Tips on crocheting left-handed?

[Sahahne]

I have a new step-sister in law who seems interested in learning how to crochet. :clapShe does knit a little bit but hasn't attempted crocheting before.

 

My mum has offered to teach her, but SiL is left handed. Mum and I are both right handed and aren't sure how different it is to try to teach someone who's a lefty.

 

So basically I'm looking for any tips, ideas or techniques to help a left hander learn how to crochet! I figure there may be some books out there, but sometimes it's easier to have a person teach you than try to figure it out from a diagram. Plus it's a nice way for us to get to know her a bit better!

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Addey]

Well, many people have said before on other threads, have her face you so she mirrors your movements. I have no idea how well this works.

I'm a left hooker, but was taught my my leftie Gram. Or at least, I think she taught me left handed. She taught me when I was little and I put it down for many, many years until a few years back. I picked it up again lefty at any rate.

Biggest thing to remember for you is that her motions, and her stitches will look backwards. Don't freak out, it's OK. If you think about it as a series of steps, not specific technique it'll go easier. Break chaining down to it's parts:

1. wrap yarn from back of hook to front, tail heading towards the ball/skein

2. pull loop through

When you say it that way, it doesn't matter which hand does what.

 

For sc and the like, just include when to yarn over and where to put the hook and how many loops to pull through at a time...

 

Just my $0.02 worth.

[alibra]

I am a lefty hooker and was taught by a righty...she sat across from me and as I got better at it, I sat next to her. I was nine years old and that my lovelies was 47 years ago. The best gift I ever got, was learning to crochet...good luck!

[Kiirs]

I am a lefty also and learned from a book with left-handed instructions and stitch diagrams. I'd also say to try the sitting-across-from-her "mirror image" technique, and also find some left-handed diagrams online. Good luck!

 

I recently taught a 12-week beginning crochet class to a bunch of young kids and there were two lefties in the class. I was afraid the right-handed kids wouldn't get it but they all eventually did after a couple of weeks.

[Knit Happens]

One of Crochetville's members, Nexstitch, has a fabulous website that features crochet articles--written tutorials--with pictures both lefty and righty. I would visit her site and go from there. The articles can be found here: http://www.nexstitch.com/a_articles.html

[Sahahne]

Thanks so much for the replies and advice. It's really appreciated! I can't think of anything better than getting someone else addicted to crocheting!