Crocheting forever but still not good
My mom taught me to crochet when i was probably about 8 years old. lately (the past five years) i have been doing it non stop. the problem is, sometimes i have a hard time following a pattern or understanding how to do new stitches. So i always read over the patterns, and as soon as i see a stitch i don't know, i walk away, sometimes very disappointed. i would love to make clothing or hats, but i can only do flat things, you know, scarves and blankets. Now don't get me wrong, my blankets are very nice, but I think that most of my crocheting is self taught so maybe I am doing it wrong. maybe that is why i cannot follow a pattern. and the words that explain complicated stitches seem to just confuse me more.
any advice or has anyone been through this themselves?
I am self taught. I have been crocheting about eleven years. Started out knitting at twelve. When I first started, I went through four or five how to books before things finally clicked. Have you tried to get into a crocheters guild chapter in your area? I went to different people and to some yarn stores around. They also have classes available. For me, it is difficult to explain online. Hopefully I have been of some help. Good luck.
Myself (being in my way older than you years) I am just getting started learning to read patterns and such - - Believe you me, I know what you mean about getting confused and disappointed. I have turned to the internet and there are a ton of videos on how to do stiches out there. It is truly an unbelieveable world out there in internet land.
I you are having trouble understand something, Google it and see what comes up for how to videos. Good Luck!
Maybe your best learning style isn't reading, and that's okay. There are lots of people who learn better if they watch someone else do it (videos are good for this), or if they hear it instead of reading it (maybe audio books or narrated videos would help), or if they can do it with someone coaching -- hands-on learners. If you know your own learning style, look for the resources that support that style. If you're not sure, experiment until you find what works for you.
stainedglassmiss is right -- there are lots of crochet videos out there. Just for kicks, I googled "crochet video 'double crochet' decrease" and "crochet video 'puff stitch'" and got plenty of links.
Other possibilities: some communities have groups that meet regularly just to do needlework/craftwork and chat. Your local library or community center may be able to steer you toward them, and someone there may be able to give you pointers. Some local yarn stores are *very* crochet-friendly and may offer classes.
Above all, don't give up! If you make good flat stuff, you probably just need a bit of extra technique to make good 3-dimensional stuff, too. Good for you, for reaching out!