and US notation when you start using patterns and it's not difficult to translate between the two anyway. What's important is that you can do the stitches. Don't pay full price for it though, it's bound to be on sale at some stage soon.

elephantoverthehill · 13/08/2015 21:02

I taught myself a few years ago. I've always sewn and knitted so wondered why crotchet had alluded me. Firstly I really recommend the Reader's Digest guide to crotchet and lace making. Sorry my sister has got my copy at the mo so I can't give you an ISBN. Secondly use the internet but only use either USA or UK. The methods are similar but the stitch names describe different things. I did a lot of practice samples before I embarked on a project. Keep trying it is really satisfying, often quicker than knitting and takes up less space if you are on a train or similar. Good luck.

AnythingNotEverything · 13/08/2015 21:33

I cracked it via YouTube amdAttic24, but a friend read and read and watched video after video, but only cracked it when she read a booked written for children. You need lots of pictures to show you exactly where you put your hook.

PolterGoose · 13/08/2015 21:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SaguaroBlossom · 13/08/2015 21:57

I love crochet, I was lucky, my mum and grandma taught me, which seems much easier than watching a video. I think holding the yarn, and getting the tension right to allow the yarn to run through, is really important, - and difficult. Bizarrely, I find using hand cream before I start can make it much easier.

Forgetmenotblue · 13/08/2015 21:57

I can't knit at all and I think that's why I can crochet. My DD is a great knitter and can't get the hang of crochet.

Intrigued by the mention of Foundation Double Crochet....the chain and row 1 are horrible.

BitterChocolate · 13/08/2015 22:12

I'm not sure that foundation double crochet is the best thing for a beginner. I'm a fairly experienced crocheter (well, 18 months but I've made a reasonable variety of things) and I find foundation double crochet a pain in the bum. I'm a very tight crocheter which doesn't help. I used a foundation double crochet on my current project and it was much easier and looks lovely. You can see the bottom edge in the photo. But I still think that a beginner would be better off learning the traditional chain followed by dc into the chain to start with.

Crochet: What am I doing wrong?
DeladionInch · 14/08/2015 12:46

Bitter 25 years in and it has revolutionised my crochet! I tend to size up a hook for the first row - with dk on a 5mm I don't imagine that will be a problem for the op. FDC is much much easier to get a grip on than chains.

SoMauve · 14/08/2015 12:55

I agree that granny squares can be easier and more satisfying than working you way through tutorials. By the time you need a stitch for a project you've forgotten the previous ones.
I tried for 3 years, no luck. Just couldn't get the tension right. 5 weeks ago I thought "right' I amNOT going to let this beat me!" And taught myself simple granny squares from a book. Am about to embark on my fifth Woolly Hug giant granny blanket !
Keep at it, it will just click. I like Little Tin Bird's tutorials.

TheHoundsBitch · 14/08/2015 13:07

Are you able to get to South Oxhey or Borehamwood? I can recommend a crafty club that will be able to help you. pm me if you're interested :)

holmessweetholmes · 14/08/2015 13:19

I knit, but find crochet much harder. I taught myself using YouTube videos, but have a book too. I learnt, slowly and laboriously made about 5 granny squares from my gorgeous book "200 crochet blocks for blankets, throws and afghans" then didn't touch my crochet for about... 3 years. Found it this morning when I was looking for some wool. Lots of people find it easier than knitting, but I find it much fiddlier.