Left handed knitters

Effie · Post by **Effie** » 18 Feb 2009, 22:27

I know a few people have mentioned wishing they had learnt skills or kept them going from when they were younger. My sister -in -law is really creative and crafty. She is also left handed. She says she her mum couldn't teach her to knit because of this.

I have had a little go doing everything back to front, but I'm not sure if this is what left handers do. I was wondering, are there any left handed knitters out there who can shed some light on this?

Thanks, Effie

Post by **wendy** » 18 Feb 2009, 23:10

I wouldn't even know where to start
Wendy

seahorse · Post by **seahorse** » 19 Feb 2009, 09:24

I am one of those , and my mum couldnt teach me either! I have been shown the basics of knitting by different people and have come up with my own technique. The real trouble I have is not being able to read patterns, so I learnt how to add stitches and take them away.
I can make scarves, knitted animals, and hats.
I cant hold both pins up to knit , so one is firmly stood on my belly whilst I knit around it with the other pin (not easy to explain). It works quite well and I can knit quite quickly now. I think you can look up sites on google video for lefthanded stuff. I recently looked up lefthanded writing, and it explained so much as to why we do what we do. I had never analysed myself before. All the beatings at school for untidy work were so un necessary. I am in the middle of getting a harp to learn to play, I am hoping that I will be able to do that left handed too, as I'm not sure if the music will be written down the wrong way. I wondered why my accordion playing didnt match up to the tunes in the teaching book, I then realised that I was holding the thing upside down!! :shock:

Good luck anyway, you will find your own way of doing things.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » 19 Feb 2009, 12:36

i am left handed
i always
sit opposite the person teaching me
that way you are looking at them
the wrong way
well its the right way
if you know what i mean

Post by **wendy** » 19 Feb 2009, 12:53

Does that mean you can knit Dave ??

bluebell · Post by **bluebell** » 19 Feb 2009, 14:12

Will that lad's talents never end. :-D

Post by **wendy** » 19 Feb 2009, 16:35

He is my hero, you know !

Effie · Post by **Effie** » 19 Feb 2009, 17:47

I had a brain injury (explains a lot) which left me paralised on my right hand side. Whilst I got going again, I got very good at using my left hand for writing but it was always mirror writing, that's why I thought I'd be able to do it both ways to teach my sister in law.

Can you clarify, Seahorse, which side the loose thread is on when you knit? I had expected that patterns would need to be followed in reverse but I can read the patterns easily so I could just re-write them.

)ot:

My son is a left hander, but he picks and chooses which hand he uses for most things apart from writing, right hand bat, guitar the right way round and uses the mouse like the rest of the family.

I've never thought to look on the net for info - I did ask the health visitor when he was 18 months old what I should do differently for him as he was left handed, she laughed and said children don't have a dominant hand until they are past 3 years old. It was shortly after this that I stopped asking her for any sort of advice because it was clear me and mine weren't compatible with her training

Dave · Post by **Dave** » 20 Feb 2009, 18:57

wendy wrote:Does that mean you can knit Dave ??

yes i can actually :shock:

and i can do that cotton reel thing
when you get the long thingy thing coming out of the bottom

ma larkin · Post by **ma larkin** » 23 Feb 2009, 19:39

I am left handed, and my mum could not teach me how to knit! Anyway, I can knit, but can't remember who taught me, and it was only a little while I go that somebody pointed out that I knit right handed!

I taught myself how to crochet a few years ago, but I have no idea if I do it left handed or right handed. Very confusing

Effie · Post by **Effie** » 23 Feb 2009, 21:06

I taught myself how to crochet a few years ago, but I have no idea if I do it left handed or right handed

I think right handed crochet would mean the hook is in your right hand and the thread is in your left - which is sort of opposite to right handed knitting where the thread is on the right :shock:

Meg · Post by **Meg** » 01 Mar 2009, 21:56

That's called french knitting Dave, I can remember doing that as a kid too :-D

Left handed crocheters hold the hook in their left hand..I am one of them :-D

Although I had to buy myself a book that taught me how to crochet left handed because everybody else did it right handed so couldn't teach me :shock:

Effie · Post by **Effie** » 01 Mar 2009, 22:20

Do you knit, too, Meg?

Evie · Post by **Evie** » 01 Mar 2009, 23:16

Effie I am left handed and I know its difficult to teach anyone who is. Try sitting opposite them, that usually works.

Evie

Meg · Post by **Meg** » 02 Mar 2009, 14:21

Yes I can knit Effie but I haven't done it for some years. My Mum used to be an avid knitter and taught me as a child. As an adult I knitted mainly arran jumpers. I thoroughly enjoy doing them..if it hasn't got a cable stitch in the pattern I get bored :-D

Mmmm got me thinking again now about knitting...no,nono, I have too many hobbies as it is :shock: