Teaching kids to crochet?

[_Stacy_]

My 6 y/o recently asked if I would teach her how to crochet. Seeing as I just learned a few years ago, I have no idea how to go about teaching a child. Plus she is a leftie and I am a rightie. Do any of you have advice or suggestions on teaching her? I would really appreciate it!

[JoBug]

Hi Stacy,

First off, I am so happy to hear your dear daughter wants to learn your art! Makes you proud, doesn't it? I too am a lefty, HOWEVER, I was learned to crochet right handed, and it is good. If you learn that way young, you dont KNOW it is right handed crochet, you dont know a difference, I found. AND I think it helps me with guage, because I keep the yarn in my left hand, my control hand, see?

I would teach her with a larger sized hook, like a J or K and a regular WW yarn, like Red Heart, and start with a scarf, and simple chain and single crochet. then she can mone on from there when comfy. Me, I learned with granny squares. That is a good thing too. Good luck and WAY TO GO!!! Carry on the Heritage!!

[DawnofMarch]

I was so happy when my Sister decided to chuck the knitting needles to the side (She got bored with it) and learn to Crochet instead. I taught her to use half double crochet which looks pretty awesome. Now if only I could find the hook I was doing my bag with! Grr!

[FosterMom]

I taught my daughter with a K hook when she was about 6. We started with a chain that could wrap around my house numerous times LOL and moved on to scarves and Barbie blankets. Now she is 20 and can duplicate something just by looking at it, still cant read a pattern! I am opposite, must have pattern.

 

Cant help with the leftie thing but my nonna was a leftie and crocheted with her right hand because thats how she was taught.

 

Good luck and have fun.

[sandra2469]

My son has been begging me to teach him to crochet & he's 7. He makes chains with a K hook & is trying hard to figure out how to single crochet. He doesn't always get it right, but he's determined to learn. He tells me he wants his teacher to have a scarf. I may end up helping him this year, but by this summer, he may be a pro!

 

My now-11 year-old learned when she was 10. She can make simple projects & is really quite good. She's ready to move up to patterns for beginners.

[countrykids]

my dd is 10 and just finished what was suppose to be a washclothe turned into a webkinz blanket. She just does single stitches for now till she has mastered really good then we will work on other stitches. I have 2 more kids (one a boy) who want to learn.

[_Stacy_]

Thanks, everyone! It does make me very happy that she wants to learn, but I'm very weary because she is exactly like me- she will not want to stop until she gets it right! LoL I think we will start this weekend. I am planning to take her to Jo-Ann's so she can pick out a hook and her very own yarn.

[20Mary08]

My daughter who is seven wanted to learn. I'm leftie she's a rightie. I sat across from her and taught her mirror image kind of. She picked it up right away. We now have an ongoing chain that I don't even know how long it is. I want to take her to stitch but she's apprehensive about going to the next step. So for now we have a chain.

[Kaylana]

My eight year old little brother wants to learn, and I've been working with him some, when he has enough attention to spare from more important things like video games.

 

He's learned a little bit of chaining, but he's still not very comfortable with it. I'm afraid that he's going to get very flustered when he finds out that it'll be a little while before he's up to things like the amigurumi I'm always making. They're what made him want to learn in the first place. I'll help him every step of the way of course, but not only do you have to know the stitches, you have to be able to do the math for increases and decreases as you go. I'll have to find a very very very simple pattern for him to try once he gets up to that level.

 

I think it's awesome that he wants to learn though. My mom and I have been encouraging it as much as possible and telling him that lots of guys crochet or knit and it's totally not a "girl thing." So far he doesn't seem to have any doubts about that, but you know how other kids can be.