The Curse of the Southpaw

[ru]

I can proudly say that I'm a self-taught knitter. I got a book and a beginning knitting kit, and over the course of the nearly two weeks I spent at my aunt's house in August of 2006, I taught myself how to knit. I've since been supplementing my knowledge with sites like knittinghelp.com, and I think at this point I'm a reasonably competent knitter.

The book I got had instructions for how to knit right-handed or left-handed. This was very important for me, considering that I am an impossible leftie. There are a few things I do with my right hand, like operate scissors and use a mouse, but for the most part, I'm all left, all the time. This has proved a real problem when it comes to things like tying knots. Try as I might, I can't tie a knot in the "standard" style. It took me forever to learn how to tie my shoes, and that was only after my left-handed aunt helped me. When I learned how to tie an herbarium knot (a handy little knot used for packaging loans), I had to watch the curator do it a few times, then finagle my own mirror form of it.

So with left-handed instructions, I learned how to knit. This has been alright so far, as most of the things I've knitted are essentially symmetrical. However, I've been working on my first piece of actual clothing, and I'm finding that it's a problem. The instructions are essentially backwards to me. The result is that I'm trying to reverse the instructions as I go, and I don't know how well that's going to work out in the end.

I'm thinking I need to learn how to knit right-handed. I learned English style, but from what little I've read, continental style can be easily done by lefties. I've been kinda wanting to learn continental anyway, since it's supposedly more efficient. I think the Dulaan scarves I want to do might be a good way to learn it, since they're gonna be pretty simple ribbed ones, so I could learn knit and purl stitches that way. So are any of you knitting folkses continental knitters? How easy/hard was it for you to learn?

Comments

[ambientfiligree.livejournal.com]

My brother is a leftie and he knits continental. It works very well for him, <3

[peppermintberry.livejournal.com]

Hm, okay, that's reassuring to know! <3 Is that how he learned initially, or is he an English knitting convert?

[teaandfailure.livejournal.com]

I am not a knitter myself, but you might speak to my BFF, username Calypsobard. She knits a lot and is a leftie, and I believe she is also self-taught.

She has been having issues with socks, but I believe she's mastered the rest of it.

I am kind of amazed at how many lefthanded people I know. Apparently I am trying to get in good with you guys for when you lose it and start the revolution.

[peppermintberry.livejournal.com]

Ooh, okay! I'd be interested in what she has to say. Thanks! <3

Note to self: Tell the others to add her to the list of those to be spared when we rise up--erm. Uh. THESE AREN'T THE DROIDS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

[she-who-is-soc.livejournal.com]

My momma is a left-handed knitter! I'll talk to her tonight and see if she has any tips to pass on (though I think because of her generation, she was forced to knit right-handed. Either way.)

[peppermintberry.livejournal.com]

Ooh, yes, I'd be interested to hear what she has to say! <3

Also, your icon is both horrifying and hilarious. XD

[grant-p.livejournal.com]

I don't know...I tend to use whichever hand works the best at the time. I actually had my 20/300 right eye adjusted to sight at 20/15 so I could improve my ambidexterousness. However, this isn't a vision issue, it sounds more like nerve dedication...I don't think it WOULD work to try to convert your preferred hand.

There's no 'no preference' knitting style, is there?

[peppermintberry.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't think so, since both hands have different roles, like feeding in yarn and the like. Though supposedly continental is advantageous for left-handed knitters, since the yarn is fed in by the left hand, the same as for somebody that does English knitting left-handed.