10+ different ways to hold yarn and hook! Which way do you crochet?

Is your crochet style one of these on the video? There are numerous ways to hold your yarn and hook and position your hands in crochet. All give you the same result! See also 5 things to avoid in crochet: • 5 Things to AVOID in C...
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[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you for watching! Check also "5 things to AVOID in crochet": kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3y8gJdnfMR4ppY Filmed outside in a cute Finnish country village!

[@jolochner]

Did not see how I crochet either, but whatever or whichever we all crochet, it’s a beautiful art to know and enjoy!

[@TuulaMaaria]

Ok, so there are still more ways! So true, it is a lovely hobby and also brings the main income to thousands of people nowadays 😊

[@deborahm4484]

Hi thank you for doing this video.i have been crocheting for 55 years and hold the yarn in my right hand like knitting I get a lot of people telling me it's wrong .I made my wedding dress and my bridesmaids crocheting this way.i feel it's whatever makes it comfortable for you.thanks again Tuula 💝💝

[@TuulaMaaria]

Sounds great, so that would be the way one of the TikTok videos shows. Yes, if it works and doesn't hurt your hands, it's not "wrong"!

[@Bellalunacrochet]

Wow! I wish I had crochet before I got married! That sounds amazing! 💕

[@retrocraftdreams]

I've never seen anybody crochet the way I do/did. For the longest time, I could not figure out how to get the hook to actually pull through without getting caught. So I used my thumb and index finger nails to pull the loops off the hook and my ring and pinky fingers to wrap the yarn around the hook. I held the hook kind of like a pen, but pointing up, and used the other fingers of that hand to hold the work. I've been practicing, and finally getting the hang of a more typical way, but nobody ever discusses how to actually get the yarn to pull through. I had to watch a lot of videos very slowly to finally see that people were lifting the hook as they pulled. I don't think switching has made me any faster, but I definitely get different tension. I only decided to change because my fingertips were getting sore.

[@TuulaMaaria]

I don't think I have ever seen anyone do it the way you describe you used to! Fortunately videos can be slowed down so it is possible to see in detail what people do!

[@ethelmary6676]

Thank you for explaining and teaching.much needed.❤

[@Bellalunacrochet]

I dont think I have ever seen anyone do this either, and I have watched sooo many tutorials 🤣 but girl there really is no wrong way. You do you, at least that is what my grandmother told me when I was freaking out that I couldn't crochet like the others. Do whats comfortable and if the end product makes you happy that is all that matters 🥰 Happy Crocheting ❤️

[@lynnemoore7351]

I do exactly the same as you x

[@chanteloost]

I also crochet the same way and I'm also struggling to figure out way I sometimes struggle to pull through the loops on my hook 😢

[@NLY1WAY4U]

Wow...did not realize so many way to hold yarn and hook! I did notice how many different ways to make a slip knot. Hard to change your style once you "hook" onto one!

[@TuulaMaaria]

Yes,' it's hard to crochet in a different way, as it shows on the video when I try! 😊

[@annetteheck7]

Thank you Tula! I do move my fingers on my left hand. I used to think there was something wrong with me because I’d never seen anyone else do that. Years ago I had an accident which cut off my left pinky finger which is how I held my yarn. It took me quite a while to figure out how to use my now bent ring finger. But we adapt and figure it out. Thanks for this video!

[@TuulaMaaria]

Great that you were able to find a different way to replace!

[@Bellalunacrochet]

Wow! That is so moving and amazing to hear! I stopped crocheting for a year due to unrelated health reasons. I had found out that once I picked it back up my anxiety took a way better turn. Crochet is therapy! It so nice to hear that you adapted and overcame your circumstances. Sending you & your family ❤️

[@diane64yorks]

Hello, I learned to crochet in my late 30's from a KZbin tutorial for left handed crochet, I've been knitting since I was child, it depends whether I'm using yarn or thread as to how I hold it, with yarn it's just over my index finger and down my palm and out between one of my fingers depending on the thickness, with very fine thread I zigzag between my fingers then wrapped twice over my index finger to keep the tension even, I use the knife hold as it's the most comfortable, I have seen some of the videos you mentioned, and even tried some of the hand positions, but I find the way I hold it the most comfortable and easy for me. Best wishes from Yorkshire, England 🇬🇧

[@TuulaMaaria]

That's a good point, the yarn/thread we use affects the positions too!

[@Cher9974]

Learned to crochet exactly the same way you did but recently had to find different ways of holding with my left hand due to muscle dystrophy in my hand so now use an open ring on my middle finger to hold the yarn and then crochet over my index finger and thumb. Also have had to get larger handled hooks. Amazing how you can adapt if you need and want to still be able to do what you love xx💕

[@TuulaMaaria]

Wonderful that you found a way that enabled you to continue! 💗

[@angelanewman5566]

I have always enjoyed knitting, and used to crochet by holding the yarn in my right hand, but my mother used to say that was wrong and looked strange. I tried other ways but always found them very awkward which put me right off the craft. Thank you for confirming that whatever feels easiest is the right way - I shall try again.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Yes, defintiely try again, whatever way seems the easiest to you!

[@TerribleLotus]

I taught myself to crochet ages ago from a book (pre-youtube) but i seemed to have developed my own way of holding the yarn. Looking back at the book, it describes that first finger in the air, wrap around pinky type hold. I hold the yarn in the crook of my first finger and that’s it. Ive only seen one other person do something similar. She is the ComplicatedKnots youtube channel from Australia. Her channel was in my recommendeds recently and I remember the sudden shock of realizing she holds her yarn in a similar way to me.

[@TuulaMaaria]

This is probably a different way again, one I haven't seen before 😊

[@zitatempleton4821]

Interesting. You did show the way I crochet. I never knew there was so many ways until I started watching KZbin. I still crochet the way my mother taught me when I was a small child. Knife hold with finger up and thread over pointer and pinkie.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Yes, most people probably didn't know about the different ways before internet videos!

[@manuelitawhite862]

Like you I have seen lots of ways others crochet both in videos and with friends. I was so happy when y ok u got to the way you crochet, it's the way I crochet. Like you I learned as a child in Italy. I was taught by my mom and grandmom (Nonna), so happy to see someone that d oh es it exactly like me!!! ❤❤❤❤

[@TuulaMaaria]

Wonderful! There are quite a few, when I was looking at various videos, in a number of countries people crocheted exactly like I do! 😊

[@2bitranch1]

I crochet the way you do, and I'm from the states. I am almost 72, my grandmother's family came from Sweden, and my grandmother crocheted beautifully! She taught my mother, and so my mother taught me, as a child, to hold it your way. I tried holding the yarn like I've seen others hold it, but it felt very awkward to me. After watching your video on holding the hook, I believe that style I do, originally came from my great grandmother in Sweden. So nice to know that! Thank you for sharing that video. Your videos are very good, and much better than all others I have watched. Keep up the great work!

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you so much, lovely to hear! Yes, this way of holding the hook and yarn is most common in Nordic countries because that's what we are taught at school, or slight variations! All the best 💗

[@corneliatjandra4500]

3:00 “i haven’t actually seen anyone zigzagging it” i was so shocked when i heard you saying that because that’s how im literally holding my yarn Im watching this as im crocheting and thats my go to way to hold yarn lol

[@GoldenAstroCat]

I used to hold my hook like a pencil but found it put a lot of strain on my wrist so I switched to the knife hold which is so much better for my wrist. I use my left index finger held up to control my tension, and this way the hook isn't constantly rubbing on my finger which it would if I held my work with my index finger. I think everyone's hands are different so whatever works best, there is no right or wrong!

[@TuulaMaaria]

True!

[@asadh56]

Hi, Tuula! I was born in Finland and my family moved to Brazil when I was 13. I learned to crochet just like you, but I use the variation of lifting my index finger so not to touch that finger too much. I love your videos. ❤

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you! Interesting that you were born in Finland! 😊

[@martaferreira1228]

The way you crochet is the same I learn from my grandmother and mother. It is the way we do it in Portugal.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Great! I have seen many people in southern European countries crochet this same way.

[@ninaleach6350]

I have an unusual style which I've seen a few others use since I thought I'd invented it but can't find one to share. I have hand/finger problems but when I taught myself to crochet I struggled with holding the yarn tight/taut and keeping tension as I can't hold my finger straight out. I actually throw the yarn over the hook,towards me, rather like in English style knitting but with my left hand. I have quite a loose grip on yarn and hook but my crochet work isn't particularly loose.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Good you found a way that works for you! I have seen a few throwing the yarn in crochet.

[@susanwalker6271]

II also do it that way. CAnt seem to break myself of it.

[@lornawalton2333]

I hold my yarn very similar to you , I thought I was unique, as I was self taught 😉

[@TuulaMaaria]

Almost everyone in Nordic countries holds it like that as that's what we are taught at school! 😊

[@karentwardowski9084]

Thank you so much for this video!! The techniques are fascinating!!

[@cortiees]

I crochet with a knife hold, and I hold the yarn in my left hand similar to you, but I actually throw the yarn versus using the hook to pick up. Just how I adapted to learning to do it when I was little. I'm in my late 30s and from the US.

[@TuulaMaaria]

That is again a different way - there are so many! 😊

[@user-rl7cu4sh4s]

I Crochet the way you do . I love your videos xx

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you! 😊

[@janicep4047]

Although i am american, i was taught to crochet by my Portuguese mom and hold my work and hook just like that last way you showed when discussing how much of the non-english speaking world holds their work. I recently, just this year, started watching crochet videos on KZbin and was wondering if i was doing this wrong all these decades! 😂😂 good to see im not alone!

[@TuulaMaaria]

No matter which way you crochet, you are not alone!

[@angelandlilydogcollars]

I feel so validated now!! I crochet just like you in the last example! I have never seen anyone else but me hold their yarn like that.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Oh! Like I say on the video, it is the only way I knew anyone to crochet for decades!

[@wendyroyles8088]

Beautiful explanations thank you xx

[@ronniehill4014]

I crochet like a knitter, holding both the yarn and the hook in my right hand with the yarn looped over my little finger for tension and then passing the yarn over the hook with my fore finger, I hold my work with my left hand. I can crochet the traditional way with my left and my right hand, but seem to naturally want to work it like a knitter xx

[@TuulaMaaria]

There seems to be different ways of doing it with your right hand, seems to work! I f course knit the continental way with yarn running through the fingers of my left hand, more or less the same way in crochet and kntting.

[@janlewis567]

I crochet like a knitter too, everything in my right hand - it's incredibly quick compared to other methods I've seen!

[@aeverdream2]

I'm doing it the second way, because I learned knitting first and that's how my mom and grandma taught me to hold the yarn

[@TuulaMaaria]

Knitting can affect it too, that's true!

[@Chattycrafter2580]

Once again a very informative video, I truly enjoyed seeing the different ways people crochet. These types of videos a great fun, thank you for bringing them to us.🇦🇺

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you so much! 💜

[@ReallyJillRogoff]

I crochet lefthanded, and taught myself instinctively with the knife hold. I find it works well with both bulky yarns and fine threads. It was interesting to see all these variations. Thank-you for sharing this.

[@CrochetCrimeAndCommentary]

I so enjoyed this video ❤

[@TuulaMaaria]

Great!

[@crochetvibes23]

I watch your videos every day

[@TuulaMaaria]

Oh, lovely to hear! 💜💗

[@l8tylucky]

I very much crochet like I knit. I hold the yarn in my right hand with my hook and go to grown. When I do color work I will hold my second color in my left hand and primary color in my right both with knit and crochet. Fiber arts are very much a spectator sport. I enjoy groups to sit with others talk, and observe.

[@TuulaMaaria]

I love knitting or crocheting with a group of people too!

[@imueller5497]

I used to wrap the yarn around my pinki finger and that was how I was taught as a child by my mother. I also used the zig zag between my fingers, but now I wrap the yarn twice around my index finger most times. I use the three different ways depending on how my hands feel that day. I always watch how others crochet and I find it so interesting how techniques vary. I love your videos so much!!!

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you so much! It is so interesting that before internet most people didn't know there were different ways to crochet! I was in my 40s before I saw for the first time someone crocheting so that they held their index finger up in the air.

[@teresaready5433]

Thank you Tuula

[@audreyd2799]

My mom was raised in Norway and she taught me to crochet the same way you do it. This video was so interesting. Thank you!

[@TuulaMaaria]

Lovely!

[@cyan1616]

This is fantastic, I feel normal again. 😊 My grandmother was German and taught me to hold the needle like you do. My mother taught me to hold it the English way and kept telling me the other way was wrong... I do the dirty combo way, mostly the English way but I switch around depending on the project, yarn, and stitch. Thank you so much!

[@TuulaMaaria]

Great, definitely not wrong! 😊

[@krishnamehrotra8360]

Thankyou you are so good.

[@missapippin9020]

Thank you for this interesting video. I think it is brilliant that they teach crochet in the schools in Finland they should do it in more countries. I crochet very similar to holding a knife. Thank you Tuula ❤

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you! Yes, would be great if all children could learn the basics of crochet and kntting and other crafts at school!

[@karleedu]

I hold my yarn and hook as you do at time stamp 0:44. I have tried other ways, but always go back to that way. I was taught to hold my hook like a pen, but it hurt my hands, so I ended up holding it like a knife. So very interesting. Thank you!

[@TuulaMaaria]

Great you found the way that works best for you!

[@tonicoleman3829]

I hold the hook in the knife position and twirl the hook a bit to catch the yarn.i only hold the yarn between the 2 fingers as you showed almost to the end of your video. I like your video's. They are educational and not "fluffed up" . Thank you for sharing your knowledge !

[@fatimasaletecorrera2471]

Hi Tuula. Thank you for your videos. I watch them in Brazil. Have you seen people who use a ring to guide and tension the yarn when they crochet? I will send a link to a video, it is spoken in Portuguese, but the images are self-explanatory.

[@TuulaMaaria]

I haven't seen a ring but some people use this thing that looks like a wide ring with hooks for different colour yarns. - Links in comments normally go to a spam folder unfortunately.

[@amandasheffield4103]

I have been crocheting for 12 years and I hold my hook and yarn exactly how you do! I got pretty emotional to finally see someone else crochet like me. My eyes welled up with tears. For years I have been told I am doing it “wrong”. I make blankets, wearables, home decor items and amigurumi. Logically I know there isn’t really a right or wrong way to hold your hook and yarn and it’s the finished product that actually matters. With all that being said it, for the first time in 12 years I felt “accepted”. Thank you for this video 💜

[@TuulaMaaria]

So glad this video made you feel that way! I can tell you, if you came to Finland or Sweden, almost everyone would be crocheting this way and so many people would say that any other way is weird, if not actually wrong 😊

[@amandasheffield4103]

❤

[@krystlesmith7395]

I hold my hook like a knife and I hold my yarn the way you do. Really loved seeing the different ways people hold their hooks, thank you for a great video ❤

[@TuulaMaaria]

Lovely!

[@baileysteinfadt2155]

I hold the hook and the yarn differently depending on the yarn and the project! Amigurumi with worsted yarn is different than lace with cotton thread is different than chunky yarn for big projects. Slippery yarn sometimes needs an extra wrap around a finger or woven between more fingers to increase the friction. Bulky or cotton yarn needs less friction. Once I was working with rope and used my foot and forearm for tension while wearing shoes and a jacket to protect my skin! Changing it up between projects helps to keep my hands happy. If I’ve been doing lots of knitting or Tunisian crochet or using bulky yarn, I’ll make sure to mix in something with pen grip. If I’ve been doing a bunch of amigurumi or thread work, I’ll probably find a knife grip project or Tunisian one next.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Great that you have found what works best for you!

[@mylena3086]

It's so cool that in Finland kids of all genders learn crocheting instead of the craft getting forgotten How lovely Also big thanks for showing all the techniques and possibilities I find myself doing multiple versions as I'm learning while getting a feel for yarns , tension etc

[@TuulaMaaria]

Wonderful! Yes, I'm glad that they haven't stopped teaching crafts at schools even though the weekly hours have been diminished.

[@lynnbarnes6041]

I'm very interested and happy to see more men knitting and crocheting these days. It’s a skill just like drawing, sculpture or cooking or woodwork and doesn’t have to be confined to one gender.

[@MamaGaea]

I'm just learning, and I hold the yarn completely differently. Everyone makes the hook do all the work. I hold the hook pretty still and use my yarn hand to wrap the yarn around the hook before pulling through. I know it's not fast or anything. But it's what works for me.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Good if it works and if it doesn't cause problems with your hands in the long run.

[@lynneclark5313]

Very useful! I use the in-line hooks because I keep dropping the yarn with the shallow cupped tapering hooks.

[@zoekilling4977]

I hold the hook like a knife in my right hand and the yarn between my 1st and 2nd finger while holding my work between the thumb and 1st finger of my left hand. When I have to wrap the yarn I actually physically wrap the yarn with my left wrist and 1st and 2nd finger around the hook. I never learned how to strictly use my right hand to grab and wrap the yarn from my left hand with the hook in my right letting the yarn just slide through my left fingers. I use both hands to crochet and both hands to knit. It's not technically correct but my tension is consistent and I'm an advanced pattern crochet person. I'm only a beginner though with knitting. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️😂😂

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you for sharing! 😊

[@DollfieMew]

If I'm understanding you correctly, that's how I crochet. I never could get the hang of the ways other people show. I use my pinky to give myself slight tension.

[@helenacombis7722]

I crochet in the same way as you … but I hold the Yarn in the zig-zag way with my point finger in the air

[@emptynestgardens9057]

This was so interesting. I hold exactly the way you do 😊 I'm Canadian and was taught by my British Grandma to knit as a child. In my late teens/early 20's I bought a book (no internet back then) and taught myself to crochet. That book only showed the stitches not how to hold the hook. Now when I teach friends I show the options and tell them just do what comes naturally in order to keep a relaxed tension.

[@TuulaMaaria]

It is certainly different now than before internet, now people see so many options from all over the world! Great that you are teaching your friends to crochet!

[@bambinaforever1402]

I crochet the way you do. I learned by myself

[@starchan2036]

I use the knife hold, and hold the working yarn in the first way you showed. I did learn from (american) youtube tutorials. According to my mom, my grandma used the pencil hold and wrapped the working yarn multiple times around her index finger, releasing it little by little as she went. Nice to see a demonstration of so many different styles!

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you!

[@woodylass1]

I crochet like the one which is similar to knitting, I thought it was unique to me, glad to see I’m not the only one. I can crochet holding the yarn with my left hand, I’ve tried to make myself do it that way because I somehow thought I was doing it wrong, but it doesn’t feel natural and my tension goes off

[@rubyfisch5077]

I hold my work close like you do, except I used the knife hold. I've never seen anyone crochet like they're knitting! That was really interesting. I can't even knit by throwing, let alone try to crochet that way. (I do continental knitting because it was an easier transition from crochet for me.) Thanks for the video! I always enjoy everything you post.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you so much! I also just saw that way of crocheting for the first time a short time ago. I didn't try it, I can just about knit with yarn in my right hand if I have to but to crochet that way would seem impossible!😊

[@krazedvintagemodel]

I crochet as you do Tuula! I use my middle finger to lift the yarn as well. I sometimes try different techniques to give variety of movements to the fingers to lessen fatigue. I enjoyed this video, thank you!🧶

[@TuulaMaaria]

Wonderful!

[@ctianas]

For tens of years I used to hold the yarn as presented in version 1, but with the yarn wrapped around my index finger several more times than four. I could not imagine doing it otherwise. Then I had a stroke 3 years ago, which left my left side semi-paralyzed. I suffered for not being able to crochet anymore. But then I've managed to do it with your current method and it works! I'd still need to adjust the tension, but I will get there too. I got to this method by trying what would work best for me and what would feel comfortable. So, I was very surprised to see another crocheter using this method. Thank you very much!

[@TuulaMaaria]

Great that you were able to continue to crochet after a stroke and found the best way!

[@marcguilarte4291]

Thank you, this was very interesting and much more comprehensive than other videos I have seen. I hold my hook like a pencil (I learned from my grandmother first and she was from Italy), my significant other uses the two finger method with his left hand. He was taught that way in rural North Carolina in the USA. I notice that I change what I am doing with my left hand depending on the material and the situation. I usually crochet with thread as opposed to yarn, so that might be why I have a greater variety of what I do with my left hand (but, who knows?).

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you! Yes, I think with many people the yarn/thread they use can cause the positions to vary a bit!

[@jlklbr56]

So interesting... and validating! I had been thinking my method (which is just like yours) was not 'right' but since it worked for me, I didn't worry about it too much. I was initially taught by my great aunt who crocheted the most intricate lace potholders. Her vision was poor and she crocheted by the feel of the work... amazing. I've never been able to do that. I didn't do any needlework growing up, but later decided to get serious and taught myself both crochet and knitting. It's interesting to me that I naturally picked up the habits of both my aunt and my mom (a continental knitter) and have always held my working yarn very close to my project. I was talking with my niece about needlework and discovered that she gravitated to continental knitting... so it seems like it's almost a genetic thing in my family. I love it! Thanks for this video! 💙🧶💙

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you for sharing! Shows that it is worth talking about the different methods becasue you are not the first one that has commented here that they felt they were in some crocheting "wrong"! I have noticed that there are more and more people in knitting who have switched to the continental way after they have noticed that is is more effortless and faster in most cases.

[@ashratjahan3114]

Hey Tuula, lovely your background decoration 👍👍👍🌷👍👍👍simple but nice🍁🌷🎆 cute🎉🌿🎈adorable🎆👍🎉i also want to knit it . Hopefully oneday i will complete it🌷🍁🍀Thank you very much that very informative episode🎉👍🎆

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you so much 🤗

[@youllbemytourniquet]

Thanks for making this video Tuula!! I have been experiencing fatigue and pain when I crochet so I’m trying to find a new way to hold my yarn. I want to hold it like you do but I can’t seem to figure it out 😅

[@TuulaMaaria]

It can take a while to get used to a different way. Videos are easy to slow down, then you can see better!

[@leck4emba]

Hello from Canada. I taught myself to crochet from a book when I was 22. I use a Boye brand hook and hold it like a pen. I can’t imagine holding my yarn wrapped around my fingers multiple times. I simply hold mine with my pinkie but I also usually go down a size for my hook. I’m so pleased with myself when I see tips from videos and find I’ve already figured some out. It’s hard to know when you have no one to show you. I love to crochet afghans and amigurumi. 🇨🇦🙏🙂

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you for sharing! Yes, it's harder to learn especially in the neginning if there are no others near you who also crochet. Here in Finland everyone learns at school, at least the basics, so everyone understands what crochet is about!

[@imnotknitting]

Fun to watch! I do the very first way you demonstrated but my left index finger moves a lot more to get the yarn on the hook.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Maybe that is another variation! 😊

[@maryt2887]

Tuula, thanks for this great video. You did a lot of research! I’m American and use the knife hold with the yarn wrapped around my pinky and then over the index finger . Recently, with certain thicker yarns that don’t glide so easily, I can’t wrap it around any fingers and must hold it down to the palm with my three curled fingers. Wow! So hard to explain in words! I have seen another hold on the Made by Papari channel where she controls the yarn tension by using her ring finger in an interesting way.

[@TuulaMaaria]

There are so many different ways, especially to how people get the tension!

[@luciarel8131]

This was a fun video. I crochet similarly to your former way, pen hold, and rubbing my poor index finger! 😂

[@TuulaMaaria]

Oh! 😄 That isn't a problem if your hook is not sharp like a tiny metal one! 😊

[@argonwheatbelly637]

I hold my yarn the way you do around @3:28 and @4:20, but with a knife grip. Been doing it that way for more than half a century, and I have decent tension control and I'm usually in pattern gauge. Excellent video! 🧶

[@TuulaMaaria]

Great, thank you!

[@asthargf]

I hold the yarn exactly like you, as I feel it lets me have more control with my index and thumb fingers, but I crochet with the knife hold. 🥰

[@TuulaMaaria]

You can mix the different ways!

[@noraigra4887]

Hi 😊👋 interesting!!!i never paid attention to how i crochet 😂❤love that they teach it in school!!!!

[@TuulaMaaria]

Several people have said that they needed to get yarn and hook and make a few stitches to know how they crochet 😄

[@DSwa11ow]

I’m in my 50s and my mom taught me how to crochet 50 years ago. I hold knife style and I hold my yarn and work how you said you did in the past. I tried the finger up method and it felt like a lot of excessive movement and I don’t want repetitive movement injury from crocheting! Thanks for making me feel normal in a world of KZbin tutorials

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you! yes, I'm worried about many people, how their hands will be after they will have crocheted for a very long time using positions where some part is always tense.

[@sallyshott4419]

Thank-you. After watching this video, I found myself trying the ways shown, before I could remember what I actually do. 😊 I hold the hook like I do a pen sometimes & like a knife other times. I'm not sure why. With my left hand I have been holding the yarn with middle, ring & baby fingers, & over the index finger. Since I also hold the fabric between index finger & thumb, the hook is too close to yarn over, so I slide the hook over the top of index finger & lift the yarn with my middle finger to yarn over. I'm very slow. Now that I know what I am doing, I'm going to try holding the fabric with middle finger & yo from the index finger. It already seems faster with a more consistent tension. Thank-you again for making this video & helping me become aware of my movements.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Lovely, it is always worth trying different ways to see what works best!

[@hanshi3831]

I'm from an English speaking country but I can't hold the yarn with my index finger out or else it cramps up. It just feels unnatural for me personally. I crochet closest to the style you were taught in school, but I have the yarn wrapped over my middle finger as well as my index finger. It gives my hook more room to grab the yarn. It's hard to describe how I tension the yarn around the rest of my fingers, but if anyone's interested, I can do my best to explain 😅 I do prefer the knife grip. It's interesting that the knife grab was forbidden for you. Do you know why that is? Just curious 😊 Love your videos!

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you! It sounds like your way is again a slight different variation 😊 About the knofe hold at school - nobody in Finland would normally have crocheted that way so if someone accidentally tried it, it was explained that you coudln't have an even result like that.

[@bileefaulkner403]

I taught myself how to crochet 50 +/- years ago. I used instruction in print as that is all that was available back then. I hold my hook like a pencil, holding and controlling my project with my thumb and index finger. The yarn tension is controlled with the other three fingers running it over my middle finger where it is easy to catch with the hook.

[@ruthdaisy1036]

I'm surprised to say I crochet the way you do with left hand but with a knife hold for right hand. Watching most KZbinrs waving their fingers round on their left hand made me feel like I was "doing it wrong" but I'm thrilled to see I'm not so odd after all ❤

[@TuulaMaaria]

Definitely not wrong! It is so fast and easy for your hands 😊

[@madewithloveandfibres1816]

So interesting to see. I used to zigzag through my fingers but had to change how I tension the yarn after getting married; my wedding ring interrupted the flow for crochet but not for knitting, so I switched to using the same way of tensioning that I use for knitting. I notice also that I hold the work very differently to you too with only the very tips of my left middle finger and thumb under the head of the stitch I'm working on and my left little finger and ring finger often pointing away, like when they don't fit through the handle of a small teacup!

[@TuulaMaaria]

I need to watch a reel or something to see how that is, hard to get it from written explanation! 😊

[@tamaravalentini1481]

Anch'io uso l'uncinetto come fai tu, grazie Maaria ❤❤

[@sharonrichards7928]

I crochet similar to the way you were taught but over two of my fingers not one. I got taught nearly 50 years ago I doubt I’ll ever change

[@chriss312]

Great Video I hold my hook in knife hold with Right hand and wrap yarn over all my fingers and back under my little pinkie finger and lift my index finger to move yarn and hold my work with large finger and thumb

[@TuulaMaaria]

Great!

[@archanabhattacharya1989]

Thank you soo much! Also will you please guide - how to make yarn balls ?😊 And I want to know how to make wall decoration which is on the wall in this video! It looks very beautiful! I want to make this.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you! I have a video about making centre-pull yarn balls without a winder, kzbin.infoMobfBa3aUcg The wall decoration was my design in Simply Crochet magazine 2-3 years ago. The written pattern is now on sale in my Ravelry and Etsy stores: www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/frills-party-garland or www.etsy.com/fi-en/listing/1260347199/crochet-pattern-for-frills-party

[@diannegray828]

I live in the US, and realized I don’t crochet like any of the videos I initially saw on KZbin. I’m completely self taught. Guess what? I was so excited to come across your channel because I crochet just like you! One caveat though. If I’m working with jumbo yarn or super bulky that doesn’t have much give, I sometimes switch to the knife hold. Like you I have issues with my hands-psoriatic arthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. I find that when my hands begin to hurt with the bulky, no give yarns, instead of stopping (who wants to let sore hand’s interfere with crocheting?😂). I’ll switch to the knife hold, but my other hand doesn’t change. Like you, I’ve tried my pointer finger, but it just is not natural for me. Thanks for confirming that I’m not totally weird! Love your channel and glad to here your nephew survived his required scarf making 🤣

[@TuulaMaaria]

You are certainly not weird! 😄 I actually do the same at times when crocheting something like a rug with a huge hook, using the knife hold for that, without changing what I do with my left hand.

[@marygoldfatema8139]

Hello Tuula how are you! Thanks for this video showing the different ways of crocheting. As for me I crochet exactly the same way you do ; the Pensil hold, it's very easy to me, I'm used to it since I was young and from the first time I've learned to crochet . I see it as an ideal way and it is also aesthetic isn't it 😉

[@TuulaMaaria]

Yes, I would agree as it's my own way too! 😊 But other ways work too although there are some that I worry about people getting problems with their hands and elbow in the long run!

[@pennynicholls5412]

I hold it between my first two fingers - the way you've only seen in one person. Though I use my fingers on my left hand to yarn over instead of grabbing it with hook from the right. Thank you for this video. Nice to see different methods.

[@TuulaMaaria]

So there are more people crocheting like that!

[@GodSeeker19]

Yes! I have tried to teach myself the right way but it comes naturally to me to hold the yarn just between my index and middle fingers.

[@linedancergal]

I hold the yarn in my right hand. My grandmother tried to tell me to use my left hand, but I couldn't figure out how. Now it's been so long that changing is hard.

[@TuulaMaaria]

If it works ok, you wouldn't need to change!

[@rosesperfumelace]

I learned the pen grip while using my middle finger on the same hand to help guide the yarn. I prefer inline hooks, especially when using fine yarn. For me, it seems to easily catch the yarn without slipping off the hook. My grandmother taught me as a young girl. She was born in Italy 1900 and came to America as a very young girl .

[@TuulaMaaria]

Lovely that you had a grandmother who taught you! 💗

[@krazedvintagemodel]

What is your definition of an "inline" hook please? Thank you 🧶

[@TuulaMaaria]

@@krazedvintagemodel I have a quick video about the two msin types of hooks here kzbin.info7ASE4XhffEY?si=q3pN_ZnSbqemXXYT

[@MsHedgehog]

I learned crochet from the internet so I learned the knife hold, but I do a variation of it where I hold the hook hand rather still and move the yarn instead. I learned to do it this way because I have trouble with the wrist on my dominant hand.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Great you have found a way that is easy for your hands!

[@elizabethheller5358]

Thanks for sharing. I taught myself to crochet from a book back in 1985. have watched many videos recently and have not seen anyone hold their yarn like I do. I tried to change to a more "normal" way but after all this time it's just not comfortable. This video made me think that if it works for me, it's fine, even though it doesn't include "my" method. In my left hand I hold the work between thumb and index finger. The yarn goes over index and middle and then between middle and ring fingers, which control the tension. It goes under and is held very loosely by the little finger. The middle finger moves slightly to position the yarn. I tried to get a picture of it, but with both hands used for crochet, I can't hold the camera/phone. How do you manage to get such good videos of your work?

[@TuulaMaaria]

Yes, if it works for you, doesn't hurt your hands and gives an even result, any position is "right"! I'm trying to picture what you described, not sure I get it correctly but the main idea anyway! I film with a phone. I attach it in some way, depending on where I am, so it films directly downwards and that I can see what I'm doing so that my hands remain in the centre of the image. Or trying to!

[@andrear.5296]

I realy had to crochet a row to remember, how I'm crocheting. :o) Okay: I'm wrapping the thread two times around my pinky finger, than the yarn runs above the other fingers to my index finger, where I'm also wrapping the yarn two times around, the yarn runs to my work on front, and I'm holding my hook like a knife. There is always a distance betwwenmy work and my index finger, and I'm using my middle finger to support the hook while while I insert the crochet hook into my work. Of cause I learned the same method like you in school, but I immidiatly started my own way to crochet. My teacher hated it, but couldn't do anything, otherwise I would have stopped crocheting. My problems with my wrists started realy early. and the way, I'm chrocheting realy protects the wrists.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Good you found your own way!

[@dbulmer20]

I crochet like you use to do it.

[@rhondaherdman7338]

Miss Tuula I hope my yarn different on my left hand. I technically have a cross between your pin and the knife with my hand. And when I'm really crocheting everybody says it looks like I'm song something LOL I do wish I could crochet exactly like you too because we think even though I'm fast I would be faster and more organized about it maybe. I to share that with you about learning how others crochet and knit. I shared that I like to learn about different cultures. Tell your nephew that throughout history men have crocheted or knitted. Many blessings

[@TuulaMaaria]

True, long time ago men were knitting much more than women! Thank you 💜

[@zalialyon1853]

I wrap mine in the zig zag as you called it..the wrapping it around the index finger many times serms super uncontrollable to me n i am old lol 65..i been using tension rings n i really like them..it eases my fingers

[@TuulaMaaria]

Good you have found what works for you!

[@lindamccoy8752]

I have only seen one other person on youtube videos that crochets like I do..I am 68 and my grandmother taught me when I was 7.. I hold the hook like a pen and wrap the yarn over the top of my middle finger,and hold the rest of the yarn with my other fingers.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Oh, there's again a different way! 😊

[@Anna-jl1rx]

You reminded me of why I didn't like crochet when taught at home and at school: It hurt and they were so strict about how to hold the hook (Swedish school). When later I discovered how enjoyable crochet can be I used the knife grip as in example 1. Some methods look very difficult, but the ladies seem used to their own ways😊 My children were forced to crochet at school too, and we're not pleased...

[@TuulaMaaria]

Yes, I think trying a very different method is hard to learn!

[@aleeahcraggs5781]

Interesting, there are many different ways to crochet. Mine is yet different from any of those. I hold hook like a pen but I have my yarn on the top of my middle finger and hook the yarn under my little finger for the tension. Works for me. I have been crocheting for more than 50 years

[@TuulaMaaria]

I'm trying to picture how that is, would need to see!

[@skayc1]

some of us knife holders also use our pointy fingers to hold onto the yarn to keep the tension. I'm a knife holder. In my left hand I bring the yarn up between my pointy finger & my middle finger & loosely wrap it over my pointy finger. Plus being an artist I hold my pencils different anyway. I choke up on my hook as well. Oh and because of left handed tendances, I yarn under instead of yarning over. Oh and if I'm working with fun fur & regular yarn, I bring the fun fur up between my pinky & ring finger while the regular yarn is coming between my pointy & middle fingers.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you for sharing! So many different alternatives!

[@skayc1]

@@TuulaMaaria yes so many alternatives. My grandmother taught me how to crochet. My mom crochets blankets mostly she has crocheted capes. We were not taught in school. My grandfather would use a small mini loom to make daisies for my grandmother to crochet together. I miss both of them they've been gone a long time now.

[@suringuino13]

4:40 i do it like that with the knife hold 😂 i saw a tutorial from someone who held the yarn around their index finger but i didn’t like it when i was learning so i just did it how i felt comfortable i thought no one else held it like that 😅

[@TuulaMaaria]

Yes, the main thing is to find what works for you and doesn't in any way hurt!

[@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

The one that looks most natural to me is your old one from school, learned at school too, in the sixties as girls had to do needlework and domestic science and boys got to do wood and metal work which I wanted to do, mind you I can do both now, maybe not very well but I can still do it. Actually, looking at how you crochet now is maybe more like what I do because I broke my wrist in about three places around a year ago and haven't got full mobility since, but I do think I hold the thread in my left and the hook in the right. I can't turn my hand palm up as much and I remember having pain when I picked up crochet afterwards. Actually I think I need to actually do a couple of rows because I never actually think about it.

[@TuulaMaaria]

It was the same with me, girls got to do all soft crafts and boys wood and metal work, now everyone does both at school. Crocheting is often so automatic that as you say, you may need to crochet and look at what you do to be able to describe it! 😊 Sorry about you hurting your wrist, hope it will heal fully with time!

[@rikkeknudsen_]

I use mostly the knife hold, but I learned crocheting with the pen hold as a child, and that the knife hold wasn’t the correct way to crochet. It depends on the thickness of the yarn and the needle if I use the knife hold(thicker yarns) or the pen hold(thinner). Also, if I’m using the knife hold, and my hand gets tired, I switch to the pen hold. It feels lighter on the hand.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Great you have found what works! I could also have added on the video that sometimes I use the knife hold if I crochet something very heavy like t-shirt yarn rugs.

[@linwhitworth4794]

I was taught to crochet by a school friend when I was 11. Later I bought pattern/tuition books and they all said the hook should be held like a pencil , the same way I was taught. I feel this is less tiring and both hands work together close to the stitches giving good control and tension. I taught my daughter this method too but she is much cleverer than me and does some lovely stuff making up her own designs.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Awesome that your daughter crochets too and makes her own designs!

[@judidavis4727]

I crochet very similarly to you. It's quite different from my mother, I could never figure hers out lol. I taught myself this before KZbin existed lol.

[@TuulaMaaria]

We knew much less about different ways before KZbin 😄

[@Spunkkygirl]

I hold the yarn with a bent index finger. I have never seen anyone else do this. But I am older and now it is starting to bother me. So I am teaching myself a new method (kind of like you don’t using your pinky).

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you for sharing! Yes, problems with our hands may at times force us to find different ways. Happy crocheting!

[@acfpta2000]

I've not seen anyone hold their yarn and crochet the way I do. I hold my hook like a claw grip and then the yarn is wrapped around my pinky under my two fingers in between my middle and over the top of my index finger. I don't hold my index finger up, though, my index finger, thumb, and middle finger of my left hand hold my work and I toss the yarn over the hook by bending my wrist back. I tried a whole bunch of different ways of holding the yarn and I just couldn't get the finger straight thing going. This is the way that worked for me. It involves more wrist than anyone else I've seen crochet but it doesn't bother me.

[@TuulaMaaria]

Thank you for sharing! Here in Scandinavia most people crochet like me although there is more variation now with people watching videos from all parts of the world! But this is taught in schools so it has a huge effect!

[@sarabaldridge1000]

I am from the u s a and I crochet exactly like your first demonstration

[@TuulaMaaria]

That seems to be common right across the US!