Any tips?

Allaya, I'm left-handed, but learned to knit and crochet right-handed at age six. One of my left-handed cousins TRIED to learn left-handed by my aunt using the mirror-image (sitting across from one another) technique, but gave up till my mom taught HER right-handed as well. HTH, Noreen

I'm left-handed and when my right-handed teacher decided to teach me to knit, I told her I'm left-handed. She said it doesn't matter. It wasn't a problem for me to learn. Crochet, otoh, was a pain in the butt to try to learn from a right-handed person. I gave up until I was 19 and sat down with a hook, ball of yarn, and instructional pamphlet and figured it out for myself. For me, thought, it could've been a matter of age and maturity. I was 16 when I learned to knit, but only 7 when trying to learn to crochet from others. I'd say tell your student just to give it a try your way. I bet she'll get it. ~Peggy

I'm not much of a knitter and never taught someone left handed...but I did teach my best friend to crochet left-handed. She already had a bit of an idea of how to do it, and I just sat across from her and she mirrored my movements and had no problem crocheting left handed.

~Kristen

Peggy wrote:

Allaya

I am a leftie and I knit and crochet right-handed. My mom taught me to knit and she's right-handed and my sister taught me to crochet and she's a leftie but crochets right-handed.

Darlene in Toronto

Hi,

I'm another leftie who knits and crochets right handed. My Mom just wasn't able to teach me so I had to learn her way, LOL. I started knitting at age 16 and crocheting at 25.

Hugs,

Nora

As a lefty, I second all opinions here that say, "Teach them right-handed" at least when it comes to knitting. As for crochet, I picked it up (not being taught, just watching) by sitting across from a right-handed crochet-er.

JJMolvik

I know this has come up in the past, but I was wondering if you experienced knitters would be able to help me teach knitting to a left handed person?

Allaya

Hi Allaya,

Instead of knitting, why not show that 13 year old how to hold a crochet hook. Maybe holding two needles and the yarn is just to hard for her to grasp now. I know even at age 16 it was a bit difficult to get used to knitting, but I finally learned with a lot of patience from Mom.

Hugs,

Nora

There is a 10-year old girl who has started coming to one of my LYS's social circles and is getting knitting lessons from somewhere there. She seemed to be struggling the first week but something must have clicked because she has been knitting up a storm every since! They started her on big fat circular needles for a hat.

LauraJ

Thanks for all your advice...I never thought of it that way, but I guess it really does make sense to learn "right handed"...I never thought of the implications of having to translate patterns to knit "left handed." Also, now that I think about it, you guys are right...it really doesn't matter, does it? LOL I suppose "handedness" for knitting is just a state of mind.

I also found the comment about age interesting. Out of curiosity, what do you think is the earliest one can teach knitting to somebody? I know some of you were knitting at age three...and I totally believe you, but I know very few three year olds who are coordinated enough to do anything like that. Shoot, some of the ones I know are still struggling with forks and spoons! hehehehe

The reason I ask is that there was a girl in my first Knitting I class who just had the hardest time picking it up. At first, I thought it was because she was left handed and it was difficult for her to translate the motions. But then I found out she was 13 years old and maybe she was not very good with fine motor movements...I noticed her really struggling with even holding the yarn.

I'm not really sure when these things are supposed to "develop," so I'm wondering what your past experiences have told you? Do any of you think that there's such a thing as somebody who just is too uncoordinated (at any age) to teach something like Knitting?

Thanks also for your comments with crochet...I will be teaching some crochet classes, and from what I've read, handedness is very important...I'll keep this in mind.

Thanks for your input! I appreciate your help

Allaya

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Hi, Allaya! I learned both knitting and crocheting at six. Some 'experts' say age seven is optimal, some say five.... Kelley (DD#2) was ready for crochet at age 8.... I really think it depends on the person, and the mindset.... after all, I've known some people who were more mature at 15-17 than some 35 year olds, LOL! HTH, Noreen

So true, so true! hehehehe...some people (read: men in particular) never grow up! :D

I unfortunately teach group classes that people sign up for in advance at a local JoAnn store. I would gladly teach that particular girl to crochet, but she signed up for knitting, and with my time constraints, I just couldn't take the time to teach her a completely different lesson. :( I will consider that in the future though...if I see somebody struggling that much I'll suggest they try crochet first.

The other down side to teaching classes like this is that I really have no say as to what projects my students work on, since there is a set cirriculum. It's a bummer, I know, but I'm making some headway...I've convinced the education coordinator that there needs to be a "special" class added on knitting socks on two circular needles. :)

Thanks for all your help, ladies! I really learned a lot

Allaya

There's a CD-Rom out by Coats called Knitting Made Easy that explains it all pretty clearly. I have watched it step-by-step and it's helped a lot. I'm another southpaw who has struggled over and over trying to figure it out, and for once I think I can finally get the hang of it all. They've also got one called Crochet Made Easy. Same thing. You can watch the videos in left-handed or right.

My granddaughter is left handed, and I taught her exactly as I would a right handed person! Maggie