April 24, 2008

How to Crochet for Kids

I taught my kids to crochet in steps. I have found that teaching kids how to hold their yarn for proper tension is pretty difficult. But kids can have fun learning to control and maneuver their crochet hook with an adults help and have great success without frustration.


How to crochet for kids involves an adult who is willing to sit alongside a child. The adult must hold the yarn for the child while they learn how to use the crochet hook. I usually recommend using a G or H hook and worsted weight yarn for a beginner. Once the child has mastered a chain stitch there are a few projects they can work on with an adults help.




One project would be a hair scrunchy. The child can crochet all the chain stitches, and the adult can make the single crochets onto the hair band. This example uses 10 chains, but yours can have more or less chains. You can even vary the lengths of the chains or use a variegated yarn if you wish. I would avoid novelty yarns (unless it is a ribbon yarn) because they are harder for a new beginner to work with.


You will squish the single crochet stitches together (really squish them on tight) and finish off when you have the number of single crochets on the hair band that you want.

Another simple crochet project for a beginner is a book mark.


Leaving about 5 inches of yarn to work with on your ends, allow the child to make 6 or 8 or 10 inches of chain stitches. Then thread beads on your ends and tie off with knots.


This example only demonstrates one bead, but it is nice with several beads on the ends. How to crochet for kids means teaching them in steps and allowing them to create something simple they can be proud of. The yarn holding generally comes when they are movitated to crochet more than the adult has time to sit with them, Just be sure to demonstrate how you are holding your yarn everytime you put the yarn on your hand. They will eventually get it!

Another idea is to chain a necklace. You can thread beads onto the yarn before you begin and scatter them evenly through out the necklace. Or you can just crochet a long chain and add a pendant to it. I know you are probably more creative than I am and can come up with more ideas than I have listed here.

Please leave me a comment if you have found this crochet tip helpful and if you have other useful patterns for very very beginning crocheters (mostly chain stitch!)

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5 comments:

  1. That flower is so cute. Your blog is just so full of cool stuff; I love looking forward to your updates. I love it.

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  2. That is a really unique project, unlike anything I have seen before. I bet little kids would just love making it.

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  3. hello my frend!see please my blog

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  4. A good idea, I must say. Shame I suck at crochet!

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  5. WOW! So, I've taught my kids how to loom knit, and they've been bugging me to learn how to crochet, but I just felt like they wouldn't "get it" and I wanted to avoid the fight. This post (yes, I realize its from 2008!) has encouraged me to try it with them, a piece at a time!
    Thanks!

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