Left handed crocheters

[chichiturtle]

Hi everyone,

I am left handed and crochet by holding the hook in my left hand. I have been crocheting since I was young and have always held the hook in my left hand and used patterns. Recently I was reading the Crochet Answer Book by Edie Eckman and she writes that a left handed crocheter may need reverse patterns and charts. Now I wonder have I been crocheting backwards all this time!

 

Does anyone else crochet left handed without reversing patterns? Also if you are left handed and write patterns do you do anything differently to make sure they are or aren't hand specific

 

Andrea

[Katchkan]

The only time I worry about being a left handed crocheter is when I am doing wearables and working off charts. I just remember to start opposite of what the right handed person does on a chart and I am fine. As for wearables it mainly which side the button holes need to be on. Other than that it's not to much different. I work to the right and they work to the left.

I do try and be careful of how I word my patterns so they are totally useable by both left and right handers. So far I haven't had a problem. I have never lost someone because of which hand they use.

I have never considered being left handed a problem. I am smart enough to figure out what they want if neccasary.

[Melissa]

I'm a lefty, and the only time I worry about it is when reading written-out instructions for a color-changing pattern. There may be other times when it's relevant, but the worst thing that happens, usually, is that it comes out a mirror image of the right-handed version. This isn't a problem with things that are symmetrical, like clothes (or doilies!) but if I were making something asymmetrical I might take a close look at how it was done before I started.

[JCB]

I'm a lefty too, and have never had a problem following a pattern, but I've never done anything with a graph.

 

When I make bead crochet ropes, they spiral in the opposite direction of right handed crocheters, but I don't see that as a problem.

 

Joan

[sfgwife]

I also am a lefty and have never had any problems with patterns. I do them just like it reads. Nikki

[Dejhia]

I'm a leftie, and I've never had any problems becuase of it. I've done charts and written patterns. I just double check on stuff like button holes and such.

[smokeyp81]

I'm a lefty too...I have never even given it a thought about things coming out backwards....hmmm...now you made me think!!!

[chichiturtle]

Smokey,

Don't think about it too much. I realize now it is just a matter or preference. My favorite left handed phrase is Lefties are all right! So no matter how we hook we are all right if it comes out the way we want.

[zeropixie]

The only time I noticed a difference was with a hat that spiraled to the right, when I finished I saw that it was going to the left I was a little confused because that had never happened at least that I noticed, but it doesn't look bad so I declaired that it's my own "twist" on the pattern. :lol