How do I knit?

And I quote:

"I knit english when knitting right handed!
Totally blew my mind when I automatically started doing it."

I am quoting myself.
But am I correct?

Whne I say I knit English while knitting right handed..I mean that I hold the yarn in the same hand as the working needle..and throw.

I dont know anymore..I assumed that what defined continental knitting was the fact of holding yarn that is being worked in the OPPOSITE hand..not that you are a continental knitter by holding it in your left hand...
I assumed that the definition was reversed for those holding the working needle opposite to the yarn.

But it seems everyone else thinks that the act of holding the yarn in the left..no matter what hand hold the working needle is what defines continental knitting.


I am now just not at all certain.

I mean to me it makes sense that what defines continental knitting would be merely holding the yarn opposite to the working needle....but I seem to be the only person with this opinion.
When I said that I knit English when knitting right handed..I meant that I hold the yarn in my right hand.

This brings me to picking and throwing..picking is holding it opposite if I am to understand correctly..and continental knitters pick..if I am to understand THAT..so basically I AM a continental knitter..in reverse?


It really DOES make a difference when teaching left handers to knit.
People always tell them to do it "continental" because the yarn is held in the left hand..but if the true definition of continental is being a picker..and holding the yarn opposite..
then the yarn should be held in the right hand.
So if using the left hand to carry the yarn is the objective..then they should be being taught to throw!


In the end, I think a person needs to experiment and see what is comfrotable.
I mean..who the hell would have ever thought that I would throw my yarn when knitting right handed..I am a picker since the beginning.

But you really do use both hands..

 I hate that crap.
Yeah..one does use both hands to knit..but it IS a directional and handedness oriented task.
It DOES matter what hand you use.

I just wanted to get that off my chest.
I was fed that speil again at a guild meeting...by a knitting teacher.
Lemme tell you what... If I knit a cable pattern using right handed instructions..it'll be backwards.

As for knitting right handed..my 6 year old is right handed, and learning to knit.
I am ofcourse teaching her to do so with her right hand..which means me going that extra measure and showing her while using MY right hand.

Makes sense, right?

Yet people still believe lefties should just go ahead and learn right handed.
If I was teaching my little northpaw to knit left handed it would seem ludicrous.
It would be like men giving birth..it would go against nature.
( actually, that's a bad example..I am all for men giving birth.)


I learned something interesting while teaching Becca.
I knit english when knitting right handed!
Totally blew my mind when I automatically started doing it.

yeah I knit backwards

 wanna make something of it?

Seriously..why should anyone care if I knit backwards..I mean, yes..it is completely backwards continental knitting. I hold the working needle in the left and the yarn in the right.
The very fact that I do any kind of left handed knitting seems to bother some people..why?

Nevermind the fact that I do everything that involves small motor skills lefthanded..why should it even be ANY concern of anyone how I knit?

Dont look?

But back to the fact that I am left handed.
I taught myself and I did indeed reverse everything in a picture from a book.
I am running into more and more writing and comments from people both online and real life where some think that you should teach a left hander to do it ...

right handed.

Maybe we should reverse that situation..teach a right hander to do it left handed.

hmmm....any takers?

I do sometimes have to fiddle with directions and stitch patterns..I admit it..oh horrors!
I have a much better understanding of how knitting is what it is because of that fact.
What a shame that I am forced to actually THINK as opposed to blindly follow someone elses instructions.
That's terrible..better I go completely against nature and knit with my right hand..that way I can be ready to follow the words of anyone that comes along.

I dont rant often..but this time I have.

Yanno..my husband is older..he will be 67 next month ( wanna make something out of THAT?...dont even get close to it..in my eyes he is the most wonderful man on this planet.)

Anyway..he is a switched lefty. His mind still does lefty things.
He cuts himself ALOT using everyday tools.
He was forced to go against what was natural for him.

I cant see the benefit in this.

My two cents.

Oh hey..by the way

You can post comments anon...this as mentioned is a beta blog..normal commenting will return one day.