Do you recognize these hands?
Supergirl learned how to knit this afternoon. It actually took about five minutes for her to get it and off she went. The only problem is that she’s a lefty. If you look through the pictures you can see she wants to do everything with her left hand. Advice please? Any other moms out there with lefty kiddos or just left-handed knitters in general? What do you do? She seems to be able to do it, but I just want to do the *proper* thing. And I know. There really isn’t a right and wrong way if it works. I just don’t want to pay the therapy bills later. “I really wanted to knit like my mom but she taught me how to knit with my right hand when she knew I was left-handed. I wasn’t able to do it very well which made me feel like a failure. It truly changed me as a person when I couldn’t master knitting….” Can’t you see that!??! Oh okay, I know I’m being overly dramatic but I would like to know what most left-handed people do. I read somewhere that lots of left-handed people actually still knit with their right-hands? I mean, look how damn cute she is. I don’t want to mess with her knitting mojo.
I really look forward to see what y’all think. If you think I should teach her left-handed knitting I will find someone to teach her. She is patiently waiting for me to help her right now. She wants to make a whole scarf tonight to put on her pig. Actually, she wanted to start with a hat. Then she said socks. Hey, aim high sister!
92 Comments
Scout…what I tell people who say I can’t knit because I’m left handed is…with knitting you use both hands it’s not a “right handed” activity. Can you teach her to knit continental? That way she’s not throwing the yarn with her right hand and the left hand feels like it’s doing something! I once taught a left-hander by having her sit in front of me as I was knitting!
I would say continental, if you need to. But Robin has a point; often both hands are involved. My right hand is more involved because I do throw the yarn, but I certainly couldn’t knit without my left hand (how awkward would that me? OMG BIONIC KNITTING). I think she’ll be fine… just find a way she’s comfy holding the yarn, and go from there.
It will honestly depend on what is comfortable for her. I’m a lefty and learned how to crochet left handed. Now that I knit, I tension in my right hand because that’s what has been comfortable for me. Show her both ways and le her get the rest on comfort. Learning a new skill is hard no matter if it is a left handed, right handed, or both handed (likekitting( skill. :o) Good luck!
Woo hoo! Welcome to the fold, SuperGirl!!
Love the happy, eager look on her face.
When I used to teach lefties how to cross stitch I sat in front of them and they mirrored me. That way their dominant hand was across from my dominant hand. It seemed to work well, maybe try this?
One of us!
She’s so cute. No advice here. I know I knit the wrong way, but it works for me. :p
She looks so happy doing that! I’m a lefty and learned how to knit just like everyone else. I think that it’s a 2-handed thing so maybe it’s just awkward since she’s just learning? I think that since most knitting related things are taught for right handed - moving stitches from left needle to right, you should just teach her that way. That way, when she’s going to learn things on her own, from books or patterns, she’ll just do it the way the books and patterns show instead of trying to convert it to left handed knitting. Hope this helps!
I’ll teach her to knit Continental. I’m always looking for
someone else to join my side.
I only know about a left handed crocheter. My partner Deb learned to crochet by sitting exactly opposite of me and mirroring my movements. It seems to have worked. She not yet expressed an interest to move on to knitting.
~Suz~
Yay for starting knitters early. She’s too cute.
I teach knitting and taught myself to knit both right and left handed, as well as to both pick and to throw yarn. That way, I can help my students knit whatever way feels most comfortable for them because it’s all about the love of the craft. If it is made to feel even more awkward because you’re working against natural abilities, the knitting mojo just won’t be there. I, too, will sit across from a south paw to let them mirror, if it seems to be easier for the student. Flexibility is key. There will be time later to refine skills. Right now it’s all about the fun! BTW, my DD#3 is a lefty and she’s knitting right handed - for now.
Aww, how cute is that. I don’t have any advice, but I guess I’d do what is the most comfortable for her. I can’t wait to see her scarf or hat for her pig!
So what happens when she wants to knit lace? Or with non-purple yarn? *GASP!*
I would also recommend continental, which is the way I was taught when I was only slightly older than S-girl. I am right handed even, but my left hand ends up doing a lot of the work, which would probably feel natural to her.
My mom taught hundreds of people to knit over the years and she told me there is no such thing as left handed/right handed
knitting. It is a left-right brain activity and that is it. I have been working at teaching my lefty daughter…and so far I am
working on teaching her to throw…but she can already see that I knit differently (continental) and wants nothing to do with
throwing the yarn.
Damion is a lefty and he knits just fine with his right hand.
I love when kids knit. They have such great vision.
I’m a lefty and I knit left handed. I throw the yarn and cannot for the life of me knit continental. So do what’s comfortable and let her just go with it.
I am also a South paw. I knit “right handed” and throw the yarn; despite being hopelessly left handed in all other aspects of life, I cannot knit continental to save my soul. I completely agree that knitting is a two handed activity, and as such helps us integrate both halves of our brains. Show/have someone show her continental and let her figure out which one is most comfortable/”natural” feeling after some practice.
she looks like natural! I taught a friend of mine who is left handed, but she knits just like me. I think they just end up getting it…………you go girl!
My Mother is a lefty, and she knits right handed. She learned as a child from her right handed Mom. Wait….NOW I know what’s wrong with her.
Way to go Supergirl! I’m a righty so I really don’t have any advice on lefty knitting. I do have to agree with everyone else who’s posted about knitting being a two handed activity. I can’t imagine trying to knit with one hand….wonder if anyone has done it? I’m sure there are people who’ll say I knit wrong. I really don’t think there’s a right way or wrong way to knit….go with what’s natural and makes you happy. If Supergirl is having fun knitting and is truly happy with the way her knitting is turning out then nothing else matters.
AWW! It’s like our kids have some hive mind going on. For the past few days, Bells has been trying to knit…
Take the advice of all the leftys who chimed in…
And put a few bucks in the thearapy jar.
All I know is that she is adorable. I can say, that as a violist (much like a violinist), some things just are the way that they are. There is no left handed way to play the violin, and my thought is that it’s the same with knitting. If she can knit, she can knit.
Congrats on the new knitter! I would say, if she’s happy doing it with her right hand, that’s great. Otherwise, I agree that Continental is the way to go.
AWESOME! Congratulate her for me. My granddaughter knows how to knit (she’s
but doesn’t like it much.
I still have hopes for the five year old.
How old is your daughter? My soon-to-be 5 year old has been begging me to teach her how to knit as well. I would hope your daughter has cool leftovers to knit with
Yay for SG! (pssst…hide yer stash…) ;o)
Too sweet! I say whatever works and just enjoy it together. I learned to knit from a lefty mom and it never mattered that I knit differently than she does, I just thought it was cool that I could knit some thing.
I would see if you can teach her continental, which shifts the focus away from the right hand a bit. She is AWFULLY cute.
Absolutely adorable pictures! I’ve no sage words for teaching a lefty, but it sounds like some great advice has been offered up by others.
And on a side note, as parents it is our duty to find new ways to really mess our kids up for therapy in later years. If everybody was well
adjusted then an entire career field would be eliminated:)
I am a lefty and I knit from left to right. I learned by sitting across from my instructor. I probably could knit right handed, but it feels too weird. Just have her sit across from you and mirror your movements.
I’m with the others who say that knitting requires the use both hands, so there’s not really a left- or right-hand way of doing it. She may prefer to hold the yarn in her left hand, but that’s certainly no sin. I am right handed, but I think that because I learned to crochet first the yarn just wanted to be in my left hand - my mom actually stopped teaching me knitting because she said I was doing it backwards. Then when I picked it up again (20+ years later), I was delighted to learn that lots of people hold the yarn in their left hands, just like me. So there you go. Lefties still manage to make words from left to right, so I think that knitting from left to right ought to translate as well.
Don’t teach her to knit left-handed, and this is coming from a lefty (who can’t knit continental to save her life, either). What’s the point of learning it lefthanded when it means you’re going to have to modify every pattern? Just let her do whatever feels natural to her.
Another thing is, I may knit right to left and throw, but my left hand still ends up doing most of the work, because it’s always the one that gets sore after too much knitting. I couldn’t imagine how much worse it’d be if I was knitting left to right and picking.
Too cute! I say let her do it however it feels right. Let’s face it, we all adapt things to our own styles, why not teach her early to be a thinking knitter? Maybe she’ll take over Mom’s business someday and it’ll be Supergirl’s Swag!
Nice to see another generation coming into the fold. The big vogue knitting book has instructions specifically for lefties. And as an aside, I learned to knit with my right hand years ago and then switched to continental after I made a pair of mittens that required me to switch yarn every two stitches. In the end, what ever works for her is best.
She looks like a pro already…and she has ready access to all that superyummy swag first hand! Don’t really have advice as I’m a righty but instinctively I’d say if she’s comfortable and enjoys it let he knit on.
I taught a lefty friend to knit by trying to knit left handed - I had to think a little harder which wasn’t all bad because it slowed me down. I learned knitting left handed was like knitting backwards - like in stockinette, I wouldn’t have to purl? I didn’t stick with backwards knitting but lucky for my my lefty friend did:)
It’s so cool to see SG knitting. I am right-handed but I taught my future sister-in-law to knit about 1 1/2 years ago. She is left-handed. We started first with the English style, but it was a bit awkward for her. So I taught myself continental and then taught her. She’s much more comfortable with continental, although she can knit English, because she feels like she’s doing more with her left hand. I think the best is to show SG both and let her decide what’s more comfortable. “Backwards” knitting/left-handed knitting is another idea, but when she wants to read patterns, she’ll need another skill - how to interpret the directions for her style (e.g. increases and decreases).
I’m so excited for her! Yeh! I taught my husband, who is left handed, to knit right handed. He did just fine other than I actually had to cut his knitting off the needles because it was so tight! My good friend is left handed and she knits continental. I think that would be the best thing for her.
I have a couple of left handed friends that I taught to knit and crochet. One of them insisted on doing it “right handed” even though she really wasn’t comfortable and she ended up quitting. The others I taught by sitting opposite them and they knit and crochet left handed. One of them uses continental the other throws. I’m happy to say that they are still knitting and crocheting! The only advise I’d give is to let supergirl decide what she is most comfortable with and runw ith it! Hooray for new knitters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t have much to add at this point — I am right-handed, was taught to throw, and taught myself Continental about ten years ago. I knit Continental by preference but can do either, and I do both (one yarn per hand) for stranded knitting. (For minimal intarsia like your socks I do the main color Continental and the other color(s) right-handed.) Like everyone else I would say she should choose whichever standard method works best for her. If she learns mirror image she may have trouble translating when she needs help or learns a new technique.
Very cool! Mine has been bugging me to teach her and I think she’s ready…just need to find something to occupy the other two while she works out the knitting. I’d say that if she got it and is enjoying, let it be.
Hooray for Supergirl and for new knitters!! So cute. She looks like she is really enjoying it. I think the mirroring is the easiest way if you aren’t a lefty, but if she’s got it and is comfortable, maybe the way she’s doing it is best.
I, too, am a lefty with a mom who knits. About 10 years ago, Mom tried to teach me. For some reason, my knitting came out like a simple crochet chain (which was also something I wanted to learn, just not at that time…..).
A few years later, I am a fairly advanced knitter. Unfortunately, I’m told I knit “like an Italian grandmother”. I have this weird way to hold my needles, where one always gets anchored in my armpit, thereby leaving one hand “relatively free”. I haven’t ever seen anyone else do this, and have no idea how I developed my own “technique”, but it works, and thats what counts.
Really, lefties are special people. you can show us a million times the right way todo something, but we will always find a way to do it the “right” way for us. Less coordination/strength in the right hand leads to some innovative tricks that we don’t ever see as unusual until pointed out.
Supergirl will get it right — justgive her some time to get comfortable.
(but I will never forget my first attempt at knittingwhen I turned out a nice crochet single chain) Ha
Oh she is so cute, I agree with the others, see what’s the most comfortable for her.
i’m left handed and i knit right.
i agree with what someone was sayign about teaching her continental.
and just remind her the she needs to hold the needles, yarn, whatever in a way that feels comfortable
to her.
yeah–another knitter!!
my daughter is 4 and i can’t wait to teach her.
Good for her!!! She looks so cute with her knitting. I bet she’ll work her way up to socks pretty fast.
Super cute! I’m so proud of her.
I’m a leftie, taught myself how to knit just a few years ago. I tried throwing my yarn for a while, but it was too exhausting for my “weak” and uncoordinated right hand. It also took me an entire project of struggling with every stitch to realize that I was doing all of my stitches backwards (i.e. through back loops)! Once I learned the marvels of continental knitting, I was off and running.
I think most lefties find continental easier because it does rely more heavily on the left hand, but it really is a two-handed hobby.
Congrats to her, and to you for having a new knitting pal.
Go, SG!!! Maddie keeps telling me she wants to crochet, but she doesn’t quite have the patience yet (I don’t either). She did do a very little Nifty Knitting yesterday. Can’t wait to see Supergirl’s first project.
I can’t help with the left hand issue, but give her a high five from me! So cool!
Go SG!!
Yay Super Girl! My little one (about Super Girl’s age) is left handed too.
Sometimes she just does things right handed if that’s how she’s been taught and
has no problem with it. If SG is ok with knitting the way you have shown her
I say leave her to it.
I’m right handed, but I would teach her continential. I just had to learn continential so I could do stranded knitting. If she can throw with her right and picks with her left, when it is time for her to advance, she will be fully-equipped!
What a wonderful thing for you and SG to share! My mom taught me to knit, embroider, weave, and she tried to teach me crochet but I never got the hang of it, I still want to learn though. I say give her the foundation and let her create her own method, sometimes kid can teach parents in return.
Congrats to Supergirl!!!
bahahaha a scarf for her pig. i love that. i don’t have any advice, except if it looks like she’s able to knit the way you teach her, then what’s the problem? one day if she’s still knitting, she’ll develop her own method — without therapy because she’ll have a solid foundation, thanks to mom.
How precious is that?My daughter wants me to teach her but neither of us has the patience right now.Her being pubescent and me being post hysterectomy.Lovely hormones! Oh well-Supergirl is just adorable.I’m with you-aim high girl!You could be knitting your Mom a sweater by next Christmas!That would totally rock!
I agree with everyone’s comments so far. If you teach her how to knit both styles, she’ll surpass everyone eventually and have a huge advantage for the rest of her life. When she’s our age, she’ll be thanking you for it.
My Mom taught me to knit when I was about 8. I remember sitting on the floor at her knee while she sat on the couch. She’d bought me a kit that included white bulky or chunky yarn, large (about size 15) yellow wooden needles with red knobs on the end, and a pattern for headband thingie that tied under my chin, like a scarf sowa. We sewed bells onto the ends near the ties, and I wore it despite having knitted a huge hole into it that wasn’t supposed to be there.
Anyway, the point is not that you’re teaching her to knit “wrong,” but that you’re teaching her at all. She’ll remember learning from you and will thank you for it some day. My Mom now has Alzheimer’s and has suffered various cognitive losses, including the ability to knit, but recognizes that I knit the hat I made for her January birthday this year. Dad just wrote an e-mail yesterday to thank me on Mom’s behalf. He said she “treasures” the hat, and remarks that she wants to write me a thank-you note for it. But she forgets that she wants to write it, and can’t write so well anyway…. oh gee, here I go crying again ….
No advice, but LOVE the pictures. They made me giggle with happiness. Welcome to the club, Supergirl!
Thanks for asking the question! I have a friend who says her daughter would like to knit but she is left-handed. I’d be happy to teach both of them to knit, but I was wondering about the handedness thing.
i have no advice because I dont know any left handed knitters! but.. i just wanted to tell you how darn cute she looks and i can’t wait for my 2yr to catch the fever!
Supergirl is adorable! I think we need a Supergirl colorway (if you haven’t made one already). I look forward to teaching my Rosebud and Tulip (3 and 1 respectively). I’m a lefty, and I learned to knit English. I didn’t have much trouble picking it up. I later taught myself to knit continental. Now I exclusively knit continental. I find it much easier to control the tension and switch between knit and purl.
I’m a lefty, but I knit like righties, in the English style. I’ve tried Continental, and just can’t seem to control my yarn! So I gave it up and I knit the way I’m comfortable knitting. I’d say Supergirl should knit however she is most comfortable, but encourage her to try different ways, so she can get a feel for each.
I’m a lefthanded knitter, and I knit English style. I learned by watching a righthanded English knitter, and basically knitting mirror image. Watching someone knit from the other side is much easier when you’re a lefthander.
I’m a lefty, and I crochet with my left hand, and knit with both - I knit English with my right hand, and Continental with my left. Show her both, let her pick, and she’ll never be at a loss as to how to knit. Just think, when she starts knitting with 2 colors, she can hold one in each hand!
Awesome! I’m a lefty and I taught myself to knit using the internet and books and I’ll tell you one thing: I changed the way I knit about 8 times before I “settled.” The thing is, even now, years down the road, my style keeps morphing as I learn new techniques and make different things. The most important thing to teach dear Supergirl, I believe, is how to read her knitting. If she knows how to twist and not twist a stitch, and reads decreases by how they slant and not the name, she’ll be fine.
She looks so HAPPY! My daughter is a lefty too, and I can definitely appreciate your angst. It sounds just like me (she hasn’t quite learned yet, so take what I say with a grain of salt). However, when I asked a number of people what they thought, they said what a number of lefties here have already said — learn “right handed” because it is a two handed craft, and that way she won’t have to modify patterns or read charts backwards.
Hmmmmmm–I am a lefty, and I totally understand the lefty thing . . . however I never gave much thought to whether I was knitting right-y or left-y!!!!!!!!! I would have her sit in front of you, and teach her by showing her. I don’t think it really matters
;0) My daughter is a lefty, too, and she knits like I do, and I am pretty sure she doesn’t knit lefty! xo
My advice would be to let her do whatever is comfortable to her. I’m a lefty who started out throwig and was perfectly happy with that until I saw a friend who was knitting continental….enamored by her speed I taught myself how to do it…definately more “left” hand minded, but I still do both (cant seem to get the hang of ribbed cables continental style!). As far as her technique, let her do her own thing and then when she gets overly zealous as she get older, she’ll find her style…..makes me want to go home and teach my kids!!!
Hey she looks adorable! Teach, teach her my dear! One more knitting sister hurrah! I’ve heard that the best
thing for left handed knitters is continental. Knittining continental is pretty cool. Its the purling that I don’t
quite get yet. I’m getting better though–just keep practicing!
Holy crap, that’s a lot of comments to go through.
I agree with some of the folks who recomend Continental. My mom tried to show me the other way, throwing with the right hand. That was messed up. Once I got to learn the continental, it all made sense. And I’m a righty with lefty tendancies. (Huh? Ask my therapist.)
I just taught a lefty how to knit. She crocheted lefthanded - her grandmother sat across from her and she mirrored her. When I taught her to knit, I showed her how to do it left handed continental style. She is not have many problems learning each step. The only problems I forsee in the continued teaching is when a pattern calls for left and right facing increases and decreases.
I am right handed and I both throw and pick depending on the project but I picked what was easiest for me to show her. Somehow my left hand refuses to throw.
I’m a lefty but I can use my right hand for almost anything, so I learned to knit right handed. I have now changed to continental and I really like it better. She is so darn cute!! Way to go mom!!
And yet another falls victim to the dark side. Welcome Supergirl! As a fellow lefty, much like commenter Angela from above, I throw with the right hand b/c I learned to crochet lefty. Show her continental, have her practice that for a couple days… and throwing right handed too… then she’ll know which one she likes better.
Hi there, I’m a lefty and I knit right-handed. I’ve tried to learn the “left-handed” way, but I just don’t get it. When I was a little girl, my mother tried to teach me to crochet. She even tried to show me in the mirror since she’s a righty. It just didn’t make sense to me. Since knitting uses both hands, I found it much easier to understand. Nowadays, in the rare cases that I need to do a crochet border or something, I dig out the instructions and do it right-handed.
My daughter is a lefty, also, but is almost completely ambidextrous due to breaking her left wrist a few years ago.
Since knitting really isn’t left or right handed, the only difference is which hand carries the yarn, I would say show her how to knit carrying the yarn with either hand and let her make up her own mind.
I am right-handed…sometimes I knit by throwing (righty), sometimes continental and sometimes with both (2 color). Depends on what works best for that particular project.
Well, seems like you have plenty of advice here, but I’m a left handed knitter. I actually taught my right-handed friend to knit right handed- just taught myself to do it right handed. It doesn’t have to be perfect- just enough to show her how to make the stitch. otherwise, just tell her to do what is comfortable!
regular or continental- just not l -> r because she’ll never be able to get help on a project when she leaves you in the dust : o
She is so enthusiastic- that’s great!!
knitting is an ambidextrous sport… she’ll have to let the right hand do SOMETHING. I don’t know what right or left handed knitting is… (have taught righties and lefties…)
but if she’s throwing w/ her left, try to teach her to “pick” (continental….)
i’m a lefty, and i taught myself to knit. because of that, i knit “backwards” or from left to right. i also can knit “forwards” but i had to teach myself that too. i would show her both ways, and let her decide which one works better for her. heck, i think i’m a better knitter because of the backwards thing, because i have to really know how something is constructed, since i have to reverse so much… not that i’m better than other knitters, but i’m better than i might have been otherwise. i knit modified continental, but with my right hand tensioning the yarn. to each their own i guess.
I teach learn to knit at my lys and I teach lefties just the same as righties. Sarah, who owns the shop, is a lefty and she knits the same way I do, other than she knits English and I knit Continental.
Hey dude, Julia’s a leftie. She doesn’t knit, LOL, but I felt compelled to tell you that.
Hello, I love those pudgy little fingers doing that knitting. I’m a lefty and I have no problem knitting right handed and would encourage your little princess to do the same. I am 50 and have just learnt to knit fair isle with both hands holding the wool, I found it really easy to do as my left hand dominates obviously. My problem was crochet, I loved to watch my Mum producing the lacy stuff, so quickly and smoothly too but could she teach me? No Way!! I just took her ‘how to crochet’ book and held a mirror up to the pictures to copy the hand positions. I was about 8 when I did this and I haven’t looked back. I love the way little ones learn to knit, it so lovely to see! How is she doing now?
I’m a lefty and I basically knit backwards moving from left to right instead of right to left. For most basic things, that’s ok. At some point I’ll probably have to learn how to knit “backwards” for me which is forwards for everyone else though.
I was just a little older when my grandmother taught me to knit. I am totally lefthanded but knit “the right way”. I just use my left hand a little more than the right one. I have tried to knit the other way round but returned to the way I learned to knit a long time ago.
I’m a righty who knits continental because it’s sooo much faster. Plus my knitting teacher was a lefty and taught everyone to knit this way.
My mom is a lefty and those who said, “Sit across from SuperGirl rather than next to her” is what worked for my mom when she learned to crochet and knit. Yay for SuperGirl! She is so dang cute!
i’ve taught about a thousand people how to knit. seriously. i teach everyone the same way regardless of whether they are right-handed or left-handed.
Awesome!!!
Yeah for Supergirl!
As an Aunt, I don’t have to donate to his therapy - I get to ruin him and send him home!!!
I wanted to thank you for the awesome thread. I taught my nephew to knit not to long ago and he is definitely a lefty and I wondered about that but decided to teach him what I knew and not confuse myself.
He did just fine but I am thinking to show him continental next time because he was having trouble using both hands since I throw. He was fine if I did that part for him, so we group knitted all night. It was kind of fun! He has been after me to teach him again, but his schedule is so full right now his time is limited… but when he spends the night next time.. continental it is.
I thought maybe it was because he is young he couldn’t figure out the multi dimensions as quickly… but now I think it might be because he was backwards.
He has been after me to let him play with the sticks again, but his schedule is so full right now his time is limited… but when he spends the night next time.. continental it is.
Thanks
Holly
Wow! That’s brilliant - she is such a quick learner.