Left-Handed Filet Crochet: Reading and Mirroring Charts
Written by the Filet Crochet Chart Builder team · Updated
A filet chart only ever records two things per square: block or space. That grid has no handedness of its own, so nothing about reading one is exclusive to right-handed crocheters. What differs is the direction that feels most natural to read and work in, and that is easy to adjust for.
The grid itself is not handed
Filled and open squares mean the same thing no matter which hand holds the hook — a block is a block, a space is a space. Left-handed and right-handed crocheters work the same stitches, just built in mirrored directions, so any chart in this library is already a complete, correct pattern to work left-handed.
Reading rows in a comfortable direction
Right-handed and left-handed work is typically a mirror image of each other, so a chart that feels natural to read in one direction for a right-handed crocheter often feels more natural read in reverse for a left-handed one. There is no single rule that fits every crocheter — the most reliable approach is to work the first couple of rows both ways on a scrap swatch and keep whichever direction feels smoother.
Mirroring a chart in the editor
If you would rather start from a flipped layout than reverse it in your head, open any template in the editor and use Flip horizontal in the tool rail to mirror the whole grid. That gives you a chart that reads in the opposite direction from the original, ready to print, with every block and space in exactly the same relative place.
Working comfortably
Mark the corner you start each row from directly on a printed chart, so it stays consistent even if you set the pattern down mid-project. A row counter removes the need to recount rows from the bottom every time you pick the work back up, which matters more than which hand you hold the hook in.
Ready to try it?
Open the editor