New in NY

[Konjur1]

Hi Everybody!

Pleased to meet you all! I'm taking the plunge here and trying to get past this crochet block I've had for years and years. That said, I am hoping to get over that hump with your help. I'm pretty dense so this means work for you all. My problem is I can do any crochet stitch there is with no problem at all and can crochet like mad just fooling around with a hook and some yarn BUT (big "but" here) I can't follow a pattern if my life depended on it and that bothers me because that's what I want to do! As a result not being able to follow patterns...I simply don't crochet at all and just stay with knitting. Btw, I have no difficulty at all with following knit patterns and have produced some really nice dolls doing that. But I want to crochet doll dresses because crocheting, aside from producing stunning work, is much faster. And so here I am giving crocheting one more try.
Pat

[crocheting4u65]

Yes crochet patterns cam be a little daunting but if you have learned to read the knit patterns you will be able to learn the crochet. Okay for starters I would keep a list of the abbreviations close at hand if you can clip them to the top of the page you are working on. An * () are there so that you know that you have to repeat what is between so many times a bracket around is basically the same thing you repeat when there is a () inside you repeat the () as directed and then the bracket. So you are reading a pattern and it says SC 4 it is telling you to single crochet 4 try reading the words instead of abbreviations DC is double crochet TR is triple crochet and so on. If there is a special stitch it will tell you how to do that also but if you get stump we are all here to help you out. I told this way to my sister who basically used the charts and she has been able to read some of her patterns now. I hope this helps you out Mary

[Konjur1]

Thanks for replying Mary,
Mary, first let me explain that I am an artist and craftsman and you would think I wouldn't have a problem with crocheting but apparently I DO! I actually DON'T have a problem with interpreting crochet instructions; I understand them quite clearly and know what they are asking me to do...just not WHERE to do it. My problem is simply where to put the hook, period! I think what is behind my being incapable of following a pattern is that I am just too meticulous and can't proceed to the next step in a crochet pattern unless I am sure about what I am doing. And that's what stops me. I am NEVER sure WHERE to put the hook in the first stitch upon starting every new round and ALSO what the LAST stitch in every row is. It is just so confusing to me what that next position for hook insertion is. I can start off the FIRST round just fine, but it's the subsequent rows after that get me and generally cause me to stop working the pattern and toss it. By the end of the third round I either wind up with too many stitches in the row or not enough, so if following a pattern, this will not do. But this only happens when I try to follow the crochet's pattern instructions and trying to keep to the required amount of stitches you are required to have at the end of each completed round. THIS and only THIS is my problem. Also I don't know where to insert the hook for the last stitch to be worked.

When I am just fooling with crochet and making up my own stuff, I don't have a problem because to make the work look even or right I will either work a second stitch in one space if the row looks too short or uneven or crochet as many "2 tog" stitches needed if rows look lop sided. So you see I do understand the fundamentals it's just that like I keep saying I just can't seem to be sure of where to put the hook. In knitting the stitch to be worked next is quite obvious. I don't get that with crochet.
Pat

[kl1000]

Hello Pat! It s nice to meet you. I am larisa doily maker... I wish I could help you but I am not English-speaking

[Konjur1]

...nice of you to reply anyway. Thanks!

[crocheting4u65]

Ok I know how you feel the hook will go in the top under the loops that form the stitch when it says to work in the ch it is usually referring to go around the ch the last stitch can be deceptive if you are doing DC or TR because you have to make sure you are working in the last loop of the beginning chain Have you tried watching some of the videos on you tube some of them are really great

[Konjur1]

...like they say referencing airplanes: take off and landing is the most crucial part. With me... as far as crocheting goes - it's the beginning stitch and ending stitch in ANY row. And yes I have watched videos but generally they just say things without actually zeroing in on what they are referencing, common mistake I notice with most videos.

Also...when starting a new row and you are to work with a sc let's say, the norm is to chain one and turn - the turning chain. I get that. I know depending on the stitch you will be using the turning chain could involve your having to chain 2 or 3 or more chains. That too I get...it levels out the row. My question: do ALL turning chains count as the first of whatever stitch you're supposed to be working in regardless if whether working in dc, or trc, whatever? Maybe that's part of my problem; not knowing which stitches to count? Because I sure do get frustrated when my stitch count doesn't work out the same as what the patterns does.

[MsBhaven]

Hi and glad you joined us.
I didn't know how to read a pattern until about a year ago but I have been crocheting for many many years, Before I counted every stitch of every row to make sure I had the right amount and I can honestly say I didn't necessary know where to place the hook when turning. I found the following site How to Crochet Back to basics - YouTube the back to basics tutorials helped a lot. I still have problems issues reading a pattern here and there but I have posted the portion of the pattern on here an have gotten lots of help. Anyway check out the site Beth does a great job of teaching and I think you will find that like me you will be more confident in where to place the hook when turning. As a bonus Beth has some awesome crochet a longs too. oh and I don't count every row anymore.

[Texas transplant]

KonGood luckjuri, More often than not, They will tell you at the first of the directions if you count the chain at the begining as a stitch. Good luck. Margaret

[Texas transplant]

That sure got scrambled, I can crochet a lot better than I can type.