teaching a leftie to knit

[MovingMomma]

I'm teaching my 6 year old, left handed daughter to knit. I'm right handed, but I knit continental (aka left-handed). Should I teach her to do it the same as I do or try to reverse it for her? I'm so confused!

[Knittin' in the Shade]

teach her the same way you do it - with knitting, where you're really using both hands anyway, hand dominance doesn't really come into play. it will be easier for her down the line following patternsand such if you teach her "normal" continental,so that she won't have to translate instructions.

[MamaWolfe]

My mom would never teach me to knit because I'm left handed. Finally, I begged her to teach me right handed (she knits English), and that I would just figure it out leftie wise. I hve been knitting for about two years now, right handed. It works perfectly fine. And I'm quick! I really don't think it matters. Plus, it's VERY good for your brain to use your non-dominant hand as much as possible.

[Dreamy]

I've read that continental style (which I'm learning) is ideal for lefties, so go ahead and teach her your way!

[CalaRei]

I agree that it's (generally) not something you change up for lefties, so I say just go for it and teach her! Both hands need dexterity to knit, so I think she'll be just fine! Especially with continental - I knit this way I think because I did crochet for so long beforehand.

I like to compare it to musical instruments. With the possible exception of stringing a guitar differently, I don't really know of any "left handed" flutes, drums, trombones, etc. I'm sure they're manufactured by someone as oddities, but there are plenty of lefty kids who learn just fine with the rest of the band!

[frogger]

yep just teach her the way you do it. she'll pick it up. Crochet on the other hand, I find that I'm working backwards and have to turn it inside out.

[deditus]

I am a leftie and I taught myself to knit continental!

[TheGirls]

Lefties get very used to switching things anyhow, and she'll switch it up if she needs to. I'm strongly leftie, and I do knit leftie (learned by mirroring my rightie mother and aunt) and crochet rightie (and it matters more for crochet, so go figure). If straight out copying you doesn't work, have her sit facing you so she can do what you're doing with the opposite hand.

[Glover_Girls]

I knit leftie continental although I am mostly a righty. My family is full of ambidextrous people. My daughter is mosly leftie. I have tried to teach her continental but she actually does better with the english method. I think I taught her right handed since we had a book on how to teach a child to knit so I was a bit challenged too having never knit right handed English. But it was a good experience for me too. So I would just try different methods. Knitting seems to be one of those things that doesn't really have a left or right handed "way." My 2 cents!

[BeanyMama]

Lefty here! I knit and crochet like a right handed person. It's confusing learning anyway, I would think trying to reverse instructions would be harder than just adapting.