Pencil vs knife grip

[Lady_of_Roses]

So, I'm a pencil grip crocheter... I guess I'm relatively slow. I got to view how fast a knife grip crocheter can go yesterday and was in awe.

 

I'm thinking I may try to learn to use the other grip. Does anyone use both grips? Do you hold the yarn the exact same way in your left hand either way? Any tips for trying to make the change?

[MaryPat]

I'm just the opposite. I saw a pencil grip crocheter and was impressed with the speed. She was using it to kind of scoop the thread into the loop without visible twisting of the hook.

 

I use the knife hook most of the time, but for some reason the pencil way felt better when I was using beads.

 

I'm about to embark on a tunisian afghan which I've been putting off because there's no finger wedge on the tunisian hook and it hurts my wrists after awhile. I may have to give the pencil grip a trip and see if that helps.

[tarastreet]

I am a knife gripper myself. I saw a youtube at one point of a pencil gripper and was amazed with her speed. Most of my inlaws crochet as well and they all hold the hook differently but are all super fast like blowing me clear away in rows. My husbands grandmother told me in 10 or 20 years I will be really fast too, lol I am trying to speed that time up with a practice makes perfect approach!!

 

ETA - I really want a tunisian hook, I think I just need the inspiration to get my rear end down to the craft store and finally get one.

[kmeiding]

so I hold my hook like a knife and I can go pretty fast when I want to(too fast for my eyes to pay attention to what i'm doing). My aunt uses a pencil grip. I've tried it and it's way too awkward for me. I don't think that I could crochet that way. I would suggest just working which ever way is more comfortable to you and with practice, you'll probably be able to go a bit faster.

 

I also tend to use my right thumb to hold the yarn on the hook to keep it from twisting on me for example on a dc. Does anyone else do this or am I just confusing everyone? I've been trying to change since I got my eleggant hook because it hurts my thumb.

[SlowCrocheter]

I use the knife grip and I am as slow as a turtle. Never knew there was any other kind of grip. Think I need to search youtube for that movie. lol

[jheatherley]

I'm a pencil gripper, and have been for more than 50 years. I think I'm pretty fast. I don't think the type of grip you use is a factor in speed. Coordination counts, and practice, practice, practice (same way you get to Carnegie Hall).

[Monique39]

pencil grip here, I am pretty fast too I think!

[SlowCrocheter]

Sometimes practice don't help either. lol I have been crocheting a long time and unless I use a large hook like a Q or do a really small project it takes me 3 times longer then what it would take even the average crocheter.

[Lady_of_Roses]

Thanks for your responses! Lots of good info so far.

 

I did forget to mention that part of why I'd been thinking for a while that I should try to learn the knife grip is that it looks like there's less wrist movement... and I have wrist problems. Thought I had carpel tunnel a couple of years back, but I just get severe tendinitis.

[kmeiding]

I still seem to twist my wrist a bit with a knife hold.

[Zaraliz]

Interesting subject. I've always been a pencil gripper but when my wrist gets tired or I'm using heavy yarn and a big hook, I will switch to the knife hold. I don't find it so comfortable or speedy but it does enable me to keep going. Zaraliz

[crochetstepmom]

I use both, but I am definately faster with the pencil grip. For the longest time, I didn't know that there was another way to grip the hook, and then I saw pictures of the knife grip. It was a bit odd at first. I didn't feel that I had as much control with the kinfe grip.

 

Then I started playing around with tunisian. After working with that technique, it became much easier to control the hook. It's like I can "find" the stitches much easier now.

 

I can't really tell a difference in the stitches in the two holds. The knife grip is a bit easier on my wrist, so I change up sometimes when I have a marathon crochet session. I also use the knife grip when I bring my crochet to work and do it under my desk when I'm slow (hehehe...don't tell anyone.) When I am using a very large hook (anything P or above,) I'll use the knife grip frequently...again...it's easier on the wrist. Other than those times, I use the pencil grip. I can fly when I am doing that.

 

I am glad that I learned the knife grip. It's always good to try new techniques.

[ItzMe0905]

Left handed knife grip. No carpal tunnel problems either. But I also tend to have a relaxed hold when crocheting, even going fast. Never tried the pencil grip. I also have wondered if some hooks are better suited to a particular grip. I find that with my knife grip I do better with Susan Bates hooks and can't seem to get used to Boye hooks because the yarn constantly slips off the hook.

 

Irene

[LaVonneK]

so I hold my hook like a knife and I can go pretty fast when I want to(too fast for my eyes to pay attention to what i'm doing). My aunt uses a pencil grip. I've tried it and it's way too awkward for me. I don't think that I could crochet that way. I would suggest just working which ever way is more comfortable to you and with practice, you'll probably be able to go a bit faster.

 

I also tend to use my right thumb to hold the yarn on the hook to keep it from twisting on me for example on a dc. Does anyone else do this or am I just confusing everyone? I've been trying to change since I got my eleggant hook because it hurts my thumb.

 

 

I am a knife grip too. And you are not the only one that hold the yarn on the hook with the right thumb. I do it without realizing I am doing it.

[Pumpkinmouse]

Im A Knifer

[cgd]

I'm a pencil-holder too. I can't do it any other way!

[ScoobyDoo0811]

I can do it either way, but find that I use the pencil grip more often than not. I haven't really noticed a difference in speed between the two, I think it is more for comfort. I don't hold my loop with my thumb and crochet with boye hooks. Isn't it amazing how we all have little things we do or don't do, as well as preferences on hooks? What ever is the most comfortable for me is that I tend do/use.

[amdm]

I use the pencil grip most of the time, but that is because I do thread crochet (or very thin yarn) most of the time. If I am crocheting with twine or anything that's hard on the hands, I find the knife more comfortable.

[Miss Crochet]

Would anyone be able to post youtube links to a knife-grip crocheter? I'm a pencil-gripper and I've never even SEEN someone crochet with a knife grip!

 

Thank you!

[carovan]

I can use either one, but I use the knife grip about 90% of the time. If I am doing a project that has the same stitch over and over, I will switch just to give my hands a break. I am much faster with the knife hold.

[Elle]

I am most definitely a knife grip person. I tried it on a couple of occasions, holding my hook in the pencil grip, and I was so spastic you'd think I'd never held a pencil!

[crazycrochet]

Knife grip here. When my mom taught me how to crochet, she used the pencil grip and it never felt right to me. She said hold it the way it feels better and I grabbed the hook like a knife and I was off. When I teach crocheting I show both grips and let the student choose which one feels the best for them.

[dianejerry]

delete

[CrochetDad]

I use the knife grip. I didn't think I was very fast, but came in second (to another knife-gripper) in a crochet speed contest at the recently ended San Diego County Fair.

[misteph]

I mostly use the pencil grip with yarn and the knife hold with thread. I use Susan Bates hooks for yarn work and have a set of Boye steel hooks for my thread work. I never thought about the hooks before-maybe that is why I use different holds.

Although, I will change holds whenever my hand feels tired. I know that if I'm knitting a project and switch to a crochet project I will crochet with the pencil hold.

 

Different hold, different motion equals less hand fatigue for me.

 

I taught a young lady to crochet in our local 4H group and her grandmother was bothered that someone taught her all wrong!

 

I had her using the knife hold because it was more comfortable for her. I had to show her grandmother that you could crochet with either hold. I even slipped the hook between my index and middle finger and crocheted a few rows to let her know how you hold the hook is not what makes it crochet.

I actually like that hold, it works when my wrist starts to hurt. I think it would work for people with limited hand strength or a problem with shaking. I got the idea from my DD and FIL - FIL holds his pencil that why to minimize trembling and maximize his limited hand strength. DD picked it up from him and loves to write for hours this way. She says her hand never gets tired now.

Anyone else crochet that way?

 

Michelle in Southern AZ