Crochet guide
How to hold the crochet hook and yarn
There is no one correct way to hold a crochet hook or the yarn. Most people use one of two grips for the hook and run the yarn over the index finger of the other hand. Try each way and keep the one that is comfortable.
Which hand holds what
Most people hold the hook in the hand they write with and the yarn in the other hand. The yarn hand has a second job: it also holds the work.
A left-handed crocheter holds the hook in the left hand and the yarn in the right. Everything on this page then works the same way, mirrored.
Two ways to hold the hook
Pencil grip. Hold the hook the way you hold a pencil, between your thumb and index finger, with the handle resting on top of your hand.
Knife grip. Hold the hook the way you hold a knife to cut with. Your hand is over the top, your thumb and index finger grip the hook, and the handle lies under your palm.
Neither grip is the correct one, and many people settle on something in between. If your hook has a flattened thumb grip, that is the part to hold.
How to hold the yarn
The yarn runs from the ball, through the fingers of your other hand, and over your index finger to the hook. The fingers keep a light pull on the yarn. Here is one common route:
- Catch the yarn at your little finger.
- Carry it past your ring finger and middle finger, under them or behind them.
- Bring it up over your index finger.
For a firmer hold, loop the yarn once around your little finger before step 2.
The piece of yarn between your index finger and the hook is the yarn you work with. That finger keeps it gently taut.
Holding the work
With the same hand, pinch the work between your thumb and middle finger, close to the hook. At the very start, what you pinch is the slip knot.
As the chain or the fabric grows, keep moving your fingers up so that you are always holding it close to the hook.
Getting the tension even
How firmly you hold the yarn sets how tight your stitches are. Crocheters call this tension. (In United Kingdom patterns, tension is also the word for gauge.)
First stitches often come out too tight or too loose. Holding the hook and yarn feels awkward at the start, and it settles with practice. If one way of holding the yarn does not suit your hand, try another, or work out your own.
When your hands know where to go, how to crochet takes you from the slip knot to a first piece of fabric.