Did you ever told someone how to crochet?

[Susanne]

I am sooo happy. A very close friend of mine asked me recently how I do all these different granny squares. So I took one of my hooks and some yarn and showed her how. I then wrote a quick instruction plus a chart for a very basic square. She learned crochet in school (as anybody else in Austria) so I hadn't to start at 0, but she forgot most of the things we've learnt.

 

After 1 hour of crocheting together I left her, because I had to go home. This was one week ago. She told me on Friday that she has already done 20 squares for a baby blanket (she is pregnant) - so I really made her crocheting. I am somewhat pleased she does, because I think that it will be great for relaxing (she has already got three children, same age as mine)

 

She told me that crocheting this baby blanket gets her in touch with the baby inside (who otherwise doesn't get much attention because of the 2 toddlers and the nearly-teenie around her)

 

Did you ever told someone how to crochet? Did you ever start a crocheter? Tell me your story, I would be pleased to read about it.

[darski]

That is the most wonderful story. I love how making the blanket puts her in touch with the little recipient. Thank you for sharing this. bless you.

[Leoism]

Well my story is less exciting. My husband wanted to know how I manage to get one string into such a design that it creates things. I sat him down and showed him. I taught him how to make a chain. He still has that chain of like 10 or so. I asked him if he wanted to do more and he said that was enough he got the general idea. ...... However I am helping teach a class of knitting at the library here and there is this 10 year old girl there who I have since taught to knit. I meet up with them again on Wednesday but it makes me feel good knowing I am passing on the tradition. Maybe she will tell stories of the lady that taught her to knit and those stories will be about me!!!!

[Tracey4610]

Oh, my gosh! Several of my friends have seen me crochet, and many of them have asked me to show them...One was an ex-boyfriend who helped me make his Christmas gift the first year we had met (it was a 5' X 7' afghan, w/ 12" granny squares), another was a friend who I am teaching again because I really didn't know what I was doing while teaching her the first time (she's the kind who needs the real basics first, then go on to grannies...i first taught her grannies). She is currently borrowing my "Crocheting School" book...Another friend is one who I helped to get her initial materials for, but she bought a book to teach her (she does better with reading instructions, than having someone walk her through it), and another was a former neighbor who all I did was show her the basics, teach her to read a pattern, and after the second lesson, she began teaching herself more stitches and reading more complex patterns!! (It wasn't that I am a good teacher, by any means, but it was because crocheting helped her keep herself focused, as she has AD/HD) Another lady was one who I worked with at work...I didn't get to finish teaching her because my dd was born, and I haven't seen her since. I ended up coaching another (who was working with us) who had been taught by her aunt 20 years ago (when I learned), but she never really got into it until the last 2 years, when she needed to learn to slow down and relax...(she is a borderline a/b personality, and when she had caffeine, she was an a)So, I showed her the basics again, and showed her a few things she didn't know before. Eeeeeh, I try to share the love for fiber!!!

 

I'm also wanting to become a certified instructor through CYCA, and do what was posted in another thread: going to people's home and have a fiber party. Not that I'd be selling yarn or hooks or anything, but just to teach people...for a nominal fee, I'd teach the skills for people to springboard off of the lessons, and I'd provide a single skein of yarn plus a hook. (Katecrochets stated it the best in her post--like in her experience, I've had a friend who has asked me to do the same thing!!)

[Starr]

I have taught a few friends how to crochet and I taught my oldest son how.

I have been trying to teach my daughter, but she is a very difficult student. She is a perfectionist and she is expecting her work to look like mine right away. I just keep explaining to her that my work looked nowhere near the way it looks now when I first was learning, when I was 7 years old and when I was re-learning 10 years ago. But that isn't exceptable to her

 

I just recently had a friend of mine ask me to teach her how to crochet. She is having back surgery this week and she is going to call me when she is home and feeling up to learning. She is going to be on bed rest for quite awhile, so this should be good to keep her occupied

[angeleyes70]

I helped teach a friend at work several years ago, and am currently teaching my 10 yr old son and 8 yr old daughter. I hear you Starr on the perfectionist thing, my son gets that way at times, but I just have him take a breather and talk and go back to it. He can be rather difficult to work with, because of that and he has trouble with his small motor skills and he wants it RIGHT NOW, lol. My daughter is just to the chaining and sc. I'm not very good at trying to teach things.

 

Kim

[croschet03]

I have taught a couple people. The friend who had actually taught me to crochet, I had to re-teach her a couple of weeks ago. She had set the art down for a year or two. I taught my sister, but she is still working on her first afghan she started a couple years ago. HA! She's much better at cross stitching and sewing, which I think she enjoys more. The girls here at work, have all asked to watch me do a few rows. I did try to teach one of them, but it didn't take.

Val

[angieInCA]

Over the years I have taught several people to crochet. But I will say that I have taught more in the last 2 years than all the others combined. I credit the recent new public interest and the fact that both of my daughters were in their teen years and all their friends showed an interest.

 

My oldest daughter is the most interested (she is now 22) but can't read a pattern to save her life. If I show her a pattern and tell her how to proceed she can complete simple projects. The younger one (17) can read a pattern but really is quite bored with the whole thing.

 

Some of the 2 dozen girls I've taught in the last 2 years still call me asking questions. I think only about 3 of them are seriously "hooking" now. But I figure everyone I have taught the basics too will at sometime in their life pick it up again and get totally hooked!

[Susanne]

I find it amazing how all of you are teaching people to crochet. This time was the only time when a friend asked me (maybe because all of us learned it already in school?) so it was very special for me.

 

You all are really good "spreaders of the crochet-knowledge" and I will have to rush to keep up with you

[Debi Y]

I've taught my daughter to crochet (she's 24 now) but she doesn't do it anymore -- maybe she'll pick it up again when her boys are older.

I tried to teach my youngest sister but all she ended up doing was chaining a whole skein of yarn (that chain could of wrapped around my house) and then she'd had enough and wasn't interested in doing anymore.

I've also taught a few crochet classes at Joann Fabrics when I used to work there. It was a great experience for me.

Debi Y.

[Tracey4610]

Angie: I have an idea for your dd to learn to read a pattern...You'll have to write out a simple pattern without the abbreviations (i.e., double crochet), then write out one that has the full word with the abbreviation in parenthesis [i.e., double crochet (dc)]. This is what I did to teach myself to read a pattern about 8 years ago. HTH!!

[lynned1952]

I work in a placement center for troubled teens...I've taught both male and female teens to crochet and even staff members wanted to learn. Right now everyone is busy making large granny square blankets, and hats and scarves....Lynne