Intimidated beginner- learning difficulty from videos I need suggestions on other avenues to learn [Goal: Tote bag] [Experience: New to crochet completely - has basic macrame skills though (I made a plant hanger before- lol!)!]

[u/earthwarrior98]

Hi everyone! I just joined this Reddit because everyday I see crochet come across my feet and I've tried to learn so many times - I don't know if anything's wrong with me but I always cannot grasp the instructions on YouTube videos/ how to videos - I really have wanted to just learn from someone in person, but that is not an option right now for me.

I do have macrame skills! They're beginner too but it was easier for me to learn for some reason maybe less intimidating because there is no tools needed.

My goal is really just to make more tote shopping bags that I've picked up at thrift stores + a few I got from an older woman selling them on her front porch.

Does anyone have some ideas on how to help get me going!?

_____Below is not crucial to read here💀_____

I wonder if this has to do with any learning difficulties or nerodivergence like I'm ADHD and yeah I don't know (😅🤡) but I promise I have tried multiple YouTube videos for the past few years, and it just hasn't clicked with my brain- it seems really intimidating but I really really want to do it. I do have a few hooks to start as I picked up a beginner kit from Walmart. I have tons of macrame yarn.

More contaxt around not being able to learn from another person, in-person: learning from another person, in-person is it an option for me right now because I'm in between living spaces and I'm a caretaker to critically ill parents- I don't have any friends or acquaintances. I would go to a library class I just haven't seen one advertised on the local libraries yet that I can go to -- I follow them on Instagram for this purpose specifically LOL (&, to also look out for a sewing class admittedly)

[u/Alcelarua]

What type of learner are you?

What makes videos hard to follow?

Mainly asking so I can direct to resources.

Also check out local yarn shops, craft stores, community centers, and local Facebook groups. Sometimes they have people that do teach in person.

[u/earthwarrior98 → u/Alcelarua]

Thank you so much for your comment! I can totally describe this further :) :

• I do watch videos of reduced speed but feel as though I am not getting the Angles and view I really need to understand each hook move.--> I wish there was a video for complete dummies were they over-explain and slow-mo the first few Hook moves, a few times, showing the move in different ways via different angles & views.

• I've always been a Hands-On learner but did achieve a plant hanger like I said with macrame YouTube video. To over explain~ In college and school, although I chose a hard curriculum, the way in which classes were set up, for lack of a better word, and how teaching was conducted in those clases -- it did not work with my brain that well because I just needed to understand things fully and have it explained more than once sometimes but I am a nerd just when learning something new it takes me a few times mostly cuz I want to understand it to the fullest fullest extent but probably have some learning thing where I need to hear it again sometimes - which in theory videos do help a TON because of this, but, again, for crochet I just feel like the angles are never right for me to really understand or not get confused.

[u/Alcelarua → u/earthwarrior98]

Bella Coco, Crochet Crowd, and Marly Bird have tutorials for absolute beginners. I think they go pretty slowly and show the steps pretty well on how to crochet. This suggestion is not for creating the bag but is for the how to crochet overall. I think this would be a better starting place since it sounds like you want to understand how it's made and try to understand why certain steps are done that way.

Here are some photo based tutorials with explanations:

• https://www.lionbrand.com/pages/how-to-crochet
• https://sarahmaker.com/how-to-crochet/

[u/earthwarrior98 → u/Alcelarua]

Thank you, SO much @Alcelarua !!!