Just Learning

[debminerva]

I took a crochet class last year (I'm a knitter) but I am having a hard time getting the hang of it. My tension is way off (just like when I was first learning to knit). My finished crocheted projects are two hats that look pretty bad.

But I'm determined to get this right so I've started another hat ( funny enough, with Caron Simply Soft ). It's been a rough going.

This evening, while watching television with my DH, he asks me to change the channel. I tell him, "Can't you see I'm busy crocheting?" He responds just as quickly, "Yes, I see you are busy. I see you are busy pre-frogging!"

He knows me and by the end of the night, this latest attempt will look like yarn barf all over the couch.

[GrumpyGramma]

You'll get it, it's just a matter of practice. I find a yarn like Simply Soft is more difficult to get tension right on and it was really hard to work with when I was first starting. You're already a knitter so that probably isn't much of an issue for you though.

This evening, while watching television with my DH, he asks me to change the channel. I tell him, "Can't you see I'm busy crocheting?" He responds just as quickly, "Yes, I see you are busy. I see you are busy pre-frogging!"

He knows me and by the end of the night, this latest attempt will look like yarn barf all over the couch.

AAACCCCKKKKK!!!! I can identify with that!!!! I'll knit and knit or crochet and crochet only to frog it and then do it all over again!

It took me forever and a day to get good with the tension in crochet, knitting I just about gave up on, but now it's finally looking like I can do stockinette without so much rowing out. We're opposites!

Just curious, do you knit Continental? I have an idea that I do because I crocheted first and have not been able to knit English...yet. I'm wondering if a Continental knitter would have an easier time getting the tension right in crochet.

[debminerva]

Just curious, do you knit Continental? I have an idea that I do because I crocheted first and have not been able to knit English...yet. I'm wondering if a Continental knitter would have an easier time getting the tension right in crochet.

No, I'm a English knitter. My crochet teacher did say that Continental knitters have an easier time with crochet because the movements are similar. After the crochet class, I took another class on continental knitting. When I'm doing projects with a lot of knit stitch, I try to practice my continental skills.

[Antares]

It sounds to me like your just in the throes of learning a new craft, that's all! Correct tension and slow going are all par for the course!!

I learned to crochet first, so knitting was a lot harder for me. When people say crochet is more difficult than knitting for them, I'm always amazed. I think, "How can using one "stick" be harder than mastering two?" But then I stop and remember that it's what you get used to--and sometimes how early you learn something.

If the hats are frustrating you this much, though, perhaps a smaller project might be more appropriate. Make a little dish scrubby or a pot holder or something. Celebrate your finished object no matter what it looks like (the dishes don't care if it's a little messy looking), and then move on to the hat.

Regarding the crocheting/knitting and then frogging, well, as I tell my husband, when you create something and then rip it out all the time, you don't need to buy anymore yarn!!

[allrac]

Hi Debminerva I have been crocheting since I was 7 and now am 42 I find that if i weave the yarn though my fingers (over first finger under middle over ring and under pinky and by curling my pinky over the yarn to hold in place it will keep the tension I have added some photo's of how i hold my work hope this will help

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5328/7...2334e3e5c3.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7182/6...a75f43e032.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5458/6...a6d8829e98.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/7...79327567a1.jpg

can u tell me if the links work now please

[Jan in CA]

I have added some photo's of how i hold my work hope this will help
Attachment 55855

Attachment 55856

Attachment 55857

Nope, didn't work. You may have done it incorrectly or they may be too large (file size or physical). Please check the link in my sig to check how to post a photo and appropriate sizes.

[sweetpea63]

No, I'm a English knitter. My crochet teacher did say that Continental knitters have an easier time with crochet because the movements are similar. After the crochet class, I took another class on continental knitting. When I'm doing projects with a lot of knit stitch, I try to practice my continental skills.

What is the difference between a continental & an english knitter? I learned how to knit in jr. high, the basics anyway and have pretty much learned knitting and crocheting on my own. I am not familiar with those terms. I am curious.

[Antares]

What is the difference between a continental & an english knitter? I learned how to knit in jr. high, the basics anyway and have pretty much learned knitting and crocheting on my own. I am not familiar with those terms. I am curious.

Generally, you can categorize the two methods by how you hold the yarn--continental knitters hold it in their left hand and English knitters in their right. If you look at the how-to videos on this site, you'll see videos for both styles for just about everything. Here's one link to the knitting stitch help page: http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knit-stitch. At the top is continental, and if you scroll down, you can see English.

By the way, while there are just a couple of ways to crochet (that I've seen), there are tons of ways to knit, and the way people hold the yarn, where they place the needles, and how they wrap the yarn varies from person to person and from country to country.

Whenever I taught my friend to knit, I taught her standard continental and encouraged her to learn the basics that way. But then I told her to explore other options until she found a method that was comfortable and fast for her.

And one further note: There's no "wrong way" to knit. All of your stitches may be twisted and someone may tell you that you're doing it wrong, but if YOU like how it looks, then it's not wrong. Just remember: There aren't any "knitting police"!

[sweetpea63]

Generally, you can categorize the two methods by how you hold the yarn--continental knitters hold it in their left hand and English knitters in their right. If you look at the how-to videos on this site, you'll see videos for both styles for just about everything. Here's one link to the knitting stitch help page: http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knit-stitch. At the top is continental, and if you scroll down, you can see English.

By the way, while there are just a couple of ways to crochet (that I've seen), there are tons of ways to knit, and the way people hold the yarn, where they place the needles, and how they wrap the yarn varies from person to person and from country to country.

Whenever I taught my friend to knit, I taught her standard continental and encouraged her to learn the basics that way. But then I told her to explore other options until she found a method that was comfortable and fast for her.

And one further note: There's no "wrong way" to knit. All of your stitches may be twisted and someone may tell you that you're doing it wrong, but if YOU like how it looks, then it's not wrong. Just remember: There aren't any "knitting police"!

thank you

[sweetpea63]

[quote=debminerva;1345195]I took a crochet class last year (I'm a knitter) but I am having a hard time getting the hang of it. My tension is way off (just like when I was first learning to knit). My finished crocheted projects are two hats that look pretty bad.

But I'm determined to get this right so I've started another hat ( funny enough, with Caron Simply Soft ). It's been a rough going.

This evening, while watching television with my DH, he asks me to change the channel. I tell him, "Can't you see I'm busy crocheting?" He responds just as quickly, "Yes, I see you are busy. I see you are busy pre-frogging!"

He knows me and by the end of the night, this latest attempt will look like yarn barf all over the couch.

Hi Debminerva, crocheting can be simple an easy to mineuver. For your tension have you tried wrapping the yarn around your little finger and threading over your index finger? that will help you to keep the desired tension you are looking for. Once you figure out the basic sts. single, dbl, tr, etc. you can pretty much figure out most patterns. There is a website, freecrochetpatterns.com I think is the name, has tons of free patterns and they tell you if they easy intermediate, or advanced. They also havevideos and tutorials for learning. Good luck!