Crochet

I'm in the same boat as you. Having to hold the hook one way and the yarn another does my head in. I can manage a chain but after that it all goes t*ts up. I can sort of crochet with wire, but yarn - forget it.
I want to make amigurumi but no chance. I can knit just fine though.

Okay ladies, here is a good book for Amigurumi patterns and it also covers the basic crochet stitches. "Amigurumi Supper happy Crochet Cute" by Elisabeth A. Doherty. I just received this book Friday as a early B-day gift and so far all the patterns are great for beginners and advance crocheters.

I wish I could teach you how to crochet.In camp I managed to teach kids to crochet and they learned it so quick.
It is so much easier when someone sits beside you and shows it in person.
I learned basics from my mom and self taught myself the other stitches and amigurumi from videos.By the end I was so angry my head nearly exploded.

But patterns!Baaah!I hate them!I knit and crochet everything from my head.I refuse to follow any pattern.(sometimes its hard with all the cute amigurumi patterns out there)

Dont you have someone who knows how to crochet and could show you the basics?Granny,mom?Or a class near by?

I'm not that close to my family and my mother in law is too far away. Sadly I can't afford/do not have time for classes either so I'm stuck.

How far did you go on teaching yourself?
Do you already know how to make a simple chain?

I have books and a dvd. I just can't be bothered with having to wrap the yarn in and out and through my fingers=)
Once I've found *my* way of doing it I should be fine.
I have a friend who can crochet but she is left handed and does everything backwards lol=)

Im asking because maybe I could help you by snapping a few pictures of the steps and uploading them here.

Ah Bryony, I know how you feel. I don't knit but thought maybe Crochet would be quite *simple-ish* to understand. Plus I love seeing all the cool things people make when they crochet, which makes me want to learn!!

I'm still looking but if I do come across anything that looks easy to understand then I shall pass it on x

I think I can create a chain but not very well so pictures would be amazing Violetta if that's okay?

@Ruby That would be great sweetie! if you want to learn to knit I learned through the tutorials on my scarf how toif that helps? x

Tomorrow morning when I get some natural light (its already dark here) Ill make you a picture tutorial on the simple chain and on how to keep on crocheting so you can make almost anything.(sorry I think its called increase,but all the professional stitch names confused me when I began to crochet,so Im not using them.

These two things will be enough for you to make almost anything.(pouches,bags,scarfs,bracelets,bag handles)
Thats the two techniques I use for all my crochet projects.

I just hope I can explain it.

is there a way to hold the yarn and hook without it being awkward? i can sort of crochet ok (well, i learnt/taught myself two weekends ago) but i can't hold the yarn and hook without having to shift everything after every stitch >.>

Ahh, sorry you ladies are having bit of a problem with learning how to crochet. I myself am self taught and with the awesome help from Teresa on youtube. She also slow motion in her videos too!! She is awesome and here is the link to her channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/tjw1963
I credit my crochet skill to her!!
Mikey is good too though I'm partial to Teresa.
http://www.youtube.com/user/mikeyssmail

@ Em, I think they say there is a specific way to hold your yarn for tension purposes, but some say just hold your yarn and hook in a way that's comfortable for you. I myself don't wrap the yarn around my fingers the way they say how; it just doesn't work for me.
Hope that helps.

I once tried to crochet. I started out making a scarf and it ended up as a beret that fit one of my smaller stuffed animals. ;)

As a self taught crocheter I have to say that figuring out how to control my tension (wrapping the yarn around my fingers to control the flow of yarn) was the hardest thing. Once I got that down, it was smooth sailing for me!

I used two resources, The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller and the website http://www.hookandneedles.com/ for tutorials/explanations.

Also, it would probably be handy if you had a foot or leg injury that causes you to be bed ridden. I know that it did wonders for keeping me from running away from my beginners projects XD