Example. When I cast on, I don’t used the long-tail method. Never learned it. I’ve decided that I don’t like the backward loop method because it is too loose. So, I create a slip knot, put it on the needle in my left hand and proceed to knit, putting the stitch back onto the left needle. When I’ve cast on enough stitches, I just start knittng. I’ve been working on a Heart Sachet (from Knitting Daily free patterns) that requires the backward loop cast on. When I do this, I cast onto the left needle, which was the way I was taught. Well, I was having problems with a particular square and attempting the follow the directions but they just didn’t make sense to me. So I asked for help from an experienced sock knitter.

Needless to say, our conversation went like this.
Me: “the directions say to cast on 12 stitches and then pick up 10 from the last square. but when I do this the cast on stitches are on the wrong side, I just don’t understand.”
Experienced Sock Knitter: “what do you mean they are on the wrong side?”
Me: “well, when I have the first row cast an and start to knit it, the picked up stitches should be on the left-hand side of the needle and the cast on stitches should be on the right – which are the stitches that I should start to knit with.”
Experienced Sock Knitter: “well, the directions make sense to me, so show me what you are doing.”
Me: I attempt to start casting on (onto the left needle)
Experienced Sock Knitter: “Wait – you should cast onto the right needle, not the left”
Me: “what do you mean? I’ve always cast onto the left needle…”
Experienced Sock Knitter: “I’ve never cast onto the left – you’re supposed to cast onto the right needle….give that a try.”
Me: “but that’s backwards….I can’t do it this way…why can’t I just cast onto the left needle?”

So we went back and forth about that for a while and we eventually worked out a way for me to keep my brain on track by casting onto the left needle while adapting the directions to allow for this. It made things much easier. I’ve come to realize that most knitters cast onto the right needle. Me bad. What do I know?