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Helen
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| Posted: Oct 25 2008 at 11:39am | IP Logged
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Any advice on how a right handed mother teaches a left handed daughter to knit?
Are there any older threads dealing with this?
TIA!
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Ave Maria!
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Servant2theKing
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| Posted: Oct 25 2008 at 1:23pm | IP Logged
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Well, my grandmother was a leftie, though considered ambidextrous since she learned to do many things right-handed...she tried to teach me (also a leftie) to knit left-handed...we both ended up frustrated and finally just figured it was much easier to learn right handed, rather than attempt to adapt everything to the opposite. I still struggle with knitting so I'm not much help, except to suggest that teaching your dd the right-handed way might be simpler for both of you since many instructions would be written with right-handedness in mind. Wishing you both blessed results in your mother-daughter venture!
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Mary G
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I'm not sure where folks get the idea that left-handed knitting is different than right-handed .... it's not. If you're left or right-handed you'll knit whichever way is comfortable.
That said ... and just to muddy the waters a bit ... many Eastern Europeans carry the yarn in their left hand and knit differently than most western folks -- we mostly throw with the right hand (no matter what handed-ness we are).
Also, when you're teaching someone else to knit (or learning yourself) just relax and hold the needles and yarn the way it is comfortable. Some hold the needles like pencils while others (myself included) hold the needles with my whole hand on the top ... this also makes it easier if you're using circs....
too much info 
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Michaela
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The steps are the same, but the challenge comes when the student is trying to learn visually.
We have a mom in our homeschool group who teaches knitting. Her suggestion was to have your child sit in front of you (face to face) rather than next to you.
Think of it like a mirror.
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Michaela
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Here's an interesting article about actually USING a mirror. I have no idea if it works, but I guess it's similar to what our knitting teacher was trying to explain regarding a right-hander teaching a left-hander to knit. It's the visual part that complicates the learning, not steps.
Step 4 says the student should never look at the teachers hands.
How to Teach a Left-Handed Person to Knit
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Mary G
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| Posted: Oct 25 2008 at 6:18pm | IP Logged
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Michaela,
I beg to differ with the lady who teaches knitting. This doesn't make sense.... a left-handed knitter still should be throwing the yarn with her right NOT her left unless she is learning a non-western way of knitting. Believe me ... I am VERY left-handed and tried knitting "backwards" and it DOESN'T work .... using a mirror doesn't really help as it reverses everything and isn't right.
ETA: now, letting the leftie hold the yarn a different way from the rightie makes sense, but it still should be held in the right hand.
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Helen
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| Posted: Oct 27 2008 at 7:33am | IP Logged
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Thank you for your responses.
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KC in TX
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I learned to crochet left handed first so I always held my yarn in my right hand. I knit rightie but can also knit leftie. It was just getting confusing trying to teach my girls how to knit rightie but I was knitting the other way. So, I decided to just go rightie. I find it's not very difficult at all since knitting really involves both hands.
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Michaela
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Helen wrote:
| Thank you for your responses. |
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I truly hope that you and your daughter have a wonderful time together sharing this experience.
I've been there...I'm a leftie and my mom is right-handed. We gave up when I was a child, but I don't remember which one of us grew frustrated or why (other than I'm a leftie).
Now as an adult, I asked her to try again, and we've been successful (well, I'm making progress ) but even more important is that it has been a wonderful way of spending time together.
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lilac hill
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Twenty years ago I taught myself to knit backwards with a video. When I strted following patterns I had to turn the words left/right around it really became confusing as I progressed.
This summer I retaught myself using an online video (try a search on youtube under Craft Sanity) and instead of "throwing" I can now "pick" (continental).
As a die hard leftie, I do not find either method more difficult and now fortunately after some mess ups pattern following is easier.
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trish
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My poor grandmother tried to teach me how to knit when I was 9. I'm a very visual learner so it was a disaster. I can remember sitting across from her trying to imitate like a mirror. Confusing. But I persisted and taught myself with a book that was for lefties. I can't remember the name of it though. It really helped. 
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Mary G
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trish wrote:
| My poor grandmother tried to teach me how to knit when I was 9. I'm a very visual learner so it was a disaster. I can remember sitting across from her trying to imitate like a mirror. Confusing. |
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The best position for learning to knit is with the teacher behind and reaching around to hold your hands while you learn ... this works particularly well with a mom or grandma as you get extra hugs this way !
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MaryG
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Teaching knitting to a Leftie
