[NFB-Blind-Crafters] How to crochet book

[Becky Frankeberger]

I suspect it is part of a book. I found it in one of my folders while I was
looking for something else, smile. There was no citation.

 

Big hugs all around,

Becky  

 

From: NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf
Of Tracy Carcione via NFB-Blind-Crafters
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2026 11:11 AM
To: 'List for Blind Crafters and Artists' <nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org>
Cc: carcione at access.net
Subject: Re: [NFB-Blind-Crafters] How to crochet book

 

Hi Becky.

Thanks for this.  Is it a book, or part of a book?  Did you write it?

Tracy

 

 

From: NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org
<mailto:nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org> > On Behalf Of Becky
Frankeberger via NFB-Blind-Crafters
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2026 10:24 AM
To: 'List for Blind Crafters and Artists' <nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org
<mailto:nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org> >
Cc: Becky Frankeberger <b.butterfly at comcast.net
<mailto:b.butterfly at comcast.net> >
Subject: [NFB-Blind-Crafters] How to crochet book

 

This is written for us blind. Remember to put a stitch marker at the end of
each row, and the first crochet you make on the chain.

Becky Frankeberger 

I don't know where this book came from Paws up to the author.

HOW TO CROCHET 

     Introduction

     Crochet is an old and versatile form of handwork. It has been used for
centuries. It can be

used to make practically anything, from the very delicate lace with which we
adorn our homes

and our clothes, to durable wearable items that keep us warm.

The craft, or art, of crocheting came about when women decided they needed a
way to use the

thread or yarn that they were spinning from natural fibers in a new and
different way. Much of

the fiber was used for weaving, hence the first cloth that people used to
make clothing. But fibers

like wool lent themselves readily to more than cloth fabrics. They were spun
into yarn and

sometimes different pieces of this yarn were plied into thicker pieces and
more than one  color.

After this discovery was made, families handed down this craft for centuries
until the present

day.  

     For a long time I have felt that there should be a book that a blind
person can pick up and

use to learn this craft. There are many books on learning to crochet for the
sighted crafter. But

most of them rely on pictures to explain how the stitches are made and are
therefore unaccessible

to the blind crafter. This small book will take you stitch by stitch through
the steps of crocheting

until you can do anything your sighted friends can do. You will also learn
how to read patterns so

that once you are familiar with the stitches, you may pick up a pattern and
make anything you

desire. After you learn the basic stitches, there are many new techniques
you can learn such as

crochet and weave, crochet on a roll, cro-knit, cro-tatting, and filet. 

     Crocheting can be done with many fibers, from very fine thread to bulky
yarns. There are

different sizes of hooks, therefore, to use with these different types of
material. When you're

working with thread, you usually use steel crochet hooks, which range in
size from 00 to 14.

When discussing steel crochet hooks, the smaller the number, the larger the
hook. Therefore, 14

is the tiniest hook and 00 is the largest. 

     For yarn, on the other hand, these steel hooks are too small in most
cases. Therefore, you

use aluminum crochet hooks, ranging in size from B to Q. When speaking of
aluminum crochet

hooks, the closer the letter is to the beginning of the alphabet, the
smaller the hook. This means

that B is the smallest, and Q is the largest.

     Why are there different sizes of hooks? Because the hook determines the
gauge, or size of

the finished project. When you are first learning to crochet, it is
important to check your gauge,

or the size of your work. This helps you to determine whether you are
crocheting too loosely or

too tight. If you are not crocheting to gauge, you may need to use a larger
or smaller hook to

achieve the proper size. This is especially important with wearables.  The
gauge that you should

achieve is always given at the beginning of the pattern from which you are
working. After you

have crocheted for a while, you will learn how to achieve proper gauge and
this will be less

important. But until that time, I recommend that you have a brailled or
marked tape measure

handy while working, to make sure you are working to proper gauge or
tension.

     One more important note, these lessons build on one another, so it is
best if you go

through them in order. If you skip around in the book, it may make less
sense. Also, since we are

relying strictly on words to convey these basic stitches, it is important
that you read carefully

through the instructions before trying the stitch, then read again through
each step as you do it.

This will plant the steps more firmly in your mind.

     Now you are ready to start lesson one. It is my hope that you find this
book useful and

that you learn a new and enjoyable craft. Happy crocheting!

Lesson 1  

The Chain Stitch 

     Before you can learn the basic stitches in crochet, you need to learn
to chain. This is

always the foundation of any crochet project, and must be learned well
before any other work can

be done. The chain stitch is abbreviated ch for patterns. This may sound too
simple, but if you

don't have a good chain to start with, it can ruin an otherwise great piece
of work.  I suggest that

you start with a fairly large hook, a j or a k perhaps, and some worsted
weight yarn. Tie the yarn

on the hook  with  a slip knot. To make a slip knot, wrap the yarn around
your finger once. Then

wrap the yarn around itself at the bottom of the loop on your finger and put
the end through the

loop. Tug a bit to tighten, then place the loop from your finger on your
crochet hook. This loop

should be tight enough not to come loose, but not so tight that it can't
move on your hook

because it will form your first chain stitch. 

          Hold the hook in your dominant hand. There are many different ways
to hold a

               crochet hook. I will not, therefore, suggest a correct way as
I don't believe

               there is one. Some people hold a hook as you would a pencil
or pen.

               Others hold it as you would a knife, with your hand on top of
the hook.

               This is my preferred way as it gives me more control over the
end of my

               hook as it goes through the stitches. But if you feel more
comfortable with

               another way, even if it isn't one of these, that is fine.
Hold the hook in

               whatever way is comfortable to you. I would suggest, however,
that in the

               beginning, you hold it with the hook end up so that it is
easier to catch

               your yarn. As you progress in your work, this may change, but
for now, it

               is the easiest way. 

     Once you have made a slip knot, and have it on your hook, the yarn
you're working from

should be hanging down beside the tail left from the slip knot. You can
weave in this tail later

and it will not detract from your work. 

Step 1:   Bring your yarn over the hook, coming toward you. This means that
the yarn will

be lying on top of your hook and will be fully wrapped around the hook so
that it is hanging

down as it was before, but there are two loops on your hook, one from the
slip knot, and the one

you just made. 

Step 2: Then slide the loop that is on your hook from the slip knot over the
one you made by

wrapping the yarn, and off of the hook.  This leaves one loop on your hook,
the one made by your

yarnover. You have completed one chain stitch.  Give the tail of your

yarn at the bottom a slight tug to make sure the loop you made isn't too

tight. this will keep your chain even. Do this after each loop you make.

Step 3: Then yarn over again and push the loop on the hook over it and off.
Again give the tail a

slight tug to straighten it.  It is essential that you practice this until
you can chain evenly.

Otherwise, your work will not lie flat.

Later in this book, I will give you some practice pieces to do with each
stitch, so that you can

work with the stitch a wile and get used to it. This is the only way to
learn. However, I think it

would be a good idea to try a sampler, so that you can see how the stitches
build on one another.

It is very important to know what a correct stitch looks like so that you
can find and fix your

mistakes. We all make them, and the easier they are to find and fix, the
less frustrating the work

will be. To begin your sampler then, start by chaining 40 chain stitches
across. Do this until your

chains are fairly even across so that the sampler will be flat enough to
show your stitches well

later. When you have completed this, continue on to the next lesson.

*****Lesson 2

THE SINGLE CROCHET

     For lesson 2 we will start on the single crochet. This is abbreviated
sc for patterns.

The single crochet is the basic stitch from which all other stitches are
built. To make a single

crochet, you will be working into the chain stitches you made in lesson 1.
You should have 40

stitches across, and have your hook in the loop of the last stitch. 

Step 1:   Not counting the loop on the hook, find the second chain from your
hook and put

the hook through it. You should now have the chain on your hook, and behind
it, the loop of the

last chain you made in the foundation row. 

Step 2: Yarnover as you did to make the chain stitch. Pull the loop made by
the second chain

from your hook over the yarnover and off of the hook. This leaves two loops
on your hook, the

one from the yarnover and the one from the chain at the end of the row. 

Step 3: Yarn over again and put both of the other loops off of the hook over
the yarnover. This

leaves one loop on your hook, the one from the last yarnover. You have
completed one single

crochet stitch. Continue steps 1-3   across the chain, making a single
crochet in each chain stitch.

At the end of the row, you should have 39 single crochet stitches. After you
have done this row,

do another row of single crochet stitches into the previous row, but before
you start, chain one

stitch. This brings your hook up to the top of your work. Also, since you
always work from right

to left, it will be necessary to turn your work so that the hook will be on
the right end of your

work. 

Again, practice makes perfect. If your stitches seem a little tight, or the
loops on your hook are

difficult to move, concentrate on making your yarnovers looser so that this
will not happen. It is

not unusual for beginners at crochet to work too tight. Just relax and enjoy
learning and soon

your work will reflect your relaxed state and become looser. You don't want
your stitches to be

too loose, but you want them even so that your work will be close to proper
gauge or size when

finished.

Lesson 3: The half double crochet 

     the next stitch you will learn is the half double crochet, abbreviated
hdc in patterns. 

Step 1:You will remember that when you did the single crochet, you put the
hook through the

chain or stitch and then made your new stitch. This time, before you do
that, you will yarnover

first.

Step 2: After you yarnover, put your hook through the stitch and yarnover
again.

Step 3: Pull the loop made by your yarnover through the stitch. You will now
have 3 loops on

your hook. The one farthest back is from your previous stitch or turning
chain. The next is from

the first yarnover you made before going into the stitch, and the one
closest to the hook is the

second yarnover you made.

Step 4: Yarnover again, and pull all three of the loops behind this last
yarnover off the hook over

the yarnover you just made. This will leave one loop on your hook, which
came from the

yarnover you made before pulling off the other loops. You have completed a
half double crochet.

Now, to add some of these stitches to your sampler, work as follows:

Step 1: Take up your work and turn it so that the hook, which should be in
the last stitch at the

end of your second single crochet row, is at the right end of your work. 

Step 2: As before, you need to bring your hook up to the new row's height.
You will remember

that when you did a single crochet, you chained one (ch1) at the end of each
row. But half double

crochets are a little higher than single crochets, so you chain two instead
of one when you're

going to make a half double crochet row. This is written ch2.

Step 3: Once you have made the 2 chains, go into the next stitch and do your
first half double

crochet according to the previous steps given. Continue across the row,
doing a half double

crochet in each stitch across to the last stitch.

Step 4: Once you have finished crocheting in the last stitch, chain two as
before, turn your work,

and start back across to make your second row of half double crochets. When
you reach the last

stitch, it will be the chain two that you made when you started the first
row. Make a hdc in the

top chain of this ch2.

     Now, before going on to the next stitch, look for a moment at the
stitches you have made

so far. A careful inspection of your work will show you that single crochets
are smaller than half

double crochets. This is because of the aded loops used to make the half
double crochet.

Therefore, you now know that the more loops there are in a stitch, the
longer or higher it will be.

When you feel that you have mastered this stitch go on to lesson 4. 

Lesson 4: THE DOUBLE CROCHET

     the next stitch you will learn is the double crochet, abbreviated dc
for patterns. This stitch

is another basic stitch and builds on the half double crochet learned in the
previous lesson. 

Step 1: To double crochet, before inserting the hook in the chain, wrap the

yarn around your hook once. this is a yarn over, like the one you did in the
half double crochet. 

Step 2: then insert the hook in the chain, yarn over again, and pull the
loop through as you did

when you made the single and half double crochet. You will then have 3 loops
on your hook.

Step 3: then yarn over again, and draw through two loops, leaving 2

loops on the hook. 

Step 4: Yarn over again and draw through two loops. You

now have one loop on the hook and have completed a double crochet. 

     To practice this, let's look at your sampler. When you pick it up
again, you should have

one loop at the end of your last row of half double crochets. Put your hook
through this loop. As

before, you need a turning chain to keep your work straight. But also as
before, your work is

changing. These stitches are higher still than the half double crochets you
made in the previous

rows. So instead of chaining twice, you chain three times, written ch3.
Usually, unless the pattern

says otherwise, your turning chain for double crochets will be a ch3. So
make three chains, then

follow steps 1-4 above and make a double crochet row across in each half
double crochet you

made before. When you finish this to your satisfaction, chain 3, turn your
work and do another

row to get back to the other end of your work.

     Now stop for a moment and look at your work to learn the difference
between these new

rows and the previous ones. You will note that these are longer stitches and
probably easier to

distinguish from one another than the half double crochets or the single
crochets. Since you

cannot use your eyes to look at your work, it is very important that you
teach your fingers to

know these stitches when they see them. When you have learned them well
enough, proceed to

the next lesson. 

Lesson 5 

the tripple Crochet

     the next stitch I want to show you is the tripple crochet, written tr
or trc in patterns. This

is an even longer stitch than the previous ones you've learned and is often
used in lace work or to

make a looser weave in a bulkier item. 

Step 1: In this stitch, you yarn over twice before you insert the hook into
the work. 

Step 2: After yarning over twice, you insert the hook and draw up a loop,
giving

you four loops on your hook. 

Step 3: then yarn over, draw through two loops,

Step 4: yarnover, draw through two loops, 

Step 5: Yarn over, and draw through two

loops. You now have one loop on your hook and have completed your first
tripple crochet. 

     try adding these to your sampler piece so you can see the difference.
To do this, take up

your work and put your hook into the loop at the end of your last double
crochet row. As in the

past, you must bring up your hook to start another row with a turning chain.
This time, you chain

four instead of three. So chain four, (ch4), turn your work and start back
across the row, doing

the steps above to make a tripple crochet in each stitch across. When you
reach the end of the

row, chain four, turn your work and go back across to the other end making
tripple crochets as

you go.

     Now look at what you've done so far and notice that each stitch you've
added is a little

longer or taller than the ones in the previous row. This is because there
are more loops made by

the extra yarnovers in each stitch. Once you have mastered the tripple
crochet, proceed to the

next lesson.

Lesson 6: some techniques and how to finish your work

     There is one more stitch that I want to mention which is not used often
except for joining

or moving the yarn or thread. It is called a slip stitch.

To make a slip stitch, written slst in patterns, insert your hook in the
loop, as you would for a

single crochet. You do not yarnover first. After you have inserted your hook
through the loop,

yarnoverand draw the loop made by your yarnover through the loop on your
hook. You will have

one loop on your hook and will have made a slip stich. This slip stich is
only used for joining

rows into rounds, or sometimes for edgings. When you are making rounds
instead of rows, you

will be making a round piece without having to sew it together. This is
because at the end of each

round, you will be instructed to join with slst in top of turning chain. In
previous lessons you

learned that a turning chain is the chain you make before going from one row
to the next. It is

called a turning chain because it is the chain you make before you turn your
work.

    Finishing your work: To finish your work once you have done as many rows
as you want or as

the pattern calls for, you do what is called fastening off. To do this, you
cut the yarn from the ball

or skein you are working from, leaving a tail between the loop of your last
stitch and the end of

your yarn. Then take the end of your yarn and put it through the last stitch
on your hook and pull

it tight to make a knot. You will then weave in the tail so that it is not
visible at the end of your

work. You will also weave in the tail left from the slip knot at the
beginning of your work. Then,

depending on the yarn you used, you may have to do what is called blocking
your work. This is

done as follows. You may need to wet your work to relax the fibers in the
yarn. Once you have

done this, then place your work on a flat surface and stretch it to measure
correctly according to

the measurements given in the pattern. Use your tape measure to determine
whether your work

blocks to the correct measurements. It is important to note that with most
acrylic yarns, washing

and drying according to the directions on the band around the yarn will
automatically block the

fabric.

Reading patterns

In the lessons above, you have been given  the basic stitches for
crocheting. There are other

stitches and combinations of stitches that you will find in patterns as you
progress from beginner

level work to intermediate and advanced. But most of these stitches will be
explained in the

pattern at the beginning under a section called special stitches. This is
because they are not used

often. Once you have mastered these stitches, you will be able to read the
patterns you want to

make and understand the special stitches sections. To end this book, I have
written out the pattern

for your sampler thus far so that you can see what it would look like if it
were all written out

together.

Practice Sampler

Ch40.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, ch1, turn.

Row 2: sc in each sc across, ch2 turn.

Row 3: hdc in each sc across, ch2, turn.

Row 4: hdc in each hdc across, ch3, turn.

Row 5: dc in each hdc across, ch3, turn.

Row 6: Dc in each dc across, ch4, turn.

Row 7: tr in each dc across, ch4, turn.

Row 8: Tr in each tr across, ch1 turn.

Repeat rows 1-8 for pattern to desired length.

     Now that you have learned how to do the basic stitches in crochet, and
how to read a

pattern, you are ready to get a pattern book and start enjoying this
wonderful craft. I would advise

starting out with flat pieces such as scarves, placemats, or afghans, so
that you can concentrate on

reading the pattern and working in rows. 

Once you have mastered flat work, then go on to rounds and do such things as
doilies or

garments to wear that are made without seams. It is my hope that this book
can help start you on

your way to an enjoyable new hobby.

 

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