The Lefty Debate

On Ravelry, there is a discussion about teaching left handed people to knit. I have been under the common assumption that if you teach a knitter to knit, left handed, they would have to re-write the patterns or work everything backwards, thereby creating more confusion than necessary.
I also assumed that since knitting is a 2 handed sport, it wouldn't be any more difficult for a leftie to just learn the "right" way. I shared my thoughts on a board which was discussing the subject, and man did I ever get my head bitten off. The Lefties are rabid about this stuff! I tossed their anger aside, and figured it was just leftover feelings of being oppressed by society for being left handed. I heard a lot of venom about how unfair it was that righties would force their handedness on lefties, and it just made me think, "well how silly is that?"

It turns out, I may have been wrong. One single woman on ravelry replied to me in a very courteous manner, explaining that patterns do not have to be rewritten and that even though its a 2 handed sport, allowing lefties to learn in the way that is most naturally comfortable will make them better knitters after all. She invited me to learn to knit left handed, in an effort to show me physically, that the patterns will be just fine, and in exchange for doing this, she sent me a copy of her pattern book, "Novel Knits". Her name is Ann Kingstone, and she is on Ravelry as AnnKingstone, and her website is AnnKingstone.com

So, I took her advice and found the right youtube vids for learning to knit left handed, and I am now 10 rows in on a garter stitch swatch. I am really excited to learn this technique, and after i master it, I will be able to show my left handed friends who learned to knit righty, how to knit more comfortably, leftie style. A Big thank you to Ann Kingstone, for being kind in your reply to me, and for offering to share your insight, and for the pattern book as well! (I was expecting a single pattern, but she threw in the whole book!) You are a very generous person and I look forward to learning to knit, lefty style. :)

My mind has been opened!

mmmmm hat ear warmery goodness.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/capucine

This is whats on my needles right now. I'm very excited about finding this hat, because I like to walk at night and my ears get SO cold, even with my coat hood up, the wind just blows in there and makes me hurt. This hat will stop that, and let me enjoy my midnight moon worship walks!