I can't crochet!

[potatofactory]

I have tried to learn, from books with pictures, about five times now - each time consisting of a whole evening of me concentrating on not getting ht up! I can do the chain, but the chain looks twisted, no matter what I do, and I can't do the second line. There's no hope for me, id there? I so want to make the lovely things in my crochet books!

Any tips gratefully received...

have you tried looking at demos on youtube?

No I haven't - good idea!

I found some great tutorials on you rtube a couple of months ago, there is still lots for me to learn but getting to grips with how to hold the wool and crochet hook and do basic stitches was evading me, but now I am enjoying making small toys

Great! I've just looked and I can see there's loads there. Thanks - looking now! (though my dd hassling me to play with the tin of buttons so maybe in a little while!)

I'm going to go and have a look at the tutorials on youtube too - when my pc has sound again.

I can do the basics - make a chain, make a circle, and carry on with it enough to make a flower, but I want to be able to do something a bit more complicated, as I have an ambition to make crochet snowflakes, which I'll sew beads on, then stiffen and put on next year's christmas cards, so people can detach them and use as decorations.

Mind you, I am very good at making grand plans like this, and rubbish at actually carrying them out.

www.knitwitch.com/crochet%20videos.htm These are great for learning (though they use American terms).

When I make my chain I kinda press it with my fingers as I go along to keep it flat.

some snowflakes are dead easy. promise.

Thanks for link, craftynclothy. I think I can put up with American terms if it helps! Off to look at now...

Speaking of crotcher- there's a new 'fortnightly' out at the moment - crochet made easy or something. It comes with a dvd a hook and two balls of (fairly nice pink and biscuit) yarn for 99p (first issue only).

I'd never done it in my life but have managed to make a scarf for DD.

crotcher

crotch? haha

Is there a knitting group anywhere near you? My local stitch'n'bitch has members who know about crochet as well as knitting, I expect there are lots of people who can do both and would be happy to help...

Failing that, can you borrow someone's granny? That's what I did when I wanted to learn to knit!

I saw that on the tv, TDWP, but it wasn't in my local shops. Might give it a go if I can find it - the dvd is what I'm after really...

I've tried grannies! That generation (the ones I know anyway) seem to be knitters, not crocheters. I would love to join a stitch and bitch group for crochet, but I don't know if there is one. Have never seen anything... Might look on local mumsnet...

My local pub does one but it's evenings and I can't justify the cost for a babysitter.

Maybe ask your friends and start a group between you? Get wine and snacks in...could be fun.

Knitwitch looks brilliant! Just watched the vid for making a chain, and it couldn't be clearer (I can do that bit, but hers was all nice and straight.) Thanks!

That's a good idea TDWP - I'll see if anyone is interested - we could huddle round my laptop and watch the knitwitch clips!

I would just like to say that I can now do single stitch crochet! So thanks for all tips. It was watching the knitwitch demonstrations, many times, which did it.

The stitches are too tight, and I drop or gain a stitch here and there, but I can basically do it! Roll on double stitch!

Maybe this is not the right place to say it but.... if you can do the single crochet you really are not far from being able to do this. It is all single stitch and increasing and decreasing.

have a look on ravelry, there is tons of knitting and crochet stuff on there and you might find a local stitch and bitch too

Oh great! Thanks, both. Was wanting a single stitch thing I could do - everything in my book needs tons of different stitches...

I've actually only just looked at the pic now, foxytocin. So cute! Really? I'll download the link and have a look!

it is [http://www.headhuggers.org/patterns/cpatt01.htm this beanie]] it doesn't have the turnups, I just continued it further.

I used double knit yarn with a 5mm crochet hook. Because I used a thinner yarn and smaller hook, I had to put in more increasing. (the pattern goes up to 8 but I went to 12. for my dd in the picture, I figure that I could have stopped at 10. as a 12 it fits me.) the earflaps are triangles I sewed on afterwards.

the ears are half circles.

the white 'mouth' is an oblong I messed about with till it got the shape I wanted.

I wish that it was taken into account that some of us want to hold the hook in the left hand. I was disgusted with one book entitled 'all you want to know about crochet'-it failed from the start with absolutely no diagrams for the left hander.

So you actually made that foxytocin? Is that your dd? She's beautiful - especially in such fetching headwear. Thanks for link:

I tried to copy and paste, as I could see the link hadn't worked (I did cut off 'this beanie') but couldn't make it work...