Some advice needed

#1

So, my dad walks into my room yesterday, looks at all the yarn I got(my grams friend dropped off two HUGE bags of acrylic yarn yesterday :heart: ), and finally says, “When are you going to teach me how to knit???” I told him when he has a day off work(I think he said this saturday, sunday, and monday he has off). So, I agreed to teach him how to knit(I taught him how to crochet too). After pondering about it for an hour, I started to think, “How am I going to teach a lefty how to knit???” That’s right, my dad is a lefty. We got a book that shown right and left hand crochet. Does anyone know any good books that we could go and buy so it teaches him how to knit left handed?

TIA :heart:

#2

okay first of all is your dad rather ambidextrous? Most left handed people are…hafta be really. I am left handed, can’t even begin to think about holding a pen right handed but when i grab scissors, doors, etc i almost always grab with my right hand.

if he is rather ambidextrous i would strongly suggest teaching him how to knit “right” handed. i don’t know what method you use but i would really have him sit next to you and mimic your movements. It is very likely he will be able to get it just like that. if it becomes obvious that isn’t working for him then you may have to find another alternative but i would bet he will be able to learn just like that.

and i LOVE that your dad wants you to teach him how to knit. what a fun bonding experience for you two! and getting yarn money outta him will be waaaaay easier if he understands the beauty of the LYS! :wink:

#3

My dad is a pure lefty. He does everything left handed. I thought about grabbing a mirror and showing him the videos on this sight, and be can put the mirror up to the screen and mimic what Amy does backwards.

And I have to agree, my dad will see the beauty of the LYS! :wink:

#4

Jenelle -

My mom is also left handed but knits right handed so your dad might be able to get it. If not on the basic tecniques tab on this site, under knitting Amy does have something about left handed knitting…

At the bottom of thispage…and it reads:

[color=indigo]To see how to do this, simply prop a mirror up to the English or Continental knitting videos, and watch the videos in the mirror! It is mirror reverse of standard Western knitting.
Knitting is awkward at first, no matter which method you use, no matter whether you’re a righty or leftie. If you are a leftie, and have heard of this method of knitting and think it will be easier for you, I would encourage you to try Continental knitting first. That method also favors lefties, and you will have a much easier time following standard instructions, because you won’t have to reverse them!
If you knit this way, then you will find using a mirror alongside the videos on this site a handy trick. Just remember that your “right slanting” increases and decreases will slant to the left, and vice versa![/color]

Good luck! That is great that he wants to learn!

#5

You beat me to it!!

#6

I have a book that shows left handed knitting. I got it at Michaels, it was “Teach yourself to Knit” or something like that.

#7

Hello Jenelle,

I’m a HARD CORE lefty!!! I do everything lefty. Pour drinks, grab door handles, eat, throw a ball, etc. EVERYTHING! (btw,…can u tell I love being lefty?! )LOL!! :roflhard:

I taught my right handed daughter to knit. She’s only 7. I first taught her continental. Then noticed she was having a bit of trouble. But she was doing it all by herself. I was like WHOA, Good Job! :thumbsup: But I could tell that english method would probably be easier for her. So then I thought LOL just like you but in reverse…“how am I going to teach her right handed??” :thinking:

So I played around with the needles a few minutes (english method) and I got it…then showed her. It clicked for her quite fast. :cheering:

If you knit continental, then being a lefty…I think that would be easiest for him to learn. Very natural for lefties IMO to learn. If you knit english method…then try maybe teaching yourself continental then show him.

Maybe show him Amy’s videos of continental knitting, along w/ some instructional bks. etc.

Good Luck!!
KNITBIT :XX: <<—happy lefty!!

#8

I’m left-handed, and an aunt tried to teach me to knit as a child using the mirror method and I got so confused I gave up on it. My grandmother (also a lefty) said she experienced the same thing. She did learn how to crochet and taught me how, but I could never do anything complicated because I got confused trying to reverse the directions (she confessed to having the same problem).

Years later I found this site and learned continental method, and I haven’t looked back.

#9

My dad is an English crocheter, so maybe I can teach him continental knitting, since I knit continentally. I’ll try to teach him how to knit right handed. Maybe I can convince him to take me to Michaels this weekend?? :wink:

#10

I can’ help with instructions like the leftys in here can, but here’s a website that teaches left handed that might help, too.

http://learn-to-knit.com/

This one is not a basic “learn to knit” site, but it does have how to do different things left handed!

#11

I’m confused Jenelle. Continental is really a left-handed style of knitting. I would think that it would be easier for him to pick that up since he would be controlling the working yarn with his left hand.

Also, I just read something yesterday where Amy was talking about teaching Sheldon to knit, and she said she held the left needle & yarn in her hand & had him operate the right-hand needle. After he got the general motion down, she taught him how to hold the yarn & left needle & turned him loose. Seems to have worked well, from what she said.

Good luck! I hope it goes well!

#12

I got him to do it!! :cheering:

He’s getting a tad frustrated with it, but I told him to take his time, that he has a lot of time this weekend to practice :slight_smile:

I was talking to him after I taught him, he said that about 4am this morning he got up because he couldn’t sleep, and he typed ‘knitting’ into google. Then he said it had tons of video’s on it and there was a woman explaining it all, showing you everything about knitting. What popped into my mind? Knitting help :rofling: I asked him if the sight was called knitting help and he said, “Yeah that’s it!!” Ohh I gotta love my daddy :rofling:

He said that he only wants to knit dishcloths, hand towels, and squares for a blanket.

I feel a set of denises and boye interchangeables in our house in the near future? :thinking: :shifty:

#13

You’ve got a partner in crime now, Jenelle. One with a checkbook! :happydance:

#14

I got a kit when I learned to knit it came 2 pairs of needles and stitch holders and some other things the book that was with it was learn to knit I think I got it at Wal-mart for ten dollars and there is a whole seperate section for lefties My sister is a leftie all I can say is GOOD LUCK!!! :wink:

#15

I’m a lefty - I started continental, switched to english, but am working on switching BACk to continental as my right hand is my mouse hand so its tired when I get home for the day!

#16

Yup, and I told him that we should go to walmart this weekend to see what we can find.

Hm we should get that for him! I remember seeing that because I was going to buy one a few months ago. I’ll have to tell him about it tonight! :happydance:

#17

I taught my best friend to knit and she is a confirmed lefty. It never occured to me that doing it any other way would be easier. Later I started thinking about it and showed her how to do continental (I switch back and forth) and she said that English was much easier for her. I guess it’s just what you learn and how it clicks. Maybe if she had had problems with continental I would have switched styles.

#18

my middle daughter is a hard core lefty
at 18 Months old she got a burn on her Left wrist, and even that young would NOT use her right hand to write or eat

I taught her to knit right handed, and she sat across from me and watched me from the front, and somehow worked it out in her head and hands how to knit Left-handed by understanding the basics, and watching me doit from the wrong side, and making her needles do the same thing

did I mention she is Both Stubborn and VERY bright

#19

Why is it that those two characteristics seem to go hand in hand more often than not? I have two of those here.