Not moving the hook

[~Rhonda~]

That is awesome and I know she will be very proud of what she is making!

[yarn_monkey]

Okay, I'm teaching my stepdaughter (11 almost 12) and she does the same thing, from holding the hook in her fist and not moving it, to refusing to move beyond a chain for about 9 months. After making about 100 bracelets and necklaces for all of her friends, I FINALLY convinced her to learn to make a scarf (she already knew sc and dc, just wouldn't do them lol).

 

Anyway, I got her to hold the hook right, but she still isn't moving the hook. Since she isn't moving it, she keeps losing the first yo (working dc on the scarf), the free yarn (from the skein) keeps getting in front of the work/chain, and the chain is WAY too tight. I made her pull it out and helped her to make sure that the loops are staying on the fat part of the hook and not right at the hook part, like she was doing. That's helping her chain. Plus, after I made her pull out the chain and half of her first row, she's been a LOT better about not skipping chains and not letting it get twisted.

 

Okay, I'm rambling... basically, I've got to help her move the hook. I think I'll try the standing behind her tip. Otherwise, she keeps winding up with sc's and not dc's and twisting everything up all crazy. I came specifically to this post to get suggestions, and ya'll have been very helpful! Thanks!

[sonnets_and_stitches]

How's it working, yarn monkey?

 

~ Joy

[yarn_monkey]

How's it working, yarn monkey?

 

~ Joy

 

I'll find out in probably a week. The kids live primarily with their mom, but they're here every other weekend. As soon as she sits down and acts like she's bored (usually when her dad is trying to make her watch something educational/historical... if it's not America's Next Top Model or Bad Girls, good luck! ), I'll be pulling out the row and a half of her scarf and giving it a whirl. I'll post as soon as we see if it's been effective or not.

[Minerva76]

You know, my little cousin (8 yrs old) has begged me to teach her to crochet. And I've tried, really. But she does the same thing...holds the hook still and moves the yarn. I thought it might be because she's a rare lefty in the family, and I crochet right-handed (apparently, I had issues with handedness when I was a kid, but I don't remember it. I use both for lots of things).

 

Anyway, I have tried to show her the "right" way to do it, and have even sat across from her so she could mirror, but she gets frustrated and gives up so easily. At this point, I'm tempted to teach myself how to crochet left handed so I can give her a better example of how to do it.

 

I also had another thought....I recently bought one of those double ended crochet hooks. The hook doesn't move that much, and I wonder if she could pick that up easier????

[MimiFL]

I sometimes have this problem with my students. If they're just starting out (most of them are), then I show them the right way to do it and try to get them to do it right. Sometimes it takes a while - how to hold the hook and yarn right is one of the most difficult things for students to grasp (no pun intended). However, if a student already knows the basics and they feel comfortable doing it that way, then I might suggest it would go faster the other way, but if they refuse or get too frustrated, I leave them alone.

[grammi24]

Is this not knitting? I am also trying to teach someone to crochet, but she refuses to move her right hand the correct way to crochet. I tell her she is knitting not crocheting. There is one problem though, she is left handed so maybe her dominant hand is taking over for her.

[Julie B in WA]

I recently taught a friend of mine to crochet, and we both found it helpful to talk through the steps, even with a simple chain. It was the only way she could get that the yarn stays still and the hook does the action. "Reach up, grab the yarn, twist the hook so it 'noses down'"... whatever makes sense to both of you. Once I showed her how the shape of the loop is actually a teardrop and the point of the hook fits through perfectly when you turn it down... she was off and running. The only other huge problem we had at the beginning was with the dreaded tension. There waas NO stretch left to that yarn.. it just corkscrewed. We joked about crocheting the life out of the yarn- it was good for some laughs. Once she got a good tention and even stitches with chains, we went to singles ("always pull through two loopies"- more laughs) all the way across her now glorious chain, then a few rows of doubles (climb upstairs to the second story to enter= skipped chains) and whalla! She is working on a flannelghan! Granted, she is an adult, but not a very patient one. I heard "I can't do that!" For months before she finally asked me to show her how. Within two weeks she was yarn shopping.

 

Just stick with it, use humor, and try and "tak through it"- some peple (like me) have to turn everything visual into words to learn it.

[sunnysnowflake]

I didn't read all the replies but sounds like she is on the right track.

I just wanted to say that I taught myself with books and thought I was doing okay. I only used sc and dc but you can make a lot with those 2 stitches. In the meantime, My great aunt who has knitted since she was small decided to take it up and make some placemats. Whenever we visited I would watch her as I was working on my own projects. It wasn't until I was in the hospital and a little loopy that I realized the difference between me and her was that she moved her hook and I was moving my hand. A huge lightbulb went off and I could not believe how much faster I went with the new method.

If she would have made the suggestion then I would have switched over right away but I think she wasn't sure exactly what I was doing different. So I think it helps to see someone else crochet so that the newbie has something to copy. That's my story, just had to share.

[Cotton Candee]

What I would do is if she likes to chain, then let her chain. Show her how to chain something where every 5th or 10th chain is then joined to a previous round's chain and thus making a round something out of chains. Or make a blanket of chains that are joined to a chain from previous row so that she is still doing mostly chains but actually making something. By just having her so a single crochet every 5 or 10 chains then she won't feel so pressured to do the scs but have fun doing the chs. After making something, she may find that the scs weren't so bad and that using them with the chs gives her more options in her patterns instead of frogging all her efforts.

 

As far as moving the hook, I am teaching my neice and we do a chant... fwd hook turn pull... she has that down but is still having trouble holding the yarn in her left hand. If nothing else, crocheting teaches patients...

[theworm]

I can't imagine that crocheting would be enjoyable that way. And an M hook???

I didn't use anything but a G for the longest time. I think that if I were going to teach someone, I would want to start with a G or H hook.

[CrochetDonna]

Sit her down at nexstitch.com and let her watch various stitches being done, just tell her two watch them a couple of times over and over. Some people who have been "bullied" but someone who is a strong personality , kind of Shutdown when talking to someone or trying to learn because they get a mild "people phobia". Take her to your computer and let her just spend time watching ( with a cup of tea or coffee, or pop , so she can relax) make sure she knows how to click from one video to the next.

The website has crochet section from basics up and a Tunisian crochet section. Tell her to just enjoy watching and leave the room, because she may be "up tight" around you too.

 

After she's had her video session, have a tea quietly with her no crochet hooks, have a "fun" gab about weather , the tea whatever, when she loosens up a bit ask about her health does she have any minor aches and pains, dry hands ....it all affect "how you crochet" , some people don't like the "bound feel of wrapping the yarn around the pinkie finger, you might suggest she just let it glide between the third and fourth fingers.

 

You'll likely find that she is having a problem with how tightly she is holding and doing her crochet, (that is likely why the relative suggested the big needle) But what she needs is to relax and be told "she is smart",

"very capable of learning" "everyone is slow at first" (tell her a stories of how you "goofed up" when you first started. She needs to learn to be comfortable around her "teacher" and confident in herself before she can learn. If she does something wrong talk to her softly and encourage her gently. (make sure when you encourage her that you don't make her feel like a half wit.) Tell her stuff like you don't learn over night it take a while but if she keeps "patiently trying" she will be making beautiful and gorgeous things in no time. (Except there wasn't any computers when I learn, that is how the elderly lady taught me.) When she first tried she quickly learned if she sounded impatient or out of humour that my listening just "shut down". I had had alot of bullying, criticizing and ill humour then.

She was patient, quiet and encouraging. We became best of friends and I learn crochet with great relish and joy and new found confidence. Your lady sounds alot like me at first. My teacher was kind and wise. Hope this helps you both. You have a good heart to keep trying. Crochet is likely exactly what she needs.