*How To Crochet - Left Handed
Crochet Hook
Crocheting has long been a folk art that is both functional and beautiful. This How-to was written to give southpaws the basic stitches and their abbreviations often used in standard crochet with left-handed images. You may find that it is helpful to use this information as a reference guide, especially since most guides are for right-handers! The instructions are designed for a beginner or for someone coming back to the art after a long period. I hope you enjoy using the information!
Let's start at the very beginning...remember, as always, practice really does make perfect!
How To Crochet: Holding the Crochet Hook
Hold the hook between your thumb and forefinger of your dominant hand with the hook pointing back towards your thumbnail. This grip should be firm, but comfortable. You will find, as you become more comfortable, that your hook will find its own comfort zone.
How To Crochet: Holding the Yarn
Having an even tension on the yarn is crucial to getting even stitches in crocheting. This is especially important if you are doing patterns that are size-specific, such as clothes. This picture shows the working loop being held between the thumb and middle finger of your right hand, looping over the index finger to control tension. Lace the yarn through the other fingers to also help with tension control and tangling. Again, as you work, you will find a comfort zone...nothing says you have to do it EXACTLY like this!
How To Crochet: Beginning Loop
A slip knot is used as the beginning stitch. I usually insert my hook through the working loop in the opposite direction that I will work, twist, yarn over then pull it through the loop. Some people prefer to tie the knot by hand, then insert the hook to begin working.
How To Crochet: Yarn Over
Abbreviation: yo
Yarn over means just that; you are twisting the yarn over the hook from front to back so that the hook catches it and can draw it through the loop.
How To Crochet: Chain Stitch
Abbreviation: ch
The chain stitch is the most basic and is used to form the base row and rings. You simply yarn over and pull through the loop to make on stitch. Practice this until you can get a chain of uniform looking loops; its all about tension control and can be easier said than done!
How To Crochet: Making a Ring
Abbreviation: r# (example: r5 is a chain of 5 stitches made into a ring.)
A ring is made of a desired number of chain stitches with one end attached to another. Chain the desired amount, then slip the hook through the beginning stitch. Yarn over and pull through both loops on the hook. Rings are used to start blocks, such as Granny Squares, or can be used as decorations, such as a popcorn stitch.
How To Crochet: Single Crochet
Abbreviation: sc
The term "crochet" involves picking up a loop or loops from a previous stitch. The term "single" tells you that you will yarn over and pull through the loops one time. Entire items can be made using this stitch, although it may not look very interesting. To do a single crochet, pick up the front AND back loops from the desired stitch (usually the next one unless specified), yarn over and pull through the loop.
How To Crochet: Double Crochet
Abbreviation: dc
Here, you will yarn over, THEN pick up the FRONT loop of the desired stitch. Yarn over and pull through the first of the three loops on the hook. Yarn over again and pull through the remaining two loops on the hook. For a tight weave, dc in every stitch; for a looser weave, use every other stitch.
How To Crochet: Half-Double Crochet
Abbreviation: hd
This begin just like the dc; you will yarn over, THEN pick up the FRONT loop of the desired stitch. Yarn over again and pull it through all three loops on the hook. For a tight weave, hd in every stitch; for a looser weave, use every other stitch.
How To Crochet: Triple Crochet
Abbreviation: tc
Begin the triple crochet by yarning over twice, then pick up the front loop of the desired stitch. Yarn over again and draw it through the first two loops on the hook. Repeat this until all the loops are off the chain. For a tight weave, tc in every stitch; for a looser weave, use every other stitch.
How To Crochet: Tying Off
Work and extra chain stitch, cut the end and pull it completely through the loop. Pull firmly on the end to create a knot.
This How To Crochet: project was contributed by Machele Bailey
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Very nicely done set of instructions for us southpaws! Thanks!
I have been crocheting for many years. I have found that the directions work fine for flat pieces (afghans or blankets), but I cannot figure out how to make baby sweaters or hoodies. It seems that my left-handedness causes everything to be inside out or backward. Would you please advise on whether to just follow the directions exactly the same as for right-handers or is there something special I should be doing?
Thanks very much.
Mary Claire Salander
msalander@mac.com
thanks for this! A great help
Thank you alot for all of these different stitches! My mother's friend taught me, and luckily, both of us are left handed. :)
-Ame
Been searching a while for a web site like this one. Now I personally thank you for the wonderful easy to follows steps here to get me to crocheting like a pro.This is a huge help.
Thanks again and again.
I use to put a mirror in front of pattern with diagram and look to the mirror to follow
very clear and easy to interpret. thanks for catering to us lefties.
Thank you for the left-handed directions. My granddaughter wanted to learn to crochet and I was unable to teach her (I'm right handed and my sister who is left-handed lives too far away).
My Grandmother is right handed,I am left handed. She taught me to crochet by sitting across from me, making it a mirror image! It was SOOOO Easy to learn to crochet! I hope this helps!
Thanks for your help. Amazing in 2009 how many sites are all right-hand instructions! Frustrating. Linda
do any of you left handed crocheters know how to do the loop stitch?
I have always just crocheted with my right hand, but now that you have posted these directions, I think I'll try with my left. It's hard for a lefties living in a rightie world. rofl.
great info, wish there were patterns for us lefties
I'm teaching kids to crochet at my local LYS and tis was very helpful for left handed kids. Thank you so much.
Thanks, I have not crocheted for quite a few years and could not find my old instructions. This will help a lot. Joan
Cool! I'm a lefty and tried to learn how to crochet from my mother (who's right handed). It was hard, but I did learn how to do various stitches. This is a refresher course for me.
Being a lefty, this was very helpful.
Why can't I keep a straight edge?
Linda
this was so great i couldnt figure out how to use the stick before i found this thanx
Thanks very helpfull for us south paws
Please add how to crotchet the afghan stitch left handed to this page. I can't find instructions on this stitch anywhere! Thanks!
Very good info. since I'm just learning how t crochet.
Thank you
I've been trying to teach my left-handed sister how to corchet. This was a great help in letting me see how to tell her to hold the thread and needle.
I've been trying to teach my left-handed sister how to corchet. This was a great help in letting me see how to tell her to hold the thread and needle.
Thank you! Everyone who has tried to teach me this is right handed. This was a blessing.
thanks ffrom a lefty
this was very helful thank you
thanx for teaching me tricks on crocheting. this site is one of the best sites for crocheting that i've been to. now i'm really good at it thanx to this website.
Thanx!
thank you very much I look at books and can not turn them around in my mind so I can try it. I think this will help.Thank you again Rosemary
this was a good site, but it would have been nice to also have someone to speak to aswell as i found some of it confusing for a beginner:))
Thank you this helped me a lot of right handed people have tried to help me but i couldn't learn from them.
It helped my grandma learn to crochet. So she could leave me alone while i visit!
Thank you! I needed this because I am left handed! :)
it is so cool to see that instructions do exist for us lefties when it comes to crocheting.
This is wonderful
I want to thank you so much. My girlfriend was having a very hard time with crocheting. Becaue, she is left handed. I'm so glad I found your web site for her.
Thank You Again,
Tamme
Unicorndove4710@aol.com
thank you!helps alot.
I'm so glad I found this site. I've been looking for book or site that helps lefties for a long time. Thanks!!
an excellent aid; thank you very much!
Thank you, I really hope this helps!!
Very good Thanx
After the chain stitch, it became very confusing. I was able to make the chain, but nothing after that.
It is great to see this as i am left handedmy self it will help other thatare learning,i even help R/H ladies to crochet ..
Its good to find a place that shows us left handed people how to crochet. I got a book and it was for right handed only.
Oh Yerahhh! very good! Im doing cloths for me
Thank you! I can't find anyone to help me learn how to do this the left-handed way!
Very easy to understand. I was able to re-teach myself how to crochet again. It is great for anyone left-handed.
i'm not a lefty, but this is a fantastic lesson for those are! thanks for publishing craft projects and articles for every type of person.
it took so long to find a spot like this. thank you so much. Lefty
MUCH NEEDED. GREAT IN COLOR. THANKS!
thank you for actually submitting pictures of left-handed crochet instead of stating, as other inferior sites do, that it is the same as right-handed crochet only backwards. This is exactly what I needed.
Bravo! Bravo!
This are the best drawing and instructions I have seen for a left-hander. Thanks.
Very clear and descriptive instructions
Illustration are great!!!!!
This is GREAT... Very helpful. Cheers
Thanks very much! These instructions are going to be very useful for me! I'm a lefty and everyone I know who can crochet is a righty! So these are going to be useful!
thank you for the lefthand instructions. I have been crocheting for years and wanted to teach my daughter( who is lefthanded.) Your instructions help alot.
This has been a tremendous help. Thanks so much!
I can't find your left handed crochet patterns
babe42@earthlink.net
it has been very hard to find lefthanded instructions for my daughter and my self ...thank you
good but can you tell me what S1 or SL means plz?!?!
the pictures were very helpful.
Thanks so much for the left hand input. I have crocheted for many years, and needed help to teach our granddaughter. Many thanks for the great directions!!!
The Pictures really help the instructions make sence. Thank you!
Nice clear pictures. It adds to my confidence.
Thank you !
My granddaughter is a lefty, and wants to learn how to crochet like grandma who is rigt handed. This lesson will be very helpful to her.
I think this is very helpful - I am a very visually oriented person, so instructions without pics = no good for me. I have been crocheting for 20+ years but have 2 left-handed friends who want to learn. I am definately using this lesson!! Thank you.
Would be better if you can provide short video clips to demonstrate the steps. Thanks.
nice,but im a lefty knitter...but i will try these instrouctions..
Please show how to reverse single crochet
I've looked for these kinds of instructions for my entire life. Very clear and concise. Thank you.
i already know how to crochet, i'm just not sure if i REALLY know, but this looks like a VERY big help, how nice for us lefties! :D
I think that this is a great help. Thanx