I was taught to crochet by my grandmother. I actually can't remember being taught - I just seemed to graduate between a tangled mess of yarn and the creation of my first granny square - but there must have been a lot of patience expended by my grandmother as I proffered another knotted mass and asking if this was crochet!

Can you remember being taught and by whom - and can you remember any hints or tips from when you were learning?

Have you taught anyone to crochet and any tales to tell...?

Kate

My grandmother taught me the basics; and it was a major challenge as she was a righty and I'm a lefty. The rest I picked up from how-to books.

I was taught as "payment" for visiting a woman down my street who needed her feet and toes exercised. She had infantile paralysis and was bound and determined she would never be wheelchair bound.

I was fascinated by what she could do with a hook and thread and told her I'd take lessons rather than money. It was a win-win for both of us. I've since taught my sister to crochet and she loves it, too.

One of my friends in high school taught me to crochet and I tried to teach her to knit. I can crochet, but I'm not sure if she really learned to knit. I don't really remember much other than looking at her hands and trying to do the same myself.

Julie

I am self taught. I took knitting lessons but didn't like it much so I saw an article in a Woman's Day magazine and went from there. My mom always wanted to teach me but I resisted. I have taught 3 people to crochet and one was a lefty but she picked it up fast.

I also was self taught mainly books and the net became very handle for me still learning but, I can say I am doing great for a self taughter:)

My mother taught me to crochet when I was 9 yrs old. I would sit next to her and do what she did. She taught me to crochet with size 10 thread and 7 hook. I learned the basics from her but never really did anything with it until I was in my 20's after my sons where born. I hold my hook different than she did, I do the knive hold and she did the pencil hold.
I have taught my youngest neice to crochet. She is a righty so I had her sit across from me and taught her the basic stitches. She took off with it and has made a few things, now she is a new mom and doesn't have a lot of time to crochet between her job and the baby.
By the way, I am a lefty and I am currently trying to teach my righty sil to crochet and have her sit across from me too.

Wow..what a neat question...it brings back memories of a lady who lived down the street from me in the 70's. I was always wanting to paint, crochet, knit, do ceramics..you name it. Well my neighbor Helen was a crafty lady and she offered to teach me oil painting and also crochet. I had the best time under her wing. Both crafts taught me something about myself how to express and use my creative juices.
I had one drawback it was being a "lefty" when I crocheted the popcorn stitch the stitches ended up inside the purse I was making and not on the front..Helen didn't know how to fix that problem we just sat and laughed through it and had a wonderful time. She not only taught me to crochet and paint she also taught me macrame knotting. If we had not moved from Pennsylvania to Florida I have no idea how much more I'd have learned from dear Helen...I'll always treasure those moments doing so many things with my mind and hands. Thanks for asking it was fun going back in time remembering old friends and now wanting to return to some of the same crafts. Ciao, Jazzy Geri

My Grandmother also taught me to crochet. I am left handed but crocheting is the ONLY thing that I do right handed. Well ... I could probably eat right handed .. but that is all. It is amazing how many Grandmothers taught us to crochet. Guess I better get busy with my Granddaughter.

I basically taught and am still teaching myself to crochet. Many years ago, I worked on a job where a switchboard operator crocheted beanie hats. She taught some of us in the office. I remember making those hats. About a year ago, a lady at work ws crocheting and I asked her to teach me the basics. She did and then I worked at coordinating the yarn and my hands until I felt it again. I'm no expert yet but it's amazing what I've done over the last two years. I'm going to post some things soon.
I love crochet!!!

I am another "taught by Grandma". Actually, my Mom began teaching me when I was 5 or 6; however, I didn't really get going at it until my Grandmother came to stay for a lengthy visit when I was 7; fifty years ago. I was taught using thread and didn't work with yarn until I was in my 20's. I remember that my Mom used the pencil hold (being of English descent) and my Grandma used the knife hold (being of German descent); and I remember them having discussions about the merits of the two different holds. Grandma won out for me and I use the knife hold. During that visit, she also taught me embroidery. Sewing I learned from my Mom, who was a very accomplished hand and machine seamstress.

Judy in Oregon

Exactly how I learned except my mom taught me. My grandmother was a fantastic knitter though.

I am enjoying everyone's memories.
My grandmother always had filet crochet and chair sets around her house, but I didn't have an interest until many years later. I decided I wanted to start crocheting doilies, so I bought books and taught myself. I ripped out a lot and gave up several times in frustration, but eventually I learned how to do it.

One of my co-workers taught me the basic stitches in one day three years ago. From there, I taught myself how to read patterns. When I didn't understand certain instructions in a pattern, I would search the web for hours (sometimes days) until I got someone who could explain it to me in a way that made sense to me. I've tried to teach two people to crochet and it didn't work for either one of them.

My mother tried to teach me when i was young, but i'm left handed and she would get so frustrated because she said i was doing it backwards, she was right handed so she gave up on me. she did some beautiful work. To this day i wish i could learn

When I was 16 I wanted to learn how to knit and crochet so I went to a yarn store and bought a kit to make a baby sweater with very tiny yarn and size 1 and 3 knitting needles! I thought if it was smaller it would be easier! It took me weeks, but I finished it and I was hooked. Then I bought a "learn to crochet" book, a hook and a skein of yarn and started making scarves. It was a very productive summer. That was 39 years ago and I've never stopped knitting and crocheting.

I can only wish I could say my grandmother taught me. My grandmother did do it but I had no interest in it at that time (if I could only go back and learn more from them I would.)

Most of the little hobbies I do I have learned from being here at home with time on my hands and my internet on. I also have a good friend over in Mississippi that came to my house to help me with my knitting and crocheting (I video taped her and posted it on my blog so I could look back when I needed to.)

Dora Renee' Wilkerson

I also was taught by both of my grandmothers, they each had their own way of crocheting and it stuck.

I started with granny squares, made afghans for boyfriends-the love of the craft exists even if the boyfriends are long gone. I remember making hats with the cut outs of cans for awhile and looking back they were awful/unique/awful/expressive. I love crocheted lace still and find that whenever I sit with my crochet hook I still think of my grandmas, one of whom is 93 and is still crocheting afghans.

I was taught by a woman who lived a few doors from us when I was 10. She was partially paralyzed from Polio. She taught me sc and had me make a washcloth. After that she taught me to make a ripple afghan. Haven't stopped since. Been crocheting for over 40 years! Thank you Margie!!!!

My grandmother taught me to knit when I was 10. I have always wanted to learn crochet. I recently taught myself crochet with the help of youtube. I use both the pencil and knife techniques, when my hand gets tired with one, I switch to the other. I have practiced stitches over and over again (crochet and unravel) until I felt like I was finally getting it. I am working on a simple afghan now.

I was * when I became fascinated by how my Mom could take crochet thread & make such beautiful laces & doilies. After bugging her for some time she tried to teach me with thread but I had problems with the thin hook. My Dad came to the rescue with thick string the kind we tied packages with. This became the first dishcloth which my Grammy bleached & used. Now it is the popular kitchen cotton. I did master the ability to crochet handkerchief edgings that I taught my friends to make. I haven't stopped crocheting since then. after making gifts for family I also crochet blankets for www.projectlinus.com MarieAZ

Hi Everyone,

I was taught by my neice. She isn't much younger than me. She stayed with me for awhile when she was a teenager.

It has been many many years but I remember her teaching me how to do a granny square. Than she showed me how to do a ripple and I haven't stopped.

I was taught by my great aunt, who taught all the girls in my mother's generation how to knit and crochet. All of her sisters except my grandmother knitted as well though I don't know about crochet.

Anyhow I was playing around with a Golden Hands magazine in the 1970s, experimenting with making strips in different stitches as I had figured out how to make them from these excellent magazines which my mother was buying. Aunt Jean saw me and gently took my crochet hook from me and showed me how to hold it. So although she didn't really teach me the stitches she showed me how to hold the hook properly.

I still have the entire Golden Hands series - it's too precious and full of memories ever to dispose of even though it's getting dated now.

I was reading your stories and laughing to myself. My friend taught me to crochet in a lesson that took all of 5 minutes. She's not very patient so I had to learn quickly. I have learned the rest from pattern books. I can tackle most things, but I prefer to use wool rather than cotton. I don't hold the needle in the normal fashion.I use my right hand to put the wool over the needle. I thought that was what my friend had done but she scolded me when she saw how I was doing it. We always have a laugh about it as I stick to the way I feel most comfortable doing it.I have since learned I don't knit properly either. The results are always good, so I suppose it does not make any difference. I love crochet and have something on the go most of the time. I quilt too, which my friend taught me in another superfast lesson.I feel so lucky to be able to do these things. My Mum knits and crochets still and she's 82.

i taught myself to crochet and ive done cardies n jumpers out of my head as i cannot follow a pattren,i understand single crochet double n trabel crochet and can read it all straght through but i still get lost help. busybee