“I’m a left-handed knitter – how do I crochet from a pattern meant for righties?”
–Sandra L.Dear Sandra,
I feel your pain! While I am right-handed, I grew up in a household where everyone else was left-handed, and I witnessed their struggle every day. However, when it came time to learn how to crochet, this situation came to be useful! I sat opposite my mother and mimicked her steps as if looking in a mirror and caught onto the process easily. It can be difficult to how to crochet left-handed for beginners. Lefties will hold the hook in their left hand and use their right hand to hold the yarn and maintain tension.
Reading Patterns
Once you’ve mastered learning the basic crochet stitches, you’re ready to move onto reading patterns and making more complicated pieces. The trouble is that crocheters who write patterns traditionally write them for the right-handed crocheter. Left-handed crochet versus right-handed crochet is not all that different, though! The most important thing to remember is that as a left-handed person, you will work your stitches from left to right while the right-handed crocheters work from right to left. When working rows, your finished work will look the same as a right-handed crocheter’s, except your rows will end on the right. If you’re working something in the round, such as a crochet hat, lefties work the rounds counter-clockwise as opposed to the right-handed clockwise.
If your projects still aren’t turning out how you expect, check out these tips!
You’ll find that most crochet patterns can easily work for either the right or left-handed person. On basic patterns, you’ll just need to keep in mind that you’ll have to adjust certain aspects of the pattern, such as instructions on which side to join new colors or shaping. If the instructions indicate to insert your hook in the next stitch to the left, remember that you’ll do the same, but you’ll insert in the next stitch to the right. This will become almost “muscle memory” once you practice enough. At that point, you’ll rarely get hung up on the process.
Extra Tips on Crocheting for Lefties
If you have a chart to work from, remember that you’ll need to begin reading the chart from left to right. If you have something directional, such as a colorwork design that is asymmetrical, it might be best to sit down with a sheet of graph paper and reverse everything before working so that you do not accidentally reverse your design.
Being a leftie in a righty crafting world can sometimes be frustrating, but once you figure out the tricks to master your left-handed craft, you’ll be finishing up projects in no time. Try this Orchid and Chocolate Link Necklace if you’re looking specifically for leftie patterns. If you get really stuck, don’t forget that there are whole YouTube channels and websites dedicated to left-handed crocheters!
Just keep practicing, and you’ll soon have the automatic “leftie-translate” process down.
If you’re looking for another great pattern written for lefties, check out this Into the Blue Crochet Scarf Pattern.
Happy Hooking!
Chris
Alternatively, since left handed people tend to be significantly more ambidextrous than right handed people (probably from years of adjusting to a right handed world) you can just crochet right handed and not have to account for these adjustments. I am left handed and I find it much easier to crochet right handed than to jump through hoops to follow a pattern/tutorial/etc.
no not all of us can use our right hand. I am left handed and can not use my right hand for anything. I just read the pattern and do it as the pattern reads.
I really like this issue. This is the only crochet magazine where I actually like ALL the projects and feel that I can accomplish them. Thank you for a fantastic issue!