Death by crochet

[BroccoliSpears]

I still can't crochet. I have been pouring over my book since Christmas. I can now make a chain and crochet singles into that to make a lumpy, wonky square. Squarish, anyway, as I always seem to end up with fewer stitches than I started with. I just don't understand how to do the other stitches. I have watched all the youtube videos. I have been given a live demonstration by my granny (which may actually have been more of a hinderance than a help...)

Have now decided to stop trying to learn stitches in turn from a book as it's not working and am looking for a booties pattern. Perhaps throwing myself into that will help me learn.

Can't decide which one of these is least likely to have me in tears for the rest of the afternoon.

maybe you could start by making a blanket,you dont need to follow a pattern for that and its very easy,you just continue round doing the same stitch and when you get to the corners instead of doing 3 stitches into the same hole ,you do six.I love doing this ,i have been doing them for years ,but i still cant read a pattern !

I agree with mummylin - a patchwork blanket is the best thing to start off with.

"...and when you get to the corners instead of doing 3 stitches into the same hole ,you do six..."

lol brocolli spears - I also don't understand what that means.

btw, I started my crocheted blanket at age 15. I'm now 31 ....and it's still not finished!

sorry !! you do your first litle chain into the stitch below ,then you do it twice more into the same stitch below except when you get to the corners you do six of these stitches.Its hard to explain but easy to do !!!!Its doing the six in the corners that makes your blanket grow.
eg hook your wool .pass hook through the stitch underneath wind wool round and pull hook through ,pass back stich over the front one on the hook,then do it again twice more.
is that any clearer or is it clear as mud

stick with it mummylin, I tried following books that I received for xmas and found it impossible. My mum sat down with me and we now have a weekly tutorial and it's very early days for me but I'm chuffed that I've stuck with it and I'm learning a new skill. I've even started being poncetastic and saying oohh I much prefer metal hooks etc, get me
good luck.

its not me who is learning thirdwise

I taught myself to crochet about 2 years ago. I used online tutorials and found it really easy. I now sell things on't'internet for really far more than I should!

Don't tackle a proper pattern unless you can do the basic stitches. Granny squares are really easy if you find a tutorial that you understand. I've done a few blankets as one huge square.

The happy hooker is quite a good book. www.amazon.co.uk/Stitch-Bitch-Crochet-Happy-Hooker/dp/0761139850
It explains things quite well.

You will probably have an !!aaah!! moment where everything slots into place.

happy hooking!?!

oh yes please address my previous comments to mummylin to broccoli - excuse the fact I was a bit tipsy as I'm having a week long birthday celebration

PS I got the happy hooker for xmas and it is good

I have the happy hooker - me and Broccoli Spears started a couple of threads over christmas about how hard all this crocheting was

I can honestly say I could still weep with frustration at all your 'its so easy' posts - it's just so DAMN HARD !!!!!!!!

I have made a circle - thats it - a fucking circle !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I couldn't make a square, no, no, not even a Wibbly WObbly square - instead I can make a circle - WTF !!!

It takes a special kind of 'talent' to be as shite as I am at crochet

Elfinblast - if I ever meet you and your 'I taught myself and make money from it' - you will die.....

I don't find it easy, but I'm enjoying doing stuff with my mum and I'm v.proud of my very long chain - just need to find something to do with it, erm, perhaps I could wind it around my head and fashion a turban style hat
Laurie - I am very jealous of your circle
PS I too have your special talent at being shite at crochet, I'm pretty shite at knitting too, knit one, drop a stitch, get tension so tight your wool squeaks etc......

laurie if you have made a circle you are on the way to actually being able to make a square !!! depending how big your circle is go round it and do equal number of stiches each side,remembering to do the six for the corners and it will turn into a square! You will be able to sit and do your square for ever till you have a blanket to cover a bed .good luck dont give up !

Not just me then, I meant to start a thread like this. I also got happy Hooker for Christmas and sat down with it at w/end. I just DON'T GET IT! I can manange a chain but then as soon as I try to do stitches I end up with a big knotty mouse with a long tail. I can't work out where I'm meant to go. Can't see the mechanics of it like I can with knitting.

On the upside it made me get my knitting out and finish the jumper I started for DS3 but now about to be worn by DS4

At the corners of the square you need to add a couple of chain stitches between the 2 blocks of 3 stitches - iykwim!!

Says she who hasn't crocheted for about a million years!!

Does this help

Sorry Laurie!!
If it's any consolation I'm trying to teach my daughter who is abso-flamin-lutely awful at it.
She can't even do a chain.

The first row after your basic chain is usually quite difficult. If you read your happy hooker it suggests using a slightly bigger hook for your foundation chain then the smaller one for the subsequent rows. Makes it a little easier.

Just keep practising. Rather than making "something" straight away just do a scarf or a long thin piece using one basic stitch, then do another using another stich. Soon you'll be watching telly while you work!

I wonder if you come unstuck at the really basic stitches. If you look at dizzyday's granny square, the first thing to do is to do four chains. Then lay it flat on the table and look at the first chain, it looks like a little loop. Now put your hook into that first loop, wind the wool round the hook and pull through both stitches. You should end up with one stitch on your hook, that's your ring. Then do three more chains. Then go into the ring, not into the stitch, into the ring, wind the wool once round the hook and pull through both stitches, again, one stitch on the hook. Next you wind the wool round the hook twice, go into the ring and pull through one of your windings and again, one double crotchet. Do another one. That is three chains and two double crotchets. After that you need to read the pattern some more. If this doesn't work you need a little lady in a wool shop or charity shop to show you. I can assure you, it is easy.

If you can chain and single crochet you are nearly there! Maybe you are missing crocheting into some of your chain stitches? When I end up with fewer sticthes than I thought it's generally becuase I have skipped a couple of chains. I've found the Erika Knight Simple Crochet book useful (though you need to know there is a difference in the terms used for single/double/treble crochet used in the US and UK). There are some lovely patterns here to www.rosylittlethings.com/patterns.html

Where are you based? If in London, the wool shop Loop may be useful.

What stitch were you using?

If it was what UK folks call double crochet & those wierd folks in the US call single crochet (i.e. hook through stitch, yarn over hook, pull yarn through so you have 2 loops on hook, yarn over hook, pull yarn through both loops, the end) then it's really easy to wind up with fewer stitches as you go. With this stitch when you get to the end of your row just do 1 chain before turning & crocheting into every stitch of the previous row - it's much easier to see what you're doing then.

Am I making any sense?