Crochet Like a Pro: What a Left-Handed Crocheter Needs to Know

A left-handed crocheter can face unique challenges when learning new stitches, following patterns, and mastering techniques designed for right-handed crafters. The primary challenge is that when learning to crochet from a right handed person, everything is backwards for them.

However, with the right guidance and adaptations, left-handed crocheters can confidently create beautiful projects and enjoy crochet to the fullest. We’ll explore valuable tips and techniques tailored specifically for left-handed crafters. I have included some handy lists and detailed instructions to help you navigate patterns and techniques with ease.

Understanding Left-Handed Crochet:

Left-handed crochet involves working stitches from left to right, which can feel counterintuitive for those accustomed to right-handed techniques. However, with practice and patience, left-handed crocheters can develop their own rhythm and style that suits their natural hand movements.

When working in rows right handed crocheters work from right to left. Left handed crocheters work left to right.

When working in rounds, right handed crocheters will work anti-clockwise. Left handed crocheters work clockwise.

When following the same instructions, a left-handed crocheter will produce an exact mirror image of the same project worked by a right-handed crocheter.

Handy List of Left-Handed Crochet Techniques:

Before diving into detailed instructions, let’s review a handy list of left-handed crochet techniques to keep in mind:

1. Holding the Hook: Hold the crochet hook in your left hand, with the thumb and index finger gripping the shaft of the hook and the other fingers supporting the handle.
2. Holding the Yarn: Hold the yarn in your right hand, allowing it to flow over your left index finger and under your other fingers for tension control.
3. Reading Patterns: When reading crochet patterns, mentally reverse the instructions to accommodate left-handed stitching direction (e.g., replace “skip 3 stitches” with “skip 3 stitches to the left”).
4. Stitch Direction: Work stitches from left to right, pulling the yarn through loops in the opposite direction from right-handed crocheters.
5. Joining Rounds: Join rounds at the end of each row by slip stitching into the first stitch of the round, then chaining to begin the next row.

Reading Patterns:

1. General advice is that when following crochet patterns written for right-handed crocheters, mentally reverse the instructions to accommodate left-handed stitching direction.
2. Pay attention to stitch placement and directional cues, adjusting as needed to maintain consistency and symmetry in your work.

Left-handed crocheters often need to make adjustments when following patterns designed by right-handed crocheters. This is because the stitch direction and shaping instructions in the pattern may be written for right-handed crafters. It can be challenging for left-handed crocheters to interpret them directly and takes practice.

However, with some simple adjustments and understanding of stitch direction, left-handed crocheters can easily adapt patterns to suit their needs. Here’s how they can go about doing this:

1. Reverse Stitch Direction: One of the main adjustments left-handed crocheters need to make is reversing the stitch direction. While right-handed crocheters typically work stitches from right to left, left-handed crocheters work stitches from left to right. This means that left-handed crocheters should mentally reverse the instructions in the pattern to accommodate their stitching direction. E.G. if the pattern instructs to “skip 3 stitches to the right,” left-handed crocheters should instead skip 3 stitches to the left.
2. Adjust Stitch Placement: Left-handed crocheters may also need to adjust stitch placement to ensure symmetry and consistency in their work. When working in rows, left-handed crocheters should start each row from the left side and work towards the right side. This may require flipping the pattern instructions horizontally or mentally visualizing the pattern from a left-handed perspective.
3. Modify Shaping Instructions: Shaping instructions, such as increasing and decreasing, may need to be modified for left-handed crocheters. Left-handed crocheters should follow the same basic principles of shaping (e.g., adding or subtracting stitches evenly across a row). But they may need to adjust the direction or placement of the shaping stitches to match their stitching direction.
4. Use Visual Aids: Aids, such as charts or diagrams, can be helpful for left-handed crocheters to visualize stitches and instructions. Left-handed crocheters may benefit from patterns that include diagrams or illustrations of stitch placement and direction rather than text-based instructions.
5. Practice and Experiment: Like any new skill, adjusting patterns for left-handed crochet may require some practice and experimentation. Left-handed crocheters should feel free to experiment with different techniques and approaches to find what works best for them. With time and experience, adapting patterns will become easier and more intuitive.

Using Charts:

Charts are one of the few times when being left handed crocheter can be a bit more challenging, especially if the designer was right handed.

Image charts

If the chart is a picture with no words then you can follow the instructions as written and produce a mirror image of the pattern without any real issues.

You can see there is very little difference, other than the image is mirrored.

What if you wanted the image to be as shown on the chart? As a general rule of thumb right handed crocheters work from the bottom right hand side side of a chart, but left handed crocheters need to work from the bottom left hand side and work their way across.

You can see how this would have to look using my Calligraphy Square as an example:

Charts with words:

This is where it starts to get trickier. As a left handed crocheter, if the words are on a graph or chart (this includes tapestry, corner to corner and filet crochet techniques to name a few) you will HAVE TO reverse the chart so that your words are readable.

Unfortunately I do not have a pattern where I could give a good example of this. However, Yarnspirations has a great example of a chart that needs reversing for left handed crocheters on their blog post which you can find here.

Stitch Charts:

You may think that stitch charts create confusion because they show the actual placement of specific stitches and where to do your starting chains etc. In truth, for general charts in rows this is not usually the case.

Handy Hint: If mentally reversing the chart gives you a headache or feels intimidating you can use a mirror to help you see how the chart should look for you. Granted, it is not ideal, but many lefties do this, especially when they are starting their crochet journey until they get used to the reversal process.

When working in the round, or looking at a chart for a granny square, for example, it can become slightly more problematic. When they are created by right handed designers a left handed crocheter will need to mentally reverse the chart and the direction as they are working in the round.

What the experts say:

I will confess that I am a right handed crocheter. However, I have discussed this topic with several designer friends and left handed crocheters and some of them have read and approved this post before its release.

Michelle from Two Brothers Blankets explained that when it comes to making garments, where you make the right side panel of a cardigan for example, this will actually be your left side panel. So there should be no issue in following the directions as they are written, just remember that the right side panel is the left side for you and vice versa. Michelle also mentioned that designers are now learning and starting to call their panels by letters or numbers (e.g. side A or panel 1 etc) rather than left and right sides.

Dora Does also talks about the impact of crocheting cables from written patterns in her blog post, which you can find here.

How do you teach a left handed person to crochet if you are right handed, or vice versa?

If you are teaching in person, the easiest method of doing this is to sit directly opposite each other so that the learner can copy your movements almost exactly. This method has had so much success because the learner is not having to mentally reverse what you are doing before doing it for themselves.

Luckily, YouTube has made this one so much easier! A lot of designers (including myself) are now including both right and left handed crochet tutorials on their YouTube Channel. Here are some you can choose from:

Sunflower Cottage Crochet – I have play lists for left handed crochet stitches, techniques and pattern tutorials (including my learn to corner to corner mini course).

Two Brothers Blankets – Michelle is a left handed crochet designer of primarily garments.

Carroway Crochet – Pam is another left handed crocheter. She has her own unique boho style that is just so much fun!

Moogly has a beginners course to learning to crochet if you are left handed. You can check that out here.

If you need any more resources let me know!

Overall, while left-handed crocheters may need to make some adjustments when following patterns designed for right-handed crafters, with a little creativity and practice, they can successfully adapt patterns to suit their needs and create beautiful crochet projects. The key is to understand the basic principles of crochet stitches and shaping, and then make adjustments as needed to accommodate left-handed stitching direction.

Conclusion:

Left-handed crocheters possess a unique set of skills and perspectives that enrich the world of crochet with diversity and creativity. With the guidance and adaptations provided in this guide, left-handed crafters can confidently navigate patterns and techniques, mastering the art of crochet with ease and enjoyment. So embrace your left-handedness, practice regularly, and let your creativity flourish as you create beautiful projects with your own signature style. Happy crocheting!