Guest Author - Kate Pullen

If you are stuck for a last minute Christmas gift for someone, how about giving them the gift of crochet! All that is required is some time and patience (although admittedly spare time is not always easy to find in this busy world!).

Teaching someone to crochet will give them the foundation of a craft that will last a lifetime – certainly something that will last a lot longer than a box of chocolates!

There are so many great items to crochet and the craft is very popular at the moment therefore giving someone the gift of crochet lessons is likely to be well received. This is suitable for members of the family and friends - and is suitable for boys as well as girls!

A great way to present the gift would be to give a crochet hook and a ball of yarn with a card promising lessons to the recipient.

There are lots of good instructions on the Internet to help, including some we have here at BellaOnline Crochet. These instructions could be printed out to help you teach someone and instructions could be presented in a folder - you are very welcome to use any of my articles.

Some Tips to Help Teach Someone to Crochet

Patience! Remember that although crochet may come as second nature to you, to a beginner remembering which way to hold the hook, or how to wind the yarn may feel strange and uncomfortable.

Basic Stitches: There are a few key basic stitches that will give a beginner crocheter the foundations for many more. Chain stitch, single and double crochet are all that is required to create granny squares and a whole range of other items.

Basic Projects: We've got some basic projects here that are ideal for a beginner. The Mile a Minute scarf is made completely from chain stitches, which is a great way to practice making chains while providing a good way to do something with all the yards of chain stitches produced.

Yarn: While there are a range of beautiful fancy yarns available, anything fuzzy or highly textured is difficult to work with. Plain yarns in a neutral color are the easiest for a beginner, and while they are not as swish as the fancy yarns, they will allow a novice crocheter to learn the basics and get confidence before moving onto special yarns.

This is a gift that is low in cost but high in value.