I can’t knit. I’m left handed. Really left handed, which makes knitting difficult – not impossible, but difficult. For more than two decades I’ve been looking for someone who can teach a southpaw. Althea Crome says she loves a challenge – maybe she’s the right person for the job. The Indiana mother of four is an extreme knitter, specializing in micro-knitted garments – she must have the patience of a saint to knit these tiny, intricate sweaters, coats, gloves and socks.
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Incredible! I love her designs. As a child I too used darning needles to knit sweaters and small blankets for my tiny dolls, but nothing so spectacular as Althea’s work!
Whoa! Itty Bitty beautiful work! Fabulous.
Susan, I, too, am severely left handed. My mother tried to teach me to knit when I was a kid-unsuccessfully. Then when I was in my 30′s I wanted to knit a bunch of tiny dolls (no where near as tiny as Althea’s). So I asked my mom to try again, but this time I figured out that if I sat opposite her (face to face) instead of next to her I could simply mirror her movements. It was a cinch!
Another trick if you’re a good book learner, if you find a good knitting book with clear photos or illustrations, you can take it to a copy shop with a self serve color copier and if you dig through the options you can usually find a “mirror” function that will copy a reverse of your page. I did that a lot for people when I worked at Kinko’s in my 20′s. that way your images will be accurate for you.
The face to face technique is the best though! Think – if you ever exercise to a dvd that’s what you are doing!
You’ll never regret learning to knit! (I finally learned at 38!)
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oiks…..thats micro!! I knit and I wouldn’t even want to go there. my eyes would explode.
wow, that is AMAZING!
Those are adorable!
What is it about knitting that makes it particularly hard for left handers? I feel so naive living in my right-handed bubble.
I am left handed for knitting also (but only knitting) very weird. My grandmother is a great knitter but right handed and she got me to sit next to her in front of a mirror and I just watched in the mirror and learnt that way.
If you want to learn to knit in a left-handed manner, get someone from Europe to teach you Continental-style knitting. It’s much easier than American-style knitting, and will make sense to your hands.
[...] of glass and clay in a variety of sculptures, tiles and wall installations have me thinking like Althea Crome – how can we shrink this? I envision All She Wanted, and Untitled (both pictured here), meant for [...]
Susan, you should give loom knitting a try – from what I can tell, it doesn’t matter which hand you favor. The process is the same.
Thanks everyone – lots of good ideas for me to consider. I still think I would be the perfect challenge for Althea Crome!
Hi Susan -
Thanks for mentioning the interview on Knit1fortheroad with Althea Crome
. Althea could definitely help you out with knitting. She’s a true artist.
Left handed knitting is possible but a challenge-like with many lessons in life, you have to find the perfect teacher for the challenge. I agree with Sandra, the Continental method would work well for you. Give it try!
Marg
The problem with right handed knitters teaching lefties, is that they tend to sit next to them – it doesn’t work.
What you should do is sit *opposite* your teacher and copy mirror fashion.
Left or right, you still have to learn to control the needles and the yarn, and that comes with practice and experience… but don’t make the classic mistake of trying to learn with big needles and chunky yarn, because it’s much more difficult to get a grip!