Getting to grips with Broomstick Crochet…

The next crochet technique I need to learn as part of the crochet course I’m doing is Broomstick Crochet. I have never tried this technique before (and I hadn’t really ever heard of it either) so it was a completely new skill for me to learn from scratch. The technique was traditionally worked using a broomstick handle to create the large loops, hence the term ‘Broomstick’. Nowadays we have very large knitting needles that we can use to create the loops instead.

Now, I have to admit I have found it a tricky technique to master. I have struggled to find a comfortable position in which to hold the large knitting needle. I have a 20mm wooden knitting needle and above  you can see my first attempt using 4ply cotton and a 3.5mm crochet hook.

Then on to my second attempt…

Not entirely happy with this finished sample (and I restarted it numerous times!) I tried again, this time using a thicker Aran weight yarn and a 5.5mm hook…

A little happier with this result but not 100% satisfied I succumbed to YouTube videos for tips. This always leads to further confusion as each video I watched had different instructions, suggestions and advice. So I tried to pick the best of them all, plus the crochet books and a magazine I had to read up on the technique, and I produced my final sample…

This one I’m happy with and I’ll be submitting it later this week. I went back to a 4 ply yarn but used a wool instead of cotton which seemed to produce a neater result (or maybe I was just starting to get the hang of it!)

Have any of you tried Broomstick crochet and how did you get on? Any advice or suggestions gratefully received!

Happy crocheting Everyone 🙂