This post is in no way to intended to replace a crochet book, however, after teaching several folks to crochet, I’ve run up on a few things that are often missing from the print lessons. The main issue is the GRIP in the left hand (these are right handed lessons), so let’s start with that.

1. Open your left hand and position the yarn as seen below.   Yarn from the ball coming in the bottom, yarn to the needle coming out the top.    Grab it with your bottom two fingers, thusly.

2. Still holding with the fourth and pinky, turn your hand over and point your pointer finger away from you, under the yarn.   Make sure your yarn-to-needle and yarn-from-ball are positioning like mine.  Pointer must point!

3. Continue to turn your hand, pinky and fourth holding, pointer still pointing and grab the tail with the thumb and middle finger.  There should be no slack in the syarn coming from the needle to the pointer.

4.  Use the needle to grab the yarn while you hold tension in the left hand (make sure the yarn comes over the BACK of the needle.)

5.  Pull through.

6. As you continue, the needle pulls the string through your left hand.  It does little but stay static until you need to grab higher with the middle finger and thumb to keep hold of your work.