Knitting for left-handed people: specific adaptations and techniques (a complete and supportive guide)

Introduction: Knitting when you're left-handed... finally a clear explanation 💚

If you're left-handed, you may have already experienced this: you're watching a knitting tutorial, everything seems logical… until your hands say "nope". Everything is reversed, nothing flows smoothly, and the pleasure disappears.
We totally get it: in our family, our left-handed grandma was the queen of reversed explanations (or right-side-up for me, aka Lenny, since I'm left-handed too) . She's the one who taught us all the little tricks for adapting stitches without getting our brains in knots 🧶💫

In this article, we explain exactly how to knit when you are left-handed , with simple adaptations, techniques tested on our own projects (including the Splashie and the Câlin ), and tips to avoid common mistakes.

👉 Promise: in the end, you'll be able to knit on the left or the right, depending on what suits YOU, not what the tutorials say 😉

🔎 Remember: there is no “right” way to knit for left-handed people, only the one that makes knitting smoother and more enjoyable for you.

Knitting when you're left-handed: understanding the 2 possible methods

1) Knit exactly like a right-handed person (but with the left hand dominant)

This is the most common method!
🧶 You hold the straight needle in your right hand
🧶 You use your left hand for tension
🧶 And that's all
Your left-brain dominant brain does the rest.

👉 This method works particularly well for simple stitches and top-down patterns like Cardichou (our cute, soft and magical cardigan).

2) Knitting “in mirror image”: the 100% left-handed option

Here, everything is reversed :

▪️ You hold the active needle in your left hand

▪️ You knit the stitch in the opposite direction

▪️ You read the grids in mirror image

▪️ You make your increases/decreases in the opposite direction.

This is our grandma's favorite method: watching her knit was like watching a video in reverse. Fascinating!

Note : this method requires precise pattern adaptation, especially in
• jacquard
• twists
• lace
• directional increases

But we'll explain everything to you.

Key points when knitting in mirror image: what changes (and how to adapt it)

1) The direction in which the grids are read

➡️ In reverse, you read:
• the right-hand rows from right to left
• the reverse rows from left to right
(the exact opposite of a right-handed person)

Knit-sis tip: take a picture of your grid and flip it horizontally on your phone. Magic! ✨

2) The increases

For a clean result:

▪️ A left-handed increase for a right-handed person becomes a right-handed increase for a left-handed person

▪️ and vice versa

➡️ Example: on the Festi vest , if you are told “Front intermediate needle (AIAV)” left side, in mirror image you must make its opposite equivalent.

3) The decreases

▪️ k2tog ↔︎ ssk

▪️ 2 sts end. together ↔︎ simple slip stitch

This is THE area where left-handed people mess up the most — you're not alone, we've corrected dozens of patterns studied in coaching 😅

4) Jacquard knitting: managing the threads without pulling your hair out

Mirror jacquard can become a real joy if you follow 3 rules:

1️⃣ Challenge your dominant direction: always keep the main thread in the same hand

2️⃣ Alternate the colors while keeping the same thread “above”

3️⃣ Stretch the yarn slightly every 4–5 stitches

If you want a model where you can practice without pressure, the Strippie or the Oui Oui (free) are perfect for training tension on repetitive areas.

🔎 Remember: for left-handed people, jacquard is no more complicated — it's just reversed!

5) Picking up stitches

This is practically the only technique that seems truly different for left-handed people (vs. right-handed people).

As a left-handed person, when picking up stitches, I tend to do it from left to right, whereas right-handed people do it from right to left.

The most common mistakes left-handed people make… and our homemade solutions

❌ Reverse the twists

If you knit a cable on the left, it will come out… on the right 😅
Solution :

▪️ Visually read your twist in the direction you want it to lean

▪️ or choose a clear pattern like Twist & Shout , where the directions are easy to reverse

❌ Having too tight a tension

Very common in mirror image because the gestures are less natural.
Family solution (tested by Lenny, team “too cramped since 1995”):
👉 Start your project with 0.5 mm larger needles, until your movements become fluid.

❌ Wanting to reverse an entire pattern from the start

That's not necessary!
Start with:

▪️ the ribs

▪️ the jersey

▪️ a simple top-down approach like Câlin or Doudou (free)
And only then do you tackle the lace or the jacquard.

🔎 Key takeaway: start simple, strengthen your gestural memory, then expand to reverse techniques.

What type of Knit-sis patterns do we recommend for left-handed people?

To get started without any hassle

✔ Soft toy (free) — simple, flowing knit, perfect for learning tension
✔ Hug — ideal for testing intarsia
✔ Poppy (free) — quick, stress-free project

To progress without tearing your hair out

✔ Cardichou — ideal for working on clean increases
✔ Festi — the perfect top-down guide for understanding directions
✔ Splashie — hyper clear intarsia

For advanced players who want to challenge themselves in a mirrored way

✔ Twist & Shout — twists
✔ Mondrian — geometric patterns that are easy to reverse
✔ Tulip Vest — stylish intarsia, perfect for fine-tuning tension management

Conclusion: you can knit exactly how you want, with whichever hand you want 💛

We grew up with a left-handed aunt who always told us:
"Knitting adapts to you, never the other way around."

And we're passing it on to you today.
Whether you knit in mirror image, to the right, to the left, or freestyle: there is no “normal way”, just your own.

If you want a first project that's smooth, beautiful, and motivating enough to apply all these techniques, we highly recommend:
👉 Cardichou (the chou vest) : soft, simple raglan, perfect for practicing movements
Or
👉 A free cuddly toy if you want to start without pressure.

And if you want to receive our next tutorials, tips or surprise patterns (including an adorable twisted pattern 👀), you can sign up here:
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