How To Fix A Dropped Stitch Knitting

How to fix a dropped stitch in garter stitch

A step-by-step tutorial on fixing mistakes when knitting garter stitch. How to pick up dropped stitches and ready holes.

I brainstorm past assuming you just dropped a stitch, you are in full panic mode, and y'all are afraid that y'all merely ruined all your hard piece of work. Nonsense! In that location is an easy mode to rescue your project and this tutorial will evidence you exactly how to fix a dropped stitch in garter stitch.

a swatch in harter stitch with a dropped stitch several rows down and a huge hole

Just first of all, I want you to take a deep breath, calm down, and secure the dropped stitch. Considering if yous don't, and so that cavalcade of stitches will unravel all the way down to your cast-on edge. It would be still fixable and then but it will take so much more time.

Reading tip: Here'due south how to fix a dropped stitch for stockinette stitch, etc

securing the dropped garter stitch with a stitch marker so it doesn't unravel any further anymore

If you lot have a stitch marker, then yous can apply that. A spare needle, a condom pivot, or maybe even a pencil will all do the job. Simply find something you can slip the stitch on. It really doesn't matter. Information technology'southward just an interim solution if things already unraveled for several rows. If it's just one row, you tin usually lift it on your left or right needle (scroll all the way down to see that).

Now, before I testify you how to fix the dropped sew, we need to talk about the anatomy of this knitting stitch design. As you lot probably know you create the cloth by knitting a simple knit stitch across all rows. And a knit stitch volition announced similar a purl stitch from the wrong side. That'south why y'all can besides purl all stitches to create the same fabric (often called contrary garter stitch), and you need to switch between purl and knit stitches when you knit garter stitch in the round.

Why is this important? Well, because whenever you want to fix a dropped stitch, you will be working from one side. And this ways y'all take to re-create a knit stitch for every right side row and a purl sew for every wrong side row.

Let's show how to practice that.

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Active Time 5 minutes

Full Time 5 minutes

Instructions

Place if your dropped sew is located on a right side or a wrong side row. If it has a picayune V underneath, and so the next stitch y'all need to create is a purl stitch. And if at that place is this piddling bump at its base, it's a purl stitch, and the adjacent row volition be on the right side.
Insert your crochet hook into the stitch from the front end (and remove whatever yous used equally a conditional means).

My dropped stitch has a little bump (and so information technology'due south a purl stitch), and that ways I have to offset by recreating a knit stitch in the next row.
(Note: If you starting time on the right side, skip to step 4 then go back to step three)
Pull the adjacent strand that connects the two stitches above your dropped stitch through the loop.

This will recreate a knit stitch. As I said, the strand needs to be in the dorsum of your stitch. If there are several rows above, absolutely make certain that you didn't accidentally pull through a strand two or three rows in a higher place. Sometimes they sag quite a flake and it'southward a scrap harder to meet.
Secure the knit stitch you only recreated with your fingers and remove your crochet hook. And now re-insert your crochet claw into the dropped sew together from behind and from under the strand connecting the ii stitches in the next row. It needs to terminate up beingness in front of your run up.
Pull the strand you merely brought to the front through the loop.
Repeat steps 3-5 until you are back to your current row and lift the stock-still sew back on your left needle.

Notes

Make sure that yous don't accidentally twist your stitch in the last step. If it is, insert your correct needle into the stitch from backside and skid it over. And so slip it back to the left needle (signal to point). Otherwise, you volition cease up with a knit through dorsum loop stitch here.

Sometimes you find the mistake as well tardily. If yous already knitted across a couple of rows, this method won't piece of work. That's because for the last couple of rows, there volition not exist a large enough bar between 2 stitches.

In this case, y'all accept to carefully unravel your projection for several rows until in that location is a strand you can work with again. If y'all clasp in the stitch anyway, it will be very noticeable in the cease.

Also, if you dropped several stitches side past side, the method works only the aforementioned. You lot start with the stitch closest to ane border, repair all the way to the current row, slip the fixed stitch back to the left needle, and option up the next dropped stitch, etc.

Exist aware that in that location is a limit to this technique, and at a sure indicate it'due south probably meliorate to unravel as the repaired cloth will expect a bit wonky if it'southward as well big a stretch that unraveled. But if it's just one row, then it's quite invisible.

If you don't have a crochet hook, yous tin can likewise try to fiddle the yarn through with a spare needle. If you back upward the dropped stitch with your fingers, things normally work out too. Not ideal but usually doable.

Reading tip: 15 common knitting mistakes and how to fix them

Fixing a run up without a crochet claw

a single dropped stitch which unraveled only one row of garter stitch

Sometimes, your knitting only unravels i row. In this instance, you lot tin also ready the dropped sew together using your knitting needles. It requires a bit of shuffling effectually but it will yet be faster than fetching your crochet hook.

Step i: Pick up the dropped stitch with your left needle.

slipping the dropped garter stitch stitch back onto the left needle

Make certain the strand/bar between ii stitches is in front. If information technology isn't, you lot need to bring it to the front end with your fingers.

Step 2: Insert your right needle into the dropped stitch coming from behind and going underneath the strand/bar.

inserting the left needle into the dropped stitch from behind going underneath the strand

Pace 3: Purl the dropped stitch (then pull the strand through).

pulling the yarn/dropped strand all the way through with your right knitting needle

Step iv: Slip the rescued stitch back to the left needle and continue knitting as normal.

slipping the fixed stitch back to the left needle so you can continue knitting in garter stitch

This method likewise works if you already two rows unraveled. But in this example, you would take to "knit" first earlier you follow these steps. If it's more than 2 rows, it ordinarily doesn't piece of work and then yous will absolutely demand a crochet claw. I, at least, always have it in my project bag (here's a post with all the things I have in my knitting toolkit).