How I Learned to Crochet With My Left Hand
I learned to crochet many years ago when I was in my early college years. A girl that lived in my parents neighborhood, who was about 5 years younger than me, showed me how to do it. I took a hook and some yarn back to school that year and crocheted myself a granny square big enough to be a lap blanket...and I still have it, almost 30 years later. Then I took a hiatus, until about 10 years ago when my interest in crochet was resurrected and I learned from magazines, websites, etc. You just have to remember that everything you make is backwards when you're a lefty. Once you understand that you are good to go!
How I Hold My Crochet Hook and Yarn / Thread
Everything I do is a mirror image of anything a right handed person does. For example, the right handed person crochets from right to left.
My crochet is left to right. Once I made a dress pattern with buttonholes and did not realize until I finished...that I needed to work the buttonhole row backwards of the pattern instruction to get the buttonholes in the right places. So in that particular instance I put a little hook or velcro at the very top of the buttonhole row, which was on the top of the back of the dress. After that I made that row backwards of the directions, and it works perfectly every time. I think people like my crochet because it is a little different from the conventional. I believe I hold my hook in my left hand and use the right hand to control the yarn.
Advice
- I would think it would be easiest to learn crochet from another lefty if you can. I have tried to show right handed people my technique and it is difficult for them to catch on. If you can't do that you can probably sit across from a right hander and follow them, as they will be your mirror image this way.
Have You Needed Any Special Tools or Equipment?
I have never needed any special equipment because I am a left handed crocheter...but I do need to remember that I am left handed when I follow pattern directions and make modifications to the directions where appropriate for my situation,such as the button hole issue I mentioned earlier.
Amy Solovay, Crochet Guide, says:
Thanks so much for sharing your story! I am sure it will be helpful to others.
That is very helpful info about the buttonholes. Lefties, please be sure to plan accordingly for those items with buttonholes - or any asymmetrical item.
