Everyone has their own personal way of holding the hook and controlling the yarn in crochet. Right handers hold the hook in their right hand, usually as though it were a pencil, (Fig.79), or in a firmer overhand grip (Fig.80). The left hand holds the work and at the same time controls the yarn supply. The left hand middle finger is used to manipulate the yarn, while the index finger holds onto the work (Fig.81). To maintain the slight tension in the yarn necessary for easy, even working, it can help to arrange the yarn around the fingers of the left hand as shown in Fig 82.

Crochet is a method of creating fabric from yarn or thread, by using a hook and a ball of yarn. The hook is generally held in the right hand as shown. Even lefties can learn to crochet this way or they can reverse the instructions. There are two basic "holds".

A. In this method, you hold the hook as you would a pencil, grasping the hook between your thumb and index finger.

B. In the knife method, place your right hand over the hook and grasp it between your thumb and index finger to begin. The left hand is used to control the yarn and to hold the stitches as they are created.

Use whichever method feels more comfortable to you.

Left handers: Print and prop the instructions and up next to a mirror, so you can see the illustrations in ‘mirror image’, while still being able to read the text from the original page.