Many thanks for your comment, @jaynie.

I haven't done a lot of cross-stitching so it would be great to see some of your work.

I think it's always good to have a hobby or a pastime that will help you learn skills and make you feel a sense of achievement when you complete a project.

Pity about that teacher who put you off knitting. A very quick search on You Tube gave me this tutorial on knitting for left handers. There are other tutorials too; You Tube has been a good source to get help for techniques and stitches.