Left-handed crocheting is not a separate technique from right-handed crochet, it is the exact same stitches worked as a mirror image, hook in your left hand and yarn tensioned through your right. I am right-handed myself, but I learned this setup to help a left-handed friend, and the fastest fix I found was literally holding a phone up to a mirror while watching right-handed tutorials. This page walks through that mirrored setup directly instead.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make a slip knot and place it on your hook, held in your left hand like a pencil or like a knife, whichever grip feels steadier.
- Hold the yarn in your right hand, weaving it through your fingers to control tension, the mirror image of a right-handed grip.
- Wrap the yarn over the hook from back to front, then pull it through the loop on the hook to make your first chain stitch.
- Repeat that same motion to build a foundation chain of about 10 to 15 stitches for practice.
- To work your first row of single crochet, insert the hook into the second chain from the hook, yarn over, and pull through.
- Yarn over again and pull through both loops on the hook to complete the stitch, then repeat across the row.
Common Mistakes
Two problems show up constantly for new left-handed crocheters, and both have a fast fix.
- Tension too tight or too loose: weave the yarn through an extra finger or drop one you are using, adjusting until stitches slide along the hook smoothly without flopping loose.
- Miscounting the turning chain: count out loud after every turn for your first several rows, since losing count here is the single most common reason a beginner’s rows drift wider or narrower over time.
Watching a right-handed video and mentally flipping every instruction is genuinely tiring at first. I recommend holding a phone or tablet up to a mirror and watching the reflection instead, since your brain processes a mirrored video far more naturally than a manual left-right translation in your head. My own left-handed friend confirmed this cut her learning time down by more than half compared to trying to translate manually.
Frequently asked questions
Does the turning chain count as a stitch?
It depends on the stitch you are working. In single crochet, the turning chain usually does not count as a stitch, so you work your first real stitch into the same space as the last stitch of the row below. In taller stitches like double crochet, the turning chain typically does count as the first stitch of the new row, which is worth double-checking against your specific pattern.
Can a left-handed person learn from right-handed crochet videos?
Yes, and the easiest way is holding a phone or tablet up to a mirror and watching the reflected video, since that flips the motion automatically without you having to translate left and right in your head. Written patterns work the same regardless of hand dominance too, since the stitch instructions themselves do not specify a direction.
Do left-handed crocheters need special hooks?
No, a standard crochet hook works fine in either hand, since the tool itself has no handedness built in. Some ergonomic hooks with a molded grip are marketed as left-handed or right-handed, but a plain hook works identically no matter which hand holds it.
Wrap Up
Left-handed crochet is a mirror image of right-handed crochet, not a separate skill, and the mirror-video trick solves most of the early confusion around watching tutorials. Once the slip knot and first row feel steady, move on to yarn over in crochet to build speed on the motion you will repeat more than any other.