Getting frustrated trying to learn

[spaycee]

Last night I left my class certain I would be able to bring out the yarn and go to town today. Well I was wrong! Maybe I need to read through some of the books now that I have a much better idea of what to do. It would be fun if I had some friends trying to learn and we could get together, but I don't :-( I feel dense I guess!

 

I know all I can do is try. How long did it take everyone to learn, you know, get confident enough and not have to really rack your brain on how to do it?

[BonnieCrochets]

Well I haven't been crocheting but for about 2 years and it took me about 2 months to get comfortable with basic stitches. I just recently become comfortable trying other things and feeling confident about it. Don't worry it will happen and when it does it is just GREAT!!!!!!!!

[crochet smartcat]

Are you working on a project in your class or just individual stitches?

 

If you would like to get together online, in chat sometime and discuss your current project. Maybe we could make a scarf together online or something simple like that. I can understand not having someone to work with to help understand everything.

 

If other newbies are interested we could maybe set a specific chat time and everyone could join in and ask questions as they occur. Let me know if I can help you with anything.

[CrochetKitty]

I tried teaching myself using a book, but I didn't really get the hang of it until a friend showed me what I'd been doing wrong this past February. I'd been making my chains much too loose.

 

That's probably the most important piece of advice for a crocheter: Make sure your chain is even. The way I explained it to the friend I was teaching is tighten the yarn around the "fat" part of your hook, but not too tight; imagine your hook needs to breathe.

[spaycee]

The class I took did not work on projects. It was just to learn the stitches. Maybe I am expecting too much too fast!!!

[crochet smartcat]

If all you know is a sc and chain, then maybe a simple dishcloth would be a good first project. Using sugar n' cream or peaches n' cream, make a chain of about 30, then sc in the second chain from the hook. Then sc across and ch 1 at the end of the row. Make about 35 or 40 rows until it looks square.

 

If all you have is worsted weight, then you could do a scarf the same way, except increase the rows till it is 5' - 6' long.

 

Work on something simple to start and before you know it, the rest of the projects will become easy.

[spaycee]

Well I did one more row of whatever I am doing LOL I am just doing like a big square or something. I just want to practice the actual stitching before I attempt a project lol Hopefully in like a week I can do like a dishcloth!

 

Thanks for the advice everyone!

[spaycee]

K everyone!!!!!!!! I just did like 3 rows - I THINK I have the sc down! So now I will work on the dc!!!! Just needed a little nudge and realize to be patient! Thanks everyone!

[crochet smartcat]

It always helps to have a project to work the stitches out on. Let me know if you need any help or encouragment.

[SaxDragon]

I had the same frustration learning to knit. Both times LOL

 

First time I tried to teach myself out of a book and got nowhere. Couldn't really tell what to do from the pictures, so I couldn't really tell what I was doing wrong. Didn't know anybody who knit and there weren't any classes anywhere.

 

This time I'm learning from a CD, simple instructions, good video presentation, a little 'old lady-ish' in its marketing, but I can overlook that :-) I can watch and compare - that helps SO much. Still don't know anybody who knits, but there is a class about 50 miles away. Too bad gas is so high ...

 

Still not secure in what I'm doing, some stitches are too loose, some too tight, etc. I go back to the CD to double check myself. So far, so good, but slow LOL

 

I'm learning off of cheap yarn - so if I screw up it doesn't cost me much to start over (first time I wasted a good ball of expensive stuff). I've completed a couple of 'giant swatches' of practice, kind of useless but they're starting to look better. I can now do alternating boxes of garter and stockingnette, so I think I'll try making a scarf next month (Yep, I just heard my wallet whimper because I'll want several skeins of the more expensie yarn LOL).

 

Biggest problem is wanting to move on to more difficult stitches and patterns (like cables) before I'm ready (made that mistake the first time, too). I have to keep reminding myself of that. I'd love to make one of those fancy sweaters ...

 

So, while your first couple of items won't be perfect, it's practice, and you'll get better.

[origami]

Last night I left my class certain I would be able to bring out the yarn and go to town today. Well I was wrong! Maybe I need to read through some of the books now that I have a much better idea of what to do. It would be fun if I had some friends trying to learn and we could get together, but I don't :-( I feel dense I guess!

 

I know all I can do is try. How long did it take everyone to learn, you know, get confident enough and not have to really rack your brain on how to do it?

 

Hi there. First of all, let me recommend Stitchguide which has videos of the basic (and sometimes advanced) stitches for many different crafts including crochet, knitting, cross stitch, plastic canvas, etc.

 

I had a really difficult time learning from books because I think it is really hard to really illustrate the basic crochet stitches on the printed page. Once you get it, you will really get it though. There's really only 3 basic stitches and once you've got that down, you're halfway there. The other thing that you need to master is recognizing a stitch, so you know when to stop when you are crocheting a row. It REALLY helps to count! It helps to use patterns that tell you how many stitches you will end up with. Remember to count.

 

Keep practicing. Find a simple project. It helps to work towards a goal.

 

A GREAT book is Kids Crochet, which I think has really good instructions and some simple, fun projects.

[mythunderbird]

thats a really good idea tandy i would be willing to try and help. my students i teach now say i have lots of patience lol let me know if we are going to do this.

Are you working on a project in your class or just individual stitches?

 

If you would like to get together online, in chat sometime and discuss your current project. Maybe we could make a scarf together online or something simple like that. I can understand not having someone to work with to help understand everything.

 

If other newbies are interested we could maybe set a specific chat time and everyone could join in and ask questions as they occur. Let me know if I can help you with anything.

[yarnyviolet]

I learned to crochet when I was young so it looked terrible for quite a while but I didn't care. I was 6 or 7 I think. A dishcloth is a very easy first project. You just make a square out of cotton. It is also a good way to try out new stitch patterns. I think when you learn something as an adult you have higher expectations. I didn't crochet for years until last year when I finally gave up on knitting and started crocheting. Not to get you started on an addiction but maybe you need to try a different style of hook. There are two main styles of hooks: Boye and Bates, and many people prefer one over the other. I also do much better holding my hook "knife" style instead of "pencil" style although the woman that taught me when I was a child held hers pencil style. The only other thing I would recommend is not to start too many projects at once in the beginning. You will see a big change in your crocheting in the beginning so if you leave a project and come back to it the stitches will look different. I did this last year when I started crocheting again and my dh has fraternal socks although they have the same number of stitches. He doesn't care but it bothered me at first.

 

 

HTH

 

Rachel

[Crochetangy]

Hang in there Spaycee,

I have been at it for about 5 months. I can do simple projects. I still get frustrated. I had a car accident 6/04 and started crocheting to wake up my brain! Things that would seem sooooo easy in my other life are embrassing hard for me. But I will never give up and I will never lose the ability to laugh at myself. Save all your projects so you can look back a few months from now and say to yourself...I can't believe a single crochet dishcloth gave me so much trouble . I pulled out some granny squares from a month ago and they look like monsters!!! Well, I guess I could call them "free form" crochet eh?

But the thing is I never gave up. It took me a whole MONTH to learn to do a granny. I was so darn happy I told anybody that would listen!

So hang in there!

 

Aloha