Tips on Teaching Someone to Crochet

My freshman year in College is when I learned to crochet. If someone tells me they tried to learn or someone else tried to teach them, but they just couldn't catch on or didn't stick with it, I'll ask them how old they were because, I know from experience and teaching lots of others to crochet, you really have to have a desire to do it.  Many people I know learned when they were 5. Maybe they did have a desire to learn but there's another factor. I've been in lots of groups where I or others have taught numerous kids and older people to crochet. I just came to this conclusion on my own. 

Beginner Crochet Purse / Bag  My Granddaughter Made at Age 12

My Thoughts On Keeping Them Motivated

Many grandmothers or anyone who teaches someone to crochet will teach the child (or grown-up) to do a chain and send them home to practice. I've even heard some say when they were young they made a chain the whole length of the house! And most of the time when someone teaches a child, they will help them start a potholder or something small they're not really excited about. SO,  I decided I'd start finding out some of the things they'd LIKE to make. Some may tell you they want to make something that is not a beginner project but  more advanced. I talk to them til we come to an agreement of something they're interested in that's for a beginner. For instance, if someone who just learned wants to make a purse, most teachers would say no, that that's too advanced for a beginner. Well, I had my 12 yr old granddaughter, Chloe, make a purse, but it was a very easy purse! It was basically a long rectangle which became the front and back of the purse, by folding it over. I can't remember if I had her do single crochet rows or whether they are half double crochet or double crochet, which goes faster. It's no harder than a single crochet-you just wrap the yarn around the hook before putting it into the stitch and this makes the stitch taller, so it's easy. 

Another Suggestion

Helping a beginner to do little things, will help them not feel as overwhelmed. 

I also helped her by making a flap to fold over and then she crocheted the long shoulder strap she wanted. I also helped her make tassels to put on the bottom but I let her design the whole purse by choosing the yarn and telling me exactly how she wanted it to look. I think I made a small flower to put on the front too, knowing she'd eventually learn to do a flower. But I knew the things I did to help wouldn't discourage her from crocheting & when she saw how cute it was when finished, it made her want to make more things. Since then, she's made scarves, bracelets and helped her mom crochet an Afghan. She's in college now and has even started a crochet group among her friends who either already knew how to crochet or wanted to learn. I have given her tons of yarn and lots of crochet books with easy projects to share with her friends. I also gave her about 25 crochet hooks in different sizes to share with friends. I collect crochet hooks and had over 100 of them!

But my point is that when they make something they're excited about and can actually SEE the results, they are much more likely to stick with it! But also helping them by making a flower or sewing the bag together for them, while they watch, gets them excited they'll actually be able to carry the purse and show their friends what they did. 

Another motivation for beginners is showing them small projects they can make as gifts for friends and family. Some suggestions for gifts that are quick would be:

Bookmark

Keychain

Hair accessories

Coin Purse

Cell Phone Case

Water Bottle Carrier

Coffee Cozy

Bracelet, Necklace, Ring or Earrings

Doll Clothes

Scarf or Cowl

Eye Glasses Holder

Pencil Case

You could probably think of 100's more small projects! And there are 1,000's of free patterns on the internet. 

Reading Patterns - Tips for Beginners - Part 1

Helpful Tips on How to Read Crochet Patterns

by Mary Jane Hall

Today I received an email from someone on Ravelry who is making one of my patterns in the new Crochet Noro Book, and she had a question about something that she was having trouble figuring out. She did tell me she had been crocheting for only 6 months, so I can understand why it didn't make sense to her.  She sent me a picture of her work and we ended up talking on the phone, which helped me figure out the problem. There was not an error, it was just something she hadn't dealt with before which was super easy for her! There were some things I said to her in an email that I thought would help her as a beginner, which prompted me to write this blog. Read below some of the things I said to her as a beginner and it may help you too, whether you're a beginner or experienced in crocheting.
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 I know for sure how frustrating it can be not to understand what a pattern is saying. I taught myself to crochet many yrs ago and would get SO frustrated if I didn’t understand what something meant! I’m glad that happened to me though, because it’s what helped me learn the terms and crochet language. I also had a group of older women who would help me understand. I could not have done it alone and would not be designing today if I hadn’t had their help way back then! I give them so much credit for my successes today. I’m the kind of person who would rather someone show me how to do it, rather than tell me or read it to me. Some tips I’ve learned since becoming a designer that I want to share are:

Sometimes there is a misprint or a pattern is wrong, so don’t fret! 

I always thought it was just me, but sometimes there are misprints or the person typing it up for the book copied it wrong. All publishers have tech editors now, and I’ve actually had tech editors change some of my wording & sometimes they have made mistakes. Not trying to scare you. Just please don’t give up! This can throw you way off, even if one little word or number is wrong. And sometimes designers aren’t good at trying to explain what they mean by something. It’s been one of my goals in life to explain my patterns as if I were a beginner! I have had many comments from people saying my patterns are so easy to understand. That is very important to me and makes me feel great. But sometimes it’s just a matter of not knowing the terms yet. So all those yrs ago, it may not have been me - just keep that in mind and check the internet for corrections or ask the designer (if they will answer-some don’t or won’t take the time).
I want to have a good relationship with people who buy my books or make my designs from magazines. It helps me feel a connection! I’m not just in this for money or to make a living :) I want to help! It does take up time to answer emails and check patterns but I think it’s very important as a designer. Some designers have told me they will say to crocheters who ask questions, “ask the publisher”, but the publisher would just have to ask me the question a reader asks, and I don’t want to bother the publisher since I’m the one who has the answer anyway.

  If you can't figure it out - do what looks right! 

Don’t be afraid to just do what looks right! Just make sure your work is lying flat and looks like the picture. If you think about it, you'll figure it out. It didn’t even cross my mind back when I was 18, or in my 20’s, 30’s and 40’s to just do what looked right. It’s such a simple thing and takes SO much pressure off you! In most cases, you want to do exactly what the pattern says, but if you can't get hold of the designer, publisher and can't find any corrections posted,  as long as it looks right your project should look great! 

I hope I have helped those of you who have never been told these things! Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mary Jane