[momazon4]

Baby is going to need some soakers and I can't afford to buy them. I guess I have 2 questions_ can you learn to knit online?(and is it $$$) and would I then be able to knit well enough to make a soaker?<br><br>
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[rbeaufoy]

At <a href="http://www.knittinghelp.com" target="_blank">www.knittinghelp.com</a> they have videos for both english and continental style knitting. The lefties that I know found the continental style videos to be VERY helpful. And, it's free! I know of many people who found that these videos were all they needed to learn how to knit. And if you have a LYS (local yarn store), they are usually very helpful if you bring in your work and have questions (it's to their advantage afterall, you are a potential customer <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink"> )<br><br>
HTH-R

 

[Meiri]

I agree about Continental knitting. I'm lefthanded, but learned how to crochet righthanded--which boils down to my left hand doing the yarn control, which seems to me to be the more tricky part to learn. In Continental style knitting, the left hand is the one doing the yarn control.<br><br>
Once you get the hang of what's going on in knitting, it's easy to reverse it to going left to right. If I don't feel like flipping my work around, I just knit in reverse. It's about understanding where the bumps and "v" end up and how to put them where you want them.<br><br>
I recommend you find yourself a copy of <span style="text-decoration:underline;">Stitch and Bitch</span> by Debbie Stoller. Should be at the library. She explains the mechanics very well.

 

[~Megan~]

There really isn't left or right handed knitting. You use both hands to knit. Crochet is a different though since there is only one hook most people use their right hand.<br><br>
I know a few lefty knitters and they just do it the same way as the righties.

 

[Ann-Marita]

I am also left-handed. I knit the regular way, Continental style (yarn in my left hand). Since knitting is really a two-handed operation, there is no need to reverse everything and learn it the "other" way (unless you just really want to).

 

[frogger]

I'm a lefty but knit english(yarn in my right hand) though I am probably the odd ball.

 

[Ann-Marita]

I learned English first (probably because no one around me knew Continental). But then I discovered Continental, and having studied erganomics and motion studies in college, I recognized that, other factors being equal, it would go more quickly. And it does!

 

[crbyard]

I am a lefty who started knitting five months ago from scratch. I used the knittinghelp.com website and tried both methods. I REALLY wanted to prefer Continental because everyone says it is so much speedier. I had been crocheting and knitting seemed so very much slower. My impatience required that I keep on trying to learn Continental.<br><br>
Anyway, no matter how long I tried, Continental just didn't work with my brain. I feel that it causes your right hand to do much more intricate maneuvering with the needle, and I am far too awkward with my right hand. Also, that extra wrist action with my right side was causing my wrists to hurt (I learned to knit to get away from the carpel-tunnel that crocheting caused during my Christmas rush to get projects done). So, today I am a slow, but proficient and ache-free English Style, left-handed knitter. Soakers take me about ten hours of knitting time.

 

[anniegirl]

I'm a lefty and knit English.

 

[sasayaki]

I taught myself to knit last summer through the videos at <a href="http://www.knittinghelp.com" target="_blank">www.knittinghelp.com</a>, I'm left-handed and knit continental style. I tried English, but my hands would cramp up after about 5 minutes. My first project was a soaker (and was the real reason I taught myself to knit in the first place <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin">)