My Way of Teaching Crochet to Adults and Children

I learned how to crochet from a book. It was a bit challenging for me because I’m more of a visual learner, but YouTube just wasn’t as popular as it is now. Once I started to get the hang of it I started wanting to teach others how to crochet because, as we all know, crocheting is so cool!

At first I would just refer people to books and say good luck. Then I’d send them to YouTube and again wish them luck. Finally, one day someone asked me if I could teach them personally how to crochet and I realized, not everyone can or wants to learn how to crochet from a book or video.

So, I did some research and put together an agenda. I was going to explain about yarn weights and how to select them for your project (an upcoming blog post) then I’d teach how to read the yarn wrap and then we would talk about the different size hooks before we got into creating something.

As you can imagine, that was quite boring and I saw glazed eyes. So I improvised. I skipped everything and just got into teaching the stitches.

If you’re interested in teaching here are some ideas:

  1. Introduce yourself, let them take the hook and yarn in hand and begin by showing them how to hold the hook & yarn
  2. After they hold the tools in place, teach them how to chain
  3. Once they feel they’ve mastered the chain, teach them the slit stitch
  4. Once they’ve figured out the slip stitch, move to the Single Crochet
  5. After the single crochet show them the extended single crochet
  6. If they get the extended single crochet, teach them the half double crochet
  7. After the half double crochet, teach the double crochet
  8. Finally, end with the triple crochet
  9. Start on the class project (select a project that is easy enough to complete outside of class with minimal help)

The reason I work in this order is because each of the stitches builds upon something the previous stitch taught them so they are already able to move in the direction needed.

The second reason is because they get to learn all the basic stitches. If your class is one hour then split these into two sections because trying to get all six stitches in an hour is too much for a beginner.

Also, select a project that’s going to be fun for them to show off once they’re done. I’ve used my easy Crochet Fingerless Gloves  for many of my crochet classes. The students love it because they actually have something useful when they’re done.

Something else I’ve done is selected a free pattern from Ravelry  that was easy (market bag, scarf etc.) that they could complete. It introduces them to Ravelry and gets them excited about the class. It’s also been my experience that something they can wear is a bigger hit than a washcloth or dishcloth because they can’t really show off their skills to friends! 

My process for teaching crochet is to demonstrate what I want them to do then to allow them to do it while I go around and help them get the hang of it. I find that some will need me to demonstrate again, others will need me to hold their hands and do the movements with them. Still others will just need to hear me repeat the instructions. Teaching people in the way that works best for them, works best for me because I meet their needs and I enjoy being able to change it up within the time I’m working.

Teaching crochet is a great way to reinforce what you already know and to help more people fall in love with the art. It also take some patience, so if you’re not sure if you can do it, try teaching someone close to you first. If you find you can’t do it with them, don’t do it with strangers, you’ll be even more frustrated. However, if you find you love the feeling of teaching crochet, here are some places you can looking into teaching:

  • Local church
  • Community College Enrichment Program
  • Local Yarn Shop
  • Elementary Schools Enrichment Program
  • Community Center
  • YMCA

Have you ever thought of teaching crochet? Where are some places you’ve found to be welcoming to crochet teachers? Please share the information in the comments below so others can benefit too!

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