What Age Did You Start Crocheting?

By Rachel Choi – 109 Comments
Have you ever gotten tired of the stereotype that only old ladies in rocking chairs crochet?

Well, I am! Although I think most stereotypes have some truth behind it. Old ladies in rocking chairs do crochet, but I bet most of them learned when they were young. In my opinion, crocheting is a hobby that is timeless and once you learn it, it sticks with you for a long time. Maybe that is why lots of people think that it’s an old lady’s sport.

I learned to crochet sometime in middle school. I’m not exactly sure what my age was, but I’m going to guess I was around 10 years old, give or take a year or 2. I don’t think a 10 year old is considered an old lady.

women crocheting

Now, lets prove this stereotype wrong once and for all! What age did you start to crochet?

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109 Comments

  1. klutzymama says:

    My mamaw taught me to crochet when I was 28. I wish I would have learned MUCH sooner. I love it, it’s so relaxing and there’s nothing better to do on a cold winter’s day…well, besides maybe curling up with a good book.

  2. Rachel says:

    When I was around….. 8 or 9!

  3. Stacey says:

    I learned how to chain stitch last October. After a year of crocheting hiatus, my friend taught me how to make simple Irish roses during her brief Thanksgiving weekend visit and since then I have quickly learned the jargon, different stitches, and hip things to make. I found your site and love it… in fact, I wrote a blog post about what I was doing and linked to your site as one of my fav’s. lol I’ve made a bath scrunchie and am working on a skullcap beanie too.

    Hi, my name is Stacey and I started crocheting at the age of 34. (After numerous failed attempts to teach a “lefty” by my Grandma M and Great Aunt Irene.)

    ~Stacey

  4. Kate says:

    I learned this summer, aged 22!

  5. Diane says:

    I learned to crochet when I was 9 or 10 and have been at it now for 40 years. I am nearly that old lady in a rocking chair! LOL I love crochet along with lots of other handwork.
    Have a Blessed Day!

  6. Melanie says:

    At 23.

  7. Nathan says:

    My Great-Grandma Katie taught me how to crochet when I was between the ages of 6 and 8. I have the blanket and matching pillow she made me when I was about that age, it’s a large orange-yellow-and-brown granny square blanket. I cherish it.

  8. Barb says:

    I taught myself when I was 18 or 19 back in the early 1970s. If I remember correctly, I wanted a granny square pullover vest.

  9. Bananas says:

    my mommie tried to teach me when I was 10 or so and I hated it. but about 4 years ago I started again and I’ve been crocheting ever since

  10. Jacqui says:

    I taught myself to crochet at the age of 21 when I was expecting my first child so I could crochet baby blankets.

    I am now 58 and love to crochet, especially Amigurumi for my grandchildren!

  11. Sandra says:

    I’m fairly new to crocheting, I started around 19 or so, I took a crochet class and learnt the basics, now I’m 25 and I just love it, it’s a great hobby.

  12. Charlotte says:

    I was 13 or 14, and am now 35.

  13. treva says:

    I taught myself out of a book when i was 22, and now I’m 51. I love to crochet, it keeps my hands busy and my fingers nimble- with arthritis they need to keep moving. I just love to grab a few skeins and make afghans or baby booties where i don’t have to think too much the pattern.

  14. I think I was 6 when I first learned to use a crochet hook to make endless chains! LOL! And then I was in 5th grade (so about 10 or 11) when I learned to make a granny square… and I haven’t stopped since! (That was 30-some years ago!)

  15. Lauren says:

    I just learnt to crotchet recently, so 18! 😀 I hate it when people assuming knitting/crotcheting is just for old people ¬_¬ They take back that opinion when I show them the cool stuff I make!

  16. Kim says:

    I started crocheting when a neighbor taught me how. My mom has known but she is a “lefty” and I’m right-handed so that would have been horrible.
    Anyhow…I saw my friend’s mom crocheting and I was “hooked” (no pun intended) from then on.
    I have gone in and out of the hobby. But I can honestly say I LOVE it!!!!

  17. Kim says:

    Oops! I also meant to say I was 10 when I learned….

  18. Chele says:

    I believe my mom taught me how to make a chain when I was about 9 or 10. I can’t remember if she taught me any other stitches. Then when I was in my mid-twenties an older lady taught me how to do some other stitches. I made two twin-sized blankets. One is on my bed now. Since then I’ve brought my friends along on the crocheting caravan – and it all started because of wanting to make dishcloths for this Christmas.

    Rachel ~ I discovered your site last week while doing a Google search on “crochet” and immediately knew your site was going to be a great resource for me and my above mentioned friends. I was asked to teach a small group of ladies the basics of crochet – slip stitch, chain, single stitch – by using your simple directions and excellent pictures I was able to teach these moms a new skill they will be able to pass on to their daughters and others. It has been amazing how much I learned from your site. Thank you for having the pictures and making them for lefties too. Merry Christmas!!!

  19. claire Griffiths says:

    I was showed how by friends,but I really learned by taking classes back in 2002. I could read the patterns but have had trouble getting the project to look like the pattern. But this website has been a big help to me. I started at 12,then 30,then 45;now 52

  20. Lane† says:

    One of my best friends Mom taught me when I was 11 or 12. I enjoy it VERY much!

  21. Trish says:

    I learned to crochet starting just last October. I was going to create Christmas ornaments for all my family. While we were in the craft store I found a pattern for a cute fuzzy toy and I wanted to make it — but I didn’t know how to crochet. We picked up a ball of yarn and an instruction book and I made my first scarf that same weekend. However, I really started when I was younger. I could do the best chains ever. That’s all I could do though. Now I have made a hat, a coin pouch, face cleaning packets, and I’m on my way to making a blanket. It’s been awesome to learn how to do this, and I’m 30 years old!

  22. Melanie says:

    I just learned two weeks ago…at age 38 and I love it. My grandmother had taught me when I was younger, probably 8 or 9 but I never got past a simple chain. I asked my neighbor to teach me two weeks ago and now I am 100% addicted, I can’t wait to get home and try something new. Both of my sons showed interest in what mom was doing, my 12 year old will be making your flower bookmarks for his teachers for Christmas, we’re going to get the yarn tonight! My 9 year old is stuck in “chain mode” but I’ll keep working on him!

    Your site is wonderful, I check it out everyday! Keep up the WONDERFUL work!

  23. Evelyn says:

    my mom taught me when i was 4 and ive been crocheting ever since!!!!

  24. Melina says:

    Actually, when I was 20.. and knitting when I was 12, I’m still overwhelmed because I’ve never thought I’d find crochet sites or blogs on the internet… I mean, yeah, I thought it was only for certain people who have the patience and time and skills… but I was wrong 🙂

  25. Daniela says:

    I was about 10 or 11. I’m 18 now. My high school friends used to laugh but they ask me to make them stuff all the time!

  26. Andy says:

    I am currently 11 years old and I love knitting and crochet! I learnt to knit and crochet when I was 9. I really HATE it when I take my work into school and I get called “Grandma”. Ha! Anyone can knit or crochet!

  27. Hannah Truelson says:

    Hey Andy!! im 11 too, and just learned to crochet and loom knit, my friends and I do it at school all the time, and get called grandmas. but it’s soooooo worth it!!!! i’ve made gifts for all my friends and family this Christmas.

  28. Chika Montes says:

    I just started this year! I’m 22 too.

  29. iNa says:

    I learned how to crochet when I was 8. It was my cousin who taught me how. And she was just in her early 20s then. After teaching me the basic things that I should know, I taught myself other techniques. ^^

  30. Rachael says:

    My nanny (grandma) taught me how to crochet when I was 11. But I never completed a project until I was 17, I made a scarf. my sister is 12 now and she learned last year. (she’s much better at it than I am but she doesn’t have the patience for it yet)

  31. Rachael says:

    by the way now I’m 19 so I am definately not an old lady! and my friends BEG me to make them stuff all the time.

  32. Cathy says:

    I was 9 years old when a friend of my mom taught me how to crochet and I am 47 now. I love to crochet from patterns because it’s more of a challenge. My mom knitted and I have tried to learn how to knit but have a brain block or something and just can’t seem to get it.
    But I have a question for all of you. Have you taught any one to crochet yet? I have passed this on to my daughter and law, my niece and a friend and at the moment trying to teach my 15 yr old son. Hey guys can do it too.

  33. Mercel Ann says:

    Hi Rachel! I taught myself to crochet just last year when I was 25. I immediately fell in love with crochet and it has become my favorite hobby.

  34. Kathy says:

    I began Knitting @ 8. Learned to crochet @ 11,but just basic crochet stitches. I learned to read patterns and make fancier things when I was in my 40’s. I prefer crochet to Knit.

  35. Amber says:

    I began crocheting this year, I am 19. I love your patterns and would love to see some instructional videos from you too!!

  36. Judith says:

    I’m so glad to see so many other crocheters out there. I’ve been crocheting and knitting since I was about 6. My mother taught me how to do both and I come from a long line of yarn crafters on both sides. And now my girls (ages 7 and 8) are learning to crochet and knit. I am proud to say we have not skipped a generation yet. I never did much with either until a couple of years ago. Now I have a few projects on the go constantly.

    I agree with you, Rachel, the reason grandmas in rocking chairs knit is because they have been knitting since they were the age of my girls.

    Way to go, Hannah and Andy, for being brave enough to take your work to school! Maybe you will start a new trend? LOL

  37. Judith says:

    hmmm … that was supposed to say (ages 7 & 8). Not sure where that smiley face came from.

  38. Erin says:

    I was around eight years old when I learned to crochet. I learned to knit around age 25 – I was so happy crocheting I was hesitant to put down my hook. I attend a needlework night in my hometown – and I’m the youngest person there at 29 which is both interesting and sad. I wish younger people would learn the art – they’d enjoy it!

  39. Donna A. says:

    I was 8 or 9 when my grandmother taught me to crochet. I taught my daughter at around the same age. I never thought about it when I was younger but watching myself and my daughter ‘perfect’ our craft, I realize it teaches alot of good values needed in life, such as patience and persistence. My daughter also loves the expressions on adults faces when they open her gift of a baby blanket and exclaim ” you made this!”

  40. Coco says:

    I learned how to crochet when I was in high school. I made all of my friends scarfs… and I would see how long I could possibly make a scarf and still wear it. I still have like a 30 ft. scarf somewhere lol! I am 25 and just started a crochet circle with my friends. I am definitely not a grandma!

  41. Lisa Baker Kail says:

    I have been crocheting since I was about 8. I learned out to make a Granny Square afghan but I finally have learned how to read a pattern/instructions.

  42. Jeanne M. Sprague says:

    I started crocheting when I was 8 or 9 years old. I have been crocheting for 46+ years.

  43. Lizzy says:

    I started crocheting in high school when I asked a friend to teach me. I’m now just out of college and crocheting nearly every day! Now I teach my friends who ask me how to do it after seeing all the neat things I make and give as gifts. I’ve even been known to take my crocheting with me to friend’s houses, school, and other unlikely places to see a young lady crocheting.

    My most recent adventure was rather fun though, I had a “crocheting party” where a bunch of ladies came over to my house with goodies and their yarn and hooks! Those who didn’t know how to crochet got introduced to it by me, those who did brought their projects, and we shared patterns, stories, and lots of wonderful ideas! And this party was full with ladies from ages 18 up to mid 40’s! Certainly not an old lady thing!

  44. Erma says:

    My sixth grade Spanish teacher taught me to sc one morning before school. After that I was “hooked” and have been crocheting every day for the past 40 years!! Thank you Seniorita Gonzales.

  45. Mayra says:

    I started @ 11 yrs old…and I always was made fun of…but now those who made fun of me back then ….want to learn.

  46. Gloria says:

    I was taught by mt grandma whenI was 7, I am now 38 and have been crocheting all this time. I really enjoy it. It is very relaxing and I love to make unique items.

  47. Joanne says:

    I learned to crochet when I was 18, out of high school and in my first job at an insurance
    company. It was located in a major city with lots of traffic and where I worked if you didn’t
    get there early enough (6AM even though I started at 8) you had to walk almost a mile or more
    from the other parking lots. Many women in my department came early and brought their
    knitting and crocheting. I watched them for awhile and one day asked if they would teach me.
    Boy!!! I had six women with different ways of holding the yarn and hook fight over teaching me,
    It was very fun but frustrating at first because it wanted to know everything yesterday!! My
    first project was a block vest and my friend Dora showed me how to do it. I went home and worked on it all weekend. It kept getting wider and wider till it was 6′!! When I showed Dora on
    Monday and asked her how that was supposed to fit when it was that wide she almost had a
    stroke!! She blamed herself because I had unknowingly increased one block at the end of each
    row. She felt so bad she brought it home and unraveled it herself and made a ball of yarn because she felt it would be too traumatic for me!! I learned to do it right of course and was none
    the wear for it!! Crocheting is my passion and my sanity!!

  48. Darlene says:

    I begged my mother to teach me to crochet when I was 15. I’m 71 now so I have a few years of crocheting behind me. I’m proud to say that thanks to the internet I’m still learning new stitches or how to do an old stitch better!

  49. Carmel says:

    I just started a few months ago, at 31 years old. I have always been a pretty crafty person but I was searching for my niche, my muse, and I found it when I took home a book and hook from Walmart. I have made and am still making several gifts this year. In the last few weeks several people have asked me to teach them. I like the idea of a crocheting party for this! 🙂

  50. Gisenald says:

    I learn to crochet in my late 20’s. it was a co-worker who thaught me, She would be surprise to see the gift she had given me. J. Benigno , God bless you, and Thanks a million.

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