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Monday, April 26, 2010

Starting Out...


I never learned to knit as a child. I'm left handed and at school it was considered impossible for a left handed child to knit! I never complained - I was put at the back of the classroom during knitting lessons with books to read instead and I love reading. My Mom and Gran both tried teaching me but in a mirror so that I could learn to go the opposite way to right handed people; since I wasn't actually that keen (having seen the matinee jackets my friends were knitting) I never learnt.

When I was 15, my boyfriend (now my husband) got a motor bike. He wanted a scarf to wear when riding but couldn't find anything suitable so he bought some yarn (for 2 scarves) and needles and asked me to knit him one. I was too embarrassed to admit I couldn't knit and my Mom and Gran were both busy with projects so I went to his Nan and explained my predicament. She said that if after spending a day with her I still couldn't knit then she would knit 1 scarf - not what I wanted but if I didn't learn to knit I would have to admit to him that I couldn't!

Reluctantly I went over for the day and was surprised to find no mirror. Nan didn't know I was left handed. She taught me to knit like she did. I struggled to hold the needles and throw the yarn, so the right hand needle was tucked under my arm, by the end of the day not only was I knitting, I was a knitter and in no time at all 2 extra soft garter stitch scarves were produced.

And the rest as they say - is history!

To visit other blogs taking part - google "knitcroblo1"

3 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing your story! I had to smile when I read about your Nan's teaching technique; I am an arts and crafts teacher, and I recently taught one of my students, who is left handed, to knit in the same way. And he is now knitting slippers for his final assignment. (16 year old boy).

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  2. I'm left-handed too, and I cannot knit left-handed to save my life. I think it's odd though that they assumed lefties can't knit. I'm glad his Nan taught you!

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  3. I so wish they would have taught knitting in school when I was in school. Thanks for sharing your story. I can't believe that didn't even try to teach you in school instead of just shoving you in the back of the room.

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