Yarn Hands

[DecemberFlower]

This topic applies to knitters.

Do you carry your yarn in your left or your right hand? How does that compare to your regular "dominant hand"?

I'm asking because I was reading Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman, and she mentions that it seems that left-handers pick up carrying yarn in their left hands, and right handers take to carrying yarn in their right hands. I thought that was incredibly odd, since I'm right-handed, yet I immediately took to carrying yarn in my left hand. At the moment, I'm trying to train my right hand to carry yarn, and it's all "WTFNO". lol

I just was curious to know if the handedness observation is actually true or not.  

[Story From The Stars]

I'm the exact same way. I'm VERY right-side dominant, but I always carry the yarn with my left hand. I think it might be because I was taught to crochet first, carrying yarn with my left hand, so it feels natural to me.
I also think that it gives me a little more control over the dominant needle(the right, the one that you move the most).
It's not true, and you should just do what's most comfortable for you. It doesn't really make a difference.  

[gemini6184]

Thats kind funny. I'm right handed, and I do fall into that observation. However my roommate it left handed and knits right handed, but carries the yarn in her left hand, which is strange lol  

[Brunette_Star]

I tend to carry the yarn in my right (dominant) hand as well, but you should use whatever hold is comfortable for you.  

[kochi~mochi]

i started with crochet, so i hold my yarn the same way for knitting - with my left hand (i'm right handed). It seemed more natural to move the needle more then the yarn, since with crochet i move the hook more then the yarn. Plus, thats how my sister knew how to knit, and she clarified things for me when i was confused.  

[Zahra Ovaci]

I'm left-handed, but the person who taught me was right-handed, and because she knew continental (left-handed carry) that's what I'm most comfortable with. I can knit english when I need to, for stranded colorwork and such, but I'm not as proficient. And purling in english just seems to make my brain stall O.o I can also "knit back backwards", though, which is knitting from the left to the right, with the right side of the work facing, and the stitches facing the same way as regular right-handed knitting (as opposed to mirrored knitting, where the stitches are facing the other way, common in leftie knitters). I hold the yarn in my left hand for that too, though for that row I'm throwing with my left. It's actually easier for me to purl back backwards than to purl forwards in english. If you're a knitter who does a lot of stockinette-based stuff knit flat, I heartily recommend learning to knit back backwards.  

[MicroMiniMuffins]

It depends on what kind of mood I'm in.
I prefer to knit continental, because it goes faster for me, and for that I carry it in my left hand. However, when knitting how I was taught or when I'm purling, I use my right hand.  

[Smillaaraq]

Yet another right-hander-carrying-left who started with crochet here. smile  

[Story From The Stars]

Wow.
From what I'm seeing here, if you learn to crochet first, you're WAY more likely to carry the yarn in your left hand.
Interesting. I should poll the people I know that do both.  

[hyper_azn_girl]

yup ^_^
i learned to crochet first, so i knit and carry the yarn with my left hand (i hold the yarn different ways though. I hold it the way i usually do when i crochet and the way i was taught to when i learned how to knit xD)  

[LadyAnubis]

storyfromthestars

I'm the exact same way. I'm VERY right-side dominant, but I always carry the yarn with my left hand. I think it might be because I was taught to crochet first, carrying yarn with my left hand, so it feels natural to me.
I also think that it gives me a little more control over the dominant needle(the right, the one that you move the most).
It's not true, and you should just do what's most comfortable for you. It doesn't really make a difference.

You took the words right out of my mouth. 3nodding  

[Sir Camm]

I know I started off carrying with my right (dominate) hand and everyone I've taught have started with their right hands. Learning to knit was pretty confusing for me, (and sometimes I felt like my yarn had a mind of it's own) so it made sense to use my dominate hand since I could work it best.
I'm trying to learn Continental, but my left hand just doesn't seem as versatile as my right. It seems so weird to carry the string with my left, you know? It's like running around on muscles that haven't seen exercise for a year. The unused hand just feels kinda.. weak.

Most of the lefty knitters I know have no problem carrying the yarn with their right hands though. It's really cool. Maybe lefties are innately ambidextrous?  

[DecemberFlower]

Wow, lots of interesting replies here.

I wonder if my time experimenting with crochet in Girl Scouts (it never stuck) influenced how I carry my yarn in knitting. Probably not, but it's still interesting to think about. xp

And I wasn't asking for advice on which hand to use. I'm definitely sticking with my left as the main carrier of my yarn. I'm just trying to practice using the right hand for colorwork and stuff. 3nodding  

[Peppermint Elf]

I'm going to be the odd one and say "BOTH!" xd

When I knit, I carry with my left. When I purl, I carry with my right. I haven't figured out a comfortable/stable way to carry left handedly when I purl. sweatdrop