Crotcheting

[Jessica]

When I saw that post of Fia's amigurumis in the old forum (you should post more pics of them, and show your new ones, by the way! ) I instantly became interested in crotcheting, because I'd like to make my own ones. Problem is, I have no idea where or how to begin, and I don't have the faintest notion of how to crotchet, so I'm kind of stuck.

So... any tips? I doubt my mom knows how to do it, since she's never shown any interest of those kind of things, maybe I could ask my grandma about it... I know of a shop that sells the utensils you need, maybe I should go there?

Also... is it very hard? Because I have watched a couple of video tutorials and looks really complicated. I'm guessing it must be easier once you get the hang of it, but it kind of intimidates me because I'm really bad at handicraft.

Thanks in advance!

[Fia]

I'm glad I've been able to inspire you :purplesoap: (I probably SHOULD show some of my work. Lately it's been more granny squares and less amigurumis though)

You will need to learn the very basics, like ch (chain) sc (single crochet) hdc (half double crochet) and dc (double crochet) but the most important one is the single crochet since it's the basic of crocheting and which it's the one that's used for 90% of all amigurumi crocheting. If you can get help from your grandma or at the shop to learn the very basics you should be able to go from there on your own. I know amigurumis can look complicated but they're actually VERY easy to make.

You can also look for crocheting schools online. Crochet pattern central has a lot of links. www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/instruction_directory.php (I suspect the "learn how to crochet" ones are the most helpful but I haven't looked at them myself.

Crochet Pattern Central also have LOADS of links to amigurumi patterns. www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/animals.php They're my main source of patterns.

I don't find crocheting hard or complicated at all (a lot easier than knitting if your ask me. ) on the other hand I've known it all my life (I learned it when I was 6) Amigurumis is one of the easiest things you can crochet though.

I can recommend Ida's Nestling as a beginner pattern since I know she's writing really good patterns (she's got a shop selling amigurumi patterns in Swedish but this one is both free and in English.)

www.hejida.se/Beskrivningar/Nestling.pdf

Good luck!!!

Fia!

[Jessica]

Wow, tons of helful links and info! Thank you so much, Fia! I'll keep you all updated on my progress, if there's one.

[Fia]

I'll gladly help you out as much as I can too.

Fia!

[Whitnerd]

I've been wanted to learn as well. A friend of mine tried to teach me the other day, but we had limited time and I didn't really learn much.

Thanks a bunch for the links Fia. I'll be checking those out.

[Kiri]

I love crotcheting but haven't done it for ages - so I'm hoping to do some more.

Kiri

[Aurelia]

I like it too but generally I knit and crochet in the fall/winter, when being covered in warm things isn't too bad a prospect! lol.

[xmasqueen]

I think crochet is much faster than knitting and of course it's somewhat easier, depends on what your making. My mom had started an afgan for my brother in LSU (state university) colors and now I get to finish it.

[Theachen7]

I learned a little about it in elementary school, but I don't remember anything It'd be fun to learn it again tough.

[Lily]

I tried to learn it in school, but I'm a leftie and my teatcher had some difficulties showing me how to do it! I really want to learn how to knir, thankfully my mum has done it since her teens so she'll teatch me!

[Jessica]

I asked both my mom and my grandma about it today. My mom didn't know how to do it, and my grandma said that she hasn't done it in a long time and that she didn't really like it anyway so she can't teach me.

Buuut, I also learned that a friend of my grandma's, who I know ever since I was a little girl and that usually comes on vacations with us knows how to crochet and apparently does it a lot, so I figure I can ask her to teach me.

Well, it's some progress at least. I could always get myself the crocheting hooks and such and start looking up the tutorials and links Fia left here and try to learn it myself.

We'll see...

[Fia]

It's too bad your mom and grandma can't teach you but it's good that you might get the friend of your grandma to help you later on.

I think getting the yarn and the hook is a good start. That way you can experiment yourself if you want to.

Personally I prefer a cotton or cotton-mix yarn and a size 3 hook. Hook sizes can unfortunately differ between countries but the people in the store should be able to help you out. I recommend not to choose a really thin yarn though because that's harder (wool and any other fluffy yarn is also MUCH harder) I also suggest that you avoid really dark colors like black and marine because it's difficult to see while crocheting with darker yarns,

Fia!

[CharlieChomper]

My grandmother taught me how to do a little bit of crocheting, but not enough to where I was able to do anything I'd consider actually "useful" (not even a scarf) and everytime I tried to relearn how to do it from her, I seemed to get caught up with something else in my real life (non-hobby-related reason) and enough time would go by that I'd forget how to do it again until whenever the next time was that I'd go and visit with her or she'd visit me and she'd try to teach me again.

Unfortunately, with her arthritis, even if one of us had gone to visit the other, it's unlikely she'd be able to really try and teach me again since she has a difficult time in being able to knit or crochet anything anymore.

[xmasqueen]

Jessica once you learn the chain stitch and the basic stitch the rest is pretty easy to learn on your own. I remember making chains until everyone was sick of them but I was very young at the time.