I have been crocheting for over 60 years and was taught by my very patient mother. I have always been a knife hold, yarn over person, with the yarn wrapped around little finger and over middle finger so I can hold my work with thumb and next finger. Having taught a few people over the years I have always maintained there is no right or wrong way to hold the hook or yarn, just to find the easiest for you. At a knit and natter sort of group one day, there were 5 of us crocheting and we all held our hooks and yarn differently. How amazing is that lol will have to try the yarn under just to say I have.
I recommend you to everyone learning to crochet. Your videos are so good. You're patient. And you take the time to really show people what crocheting looks like. Thank you for all you do!
Thank you so much for discussing this different way of stitching. I have noticed some people crocheting using this under the hook method, but not consistently. It drove me batty to watch them do a tutorial and my OCD self that learned decades ago thought it was wrong. Just like the way I was taught to hold my yarn & hook. There were literally classes that taught how to do it and anything else was incorrect. I am loosening up and realizing that, like you said, whatever works is right and everybody does it the way that is most comfortable for them. 💜
I will have to pay more attention, since my muscle memory has been in charge for a long time. But I think I mostly yarn over. It's good to know the difference is negligible. Thank you for all your great videos!
I use a mix of a yarn under when I go into a stitch and I complete a stitch with yarn overs. For a long time I had no idea that there are two ways of grabbing yarn so for me it's something that evolve naturally during the process of learning and crocheting. I think that doing this mix in a single crochet creates the perfect tightness of a stitch.
I'm a lefty and learned to crochet by watching my cousin. I never crocheted much because I can't keep my tension constant and realized recently I was yarn under. I still have trouble with tension but I think my crochet looks better since I started yarn over. I love your vids, simple enough for beginners but not dumbed down for advanced crocheters. Thanks for all the wonderful projects and tutorials.
This was a really interesting video. When I first learned, yarn under was more natural. But as I watched videos and continued to learn, I found that everyone teaching did yarn over so I retaught myself that way. I’ve continued to master my technique over the years and have a way that’s quite comfortable for me now, with minimal finger and wrist movement. Oh, and I’m a knife-grip gal.
I have been lovvvin the yarn under sc ever since I started my last Christmas tree amigurumis for my channel I learned the yarn under sc made perfect small tight stitches and I've been using the yarn under slip stitch join on all my patterns tighter join 😊
My sister taught me how to crochet back in the 1970s. Lots of years later when I really got into crochet, I had always assumed she used the knife hold because that is what I use. The last time I saw her crochet I noticed that she uses the pencil hold, so I must have just automatically adjusted to my own preference. For me the pencil hold is uncomfortable and I feel it is harder on my hands.
I learned pencil hold in the 60s. Years later, I got carpal tunnel from knitting. Crochet aggravated that. Many years later, I picked up Crochet again. It was not a conscious decision, but I learned knife grip. Now I do knife because when I try pencil grip, I can tell there is greater irritation of my wrist, and the carpal tunnel will soon act up. As for over or under, I mostly do over. But I think on some days I subconsciously mix both in the same row. I'm trying to pay more attention to if I'm doing that or not. I'm not even sure if it matters, lol. It probably does matter, but some days just seems to happen. Thanks for explaining the 2 ways of wrapping so clearly. BTW, I taught myself crochet from a book. Years later I taught my mother for a project she wanted to make. Everytime she wanted to crochet I had to reteach her. My grandmother had crocheted but died before I knew what crochet was. But mom had given me her hooks. That's why tried learning it from a book. My prize hook is one my grandfather made for her from black walnut. I can tell she used it a lot. It had a smooth patina before I ever tried using it. It is perfect for my hand when making granny squares.
My neighbor taught me to crochet some 30+ years ago as well. However she only taught me double crochet and granny squares. She didn't really care how I held my hook, I was 10. Everything else I learned from a book. Yarn under I felt like I've heard before but never used it
I kind of do a mix of yarn over and yarn under. I found out not long ago that yarn under is best for amigurumi so I tried it but its hard to be consistent so I keep reverting back to my normal way of crocheting. I agree that it's about how we each feel comfortable holding our hook and making our stitches. I've been crocheting for about 44 years and my way of doing things have gradually changed over the years to make me a better crocheter. Thank you Jayda for explaining the over/under debate very well. God bless.
WoW!!! Mind blown 🤯 Had no idea there were 2 ways to do a single crochet...now I might have to try the yarn under technique just for fun. Thanks for the tutorial 🤗
I’ve watched a couple of people do the yarn under to create the loop, but then finish the stitch doing yarn overs. I find it fascinating to watch because my hands haven’t been able to make it work yet.
I learned to crochet from my aunt more than 50 years ago - the hardest part was learning to wrap my yarn (to control tension) around the fingers of my left hand while my hook was held in my right hand. Over the years, I developed my own way to use the hook - I think I hold it like a knife? Certainly not a pencil grip🤷♀️. I twist the hook to catch the yarn. I have taught several people to crochet over the years and we each are doing it a little differently....THEN I started watching RU-vid vids and 🤦♀️oh my goodness!! We all do it differently!!! Isn't it amazing and wonderful that we each can follow a pattern and come up with more or less come up with the same thing??? Humans are amazing!!!
YES! Humans are amazing and versatile and adaptable and their capacity to learn is limitless! I love teaching people to crochet because it's like watching little flowers bloom every time and each one is different 🥰
Hi jayda instites and right now I am working on my cottage core mosaic blanket and granny squares blanket and butterfly 🦋 mosaic blanket and I love your channel and your videos and if you keep making videos I will keep watching them and what is your favorite crochet project to work on right now and favorite types of yarn to used when crocheting and keep up the great work on your crochet projects
Thank you so much for this video. I learned the overstitch when I learned to crochet. About a year ago I saw the understitch but wasn't sure if I was doing it right. Your explanation was very clear. I found out that I was doing it correctly. You are the Queen of crocheting!
This was so interesting. I am definitely a yarn over kind of gal with a knife grip. However, a few amigurumi enthusiasts suggest the yarn under method to achieve that tighter stitch. As much as I absolutely love, appreciate and admire (may I add ‘in awe of’) the folks that do amigurumi..I sadly can not master it..I am all thumbs. So I gave the yarn under a try and really paid close attention to what I was doing. My result was that I totally confused myself 🤣🥹. One of my favorite aspects of crochet is the rhythm, the counting my easy method & flow of creating stitches. So a yarn over gal I remain. 🧶💕
Your videos are among the best for beginners, or anyone who wants to learn from videos. I had heard someone say yarn under is the only correct way (poppycock!) so I decided to have a go when making a row for a blanket. I am definitely slower but I discovered those pretty Xs! I don't think it is to do with tension, because I am a very loose crocheter. I use pencil grip, that's how everyone was taught at school (knife grip is supposedly causing tennis elbows more often) but I think it is easier to switch to Tunisian crochet if you already hold your hook as if you were knitting. At least I find that pencil grip doesn't give enough support for the hook wit fabric dangling down from it. So, I think it's good to try and learn both ways, even if it is just to avoid strain caused by the same, repetitive movement. Being a right-handed myself and trying to teach a left-handed relative was a coordination challenge. It didn't go smoothly - but don't they say that sort of exercises are keeping the mind young? At least I hope so! 😅
This was so interesting. I think I must have been a yarn under to start with. But I crochet was tight because I could never get anywhere near to the gauge suggested. It was only after stumbling across your videos and coping how you crochet exactly ghat it suddenly unlocked some magic in me. Now my crochet has come on leaps and bounds. I’m also now realising I’m a tight knitter too. I love learning new crafty things
I am learning to crochet on my own and I wondered why I had such a tight tension, I yarn under with the shortest route between two points as I have arthritis and it helps be able to crochet for longer. Thank you for the explanation!!
I'm a yarn over like most everyone I know or seen on RU-vid, but however I did learn in armigurmi to go down 2 hook sizes and to yarn under for a tighter fabric with less poly fiber showing through.
I am a knife hold left hander, who learned how to crochet by watching Jayda’s right handed videos. I figured out that the stitches are made the same regardless of being left or right handed. I just remember that I am going in the opposite direction. I learned today that I do the yarn under for my single crochet stitches. I never noticed before. I just did what was naturally comfortable for me. As far as the other stitches, I just grab the yarn with my right hand and wrap it over the hook and finish the stitch with the yarn under. Thanks for showing me that I actually do both ways at the same time. lol who knew.
In tapestry crochet some people recommend yarn under so stitches will stack on top of those in the row below. It makes a straighter stitch and the tighter tension helps hide carried yarn.
I taught myself 52 years ago. I first started out with the pencil hold. I can't remember when I changed to the knife hold. It's been long time ago. I can crochet faster with the knife hold. I also yarn over. Thanks for sharing with us. Have a wonderful day crocheting. 🙏💜🤗🧶
I think when I learned I just picked up the hook and held it however I could to make stitches... I guess that was the knife grip because I don't actually remember holding it any other way!
Hi, Jayda. Nice video. I never gave yarn under much thought, I learned also with yarn over and so that's the way it was for me, know how I held my yarn and tension changed a bit over time. Have a good day, Springs on its way ❤😊. See you on the tube 😊😊😊.
Thanks for the great visual to explain this! I had never heard of this. Over the years I have found that my mind and hands just do not coordinate on some things....example the Tunisian calendar blanket. After trying multiple times I just accepted the fact that traditional crochet is my thing😂. After watching this video, yarn over is what I'll stick with.
Interesting... I m yarn over and true about a tighter yarn under...great for the demo. Excellent! I have done yarn under with the reverse stitch...thsnks👍👊💥
Thanks for teaching us this very interesting aspect of crochet. You are a wonderful teacher and crafter! You are a natural born educator and I wonder if you had or do teach in schools. I’m a librarian at a community college and I taught math too. I think you could definitely teach math.
There is a third way of holding a crochet hook but my sister and I might be the only ones to hold it this way: four fingers around the crochet handle and the thumb leading the way opposite the fingers, just like the way one would hold a switchblade........hmmmm. Our grandmother taught us. Maybe she had a colorful past.
I use the yarn under technique when I make amigurumi because it does make a tighter stitch. (For some folks, this is the standard for making ami).But if I’m making something like a hat, where I want looser fabric, then I use the yarn over technique. Like you said, important thing is that you’re working comfortably, and that you like the way your fabric looks 😊
Interesting! I've never seen the yarn UNDER technique, but I just tried it watching you and it was easy to do. I could even do it with half double crochet, but got a tangled mess trying to do it with double crochet! I think I'll stick to what I know best for now.
Hi Karen! I'm excited to hear that you fiddled with other stitches with it! I find when I mix YU and YO I get a stitch that is half tight and half loose 😂
I'm watching us while I'm on a break. I'm gonna have to get microchied out and see which I do I don't really know I haven't paid attention. Thank you very much for sharing. But I do hold my needle Like a pencil.❤
Hey Jayda, I’m self taught also and definitely “yarn over”!!! Can adjust tension just fine if need be!! I have seen other channel teachers use yarn under, but quickly n it looks very confusing !!!! Juan the Yarn Afflict, for one.. plus he has a weird way of making slip knots too. I have yet to figure that out., or his joining colors is he chaining 1? I don’t know what he’s doing??? He crochets sooooooo fast. Doesn’t show slowly… I like how he ends his knots I’ve seen it before n it makes very clean non visible knots! Anyway, it’s yarn over for me Girl!! ❤️
I'm left handed and use a modified knife grip, using my pointer finger to actively direct my hook and hold stitches when needed. I followed along during this and found that I also do yarn under for single crochet but do yarn-under/yarn-over for half-double and double crochet.
Hi Jayda. This is a really great video. I am a knife holder and a yarn over kind of gal, lol. Recently I’ve seen this type of yarn under over the last couple of years, albeit sparingly. I think it’s great that you’ve addressed this issue. I feel there is no right or wrong choice here. And it’s great to know the different results one can get. I will definitely do some swatching even though it is counterintuitive to me. You should see me try the pencil grip! I laugh every time I try! My amazing teacher uses the pencil grip. I never knew it existed until I started taken classes over 10 years ago. I did, however learn to crochet well over 50 years ago from my grandmother . Thank you for a very helpful video.❤️🌺🌸❤️
Aloha from Kansas!! 🌈🌈‼️. When it comes to crochet i am self taught. I did yarn over for the first wrap and yarn under for the second wrap!!! Then i read about yarn over being correct. The whole thing puzzled me since i couldn’t see the difference when i wrapped the yarn. (Yes. I know. How challenged can a person get!!!???). But after finally figuring it out and doing only yarn over, it made a huge difference in my crocheting!!! Still challenged on the combination stitches though!!!! I try to stick with one stitch at a time. Your two stranded scrapghan and big beautiful basket are my favorites!!! Thank you for your patience with the crochet challenged like me!!!‼️‼️‼️😀😀😀😀‼️
Hi Princess Frances! I think the important bit is getting consistency 😊 I tried YU to start the stitch and then YO to finish it and found that the bottom would be tight and the top would be loose(ish). I tried YU to start and then what I referred to as "the quickest path between 2 points" (whether that's YU or YO) and that seemed to keep the even tension, howbeit, tighter. Honestly, a very interesting little excursion!
@@JaydaInStitches Yes. Very interesting. Sounds like a whole book could be written about it on the Pros and cons of the different ways!!! I am just glad i figured it out!!!! 😀😀😀‼️🤣
Great video, Jayda! I've sern over or under done in many tutorials. I thought the under is used more often in amigurumi for tighter stitches. But it sounds like its just personal preference. Food for thought. Thank you for the video! 🧶💙❤️🧶
Haha just watched this decided to do a little swatching and found out that I am a yarn under naturally, had no idea. I am a knife grip self taught left handed crocheted who crochets right handed😂
Thanks for sharing. Does not make a difference. Everyone can do what they want. Same as holding your crochet hook, like a knife or like a writing pen. No wrong or right. Over yarn makes a different look stitch, and so does under yarn, both are acceptable. Also same as holding the yarn, everyone does this differently.❤❤😊😊😊
I’m right handed. I hold my hook sideways with the hook facings to the left. Going thru the stitch I just grab the yarn and yes it’s under the hook. And the yarn is always to the left of the hook. But once I’m thru I use my left hand and yarn over the hook. No I can’t twist or twirl my hook because my thumb is not poseable (only has 2 sections not 3 if you bend it). Only way I can do it. And I have the same hook you used
I just crochet and never thought about it. So I watched to see what I do. I crochet over, but I tried under and it was only awkward for a few stitches then It just flowed. Interesting. Edit... I my double crochet tend to get looser as I work, so I tried under and it fixes the issue. Yea!!
If someone wants a tip for what to use the Yarn Under to create, I've seen it recommended to do YU for amigurumi because of the tighter stitches. It leaves less holes visible for seeing the stuffing through. I personally haven't tried it, but I've seen photos of the difference it makes on the stuffies. It's quite big visual difference for them. Just wanted to drop that here in case it helps anyone. :)
Hi! It's amazing how much it can affect tension! I don't see a real difference in the visual look of the stitch, but it definitely makes things tighter for me!
The first time I heard/saw a yarn under was watching an amigurumi tutorial about 4 months ago. I was amazed! I watched the tutorial then simply to watch the young woman do the yarn under! I had never heard of "yarn under". I grabbed a hook and some scrap yarn to play but it just did not feel comfortable! I'm not saying impossible, just uncomfortable!
I think its when yours doing the same stitch, insert yarn under then yarn over and pull through to get the x shape. I don't have yarn infront of me so I can't say for sure. It might be the other way around
Hi! I tried that myself, but I just get a tight base stitch and a loose top. I don't see the 'X' but I think that's the fun of experimenting with different techniques 😊
I'm a lefty but I taught myself right handed yarn over. My youngest is lefty and crochets left handed with yarn under. I can do over and under without thinking. Lol the lefty in me, does things differently.
I have found that my stitches are a mixture of both, My hands do what feel right in the moment. It all depends how I'm sitting (or...shhhh....lounging in bed *gasp*) or how I want to manipulate that particular stitch so that it falls a specific way onto the piece of yarn it is being placed on top of. My hands just go and I let it happen. Surprisingly, this hasn't resulted in a wonky end product thus far and my items look to be uniform. If I had to guess, I lean more toward yarning over (70/30) with yarn unders srinkled throughout. I have to wonder if if I'm alone in this.
Thx for such a great video! I'm wondering if the yarn under uses less yarn, I'd guess it does, considering it's smaller. 🤔 Thankfully, I'm a yarn over! 😊👍🧶
Hi Uncle Steve! I never really thought about it much either. I typically vary my tension by changing my hook size and not so much how I hold yarn or hook.
Jada, sorra on this subject, some turn their work like the pages of a book. Others just the opposite. Whats the difference or does it not matter at all?
Hi! When you turn your work at the end of a row, there are 2 options: turn toward you and turn away from you. Basically this turns the ch-3 (if you're using turning chains) in one direction or the other. The difference I've found is when you go to work into the top of that ch-3 on the way back, sometimes the top chain: it's either turned towards you or away from you.
Hey Jayda, thanks for the video. But I have a question, can you go both yarn over and yarn under to make a stitch? Like yarn under the first time, then yarn over the second time. Sometimes, I want to do the yarn under, but the second yarn under is too hard to do. So I do both. I don't really know if it looks different or not. Sometimes, I just forget to do the yarn under because I am definitely a yarn over girl. I'm not hurting anything am I? Thanks again.
Hi! Absolutely! In fact, I tried YU to start the sc and then finishing with a YO and found that it changed the tension halfway through my stitch! It's fun to experiment with different techniques 😊
Hi Iwould like to know where I can get that Hugo crochet hook I'm trying to fini but cannot find have a nice day god bless you😊🙏 plusse tell where I can get one thankyou 🙂😊
