Common Knitting Mistakes: Picking Up a Dropped Stitch
It’s easy to drop a stitch when knitting but it’s even easier to pick up a dropped stitch.
By Susan B. Anderson
September 2016
Cover courtesy Artisan Books
In Susan B. Anderson’s Kids’ Knitting Workshop (Artisan Books, 2015) the author sends the message that anyone and everyone can knit. The patient and engaging instructions are geared towards children 8-12 but can help anyone of any age learn the basic skills of knitting. This excerpt comes from chapter 5 “Fixing Your Mistakes.”
Photo by Lauren Volo
Picking Up a Dropped Stitch
Every once in a while, a stitch will jump off your needle unexpectedly and run down your knitted fabric. This is called a dropped stitch. A crochet hook is helpful for picking up dropped stitches. Follow these steps and you’ll be back on track very quickly.
Step 1: Knit to the place where you see the dropped stitch in your knitting and stop. The dropped stitch should be in between your needles.
Illustration by Alison Kolesar
Step 2: Slip a crochet hook into the loop of the dropped stitch, which may be only one row or round down from where you’re knitting, or a bunch of rows or rounds down.
Illustration by Alison Kolesar
Step 3: You will see strands of yarn going in between the stitches of the knit fabric, one on each row or round above where your dropped stitch is. Place the crochet hook under the strand that is closest to the stitch on the crochet hook.
Illustration by Alison Kolesar
Step 4: Pull the strand through the stitch on the crochet hook. You have now picked up 1 stitch.
Illustration by Alison Kolesar
Step 5: Repeat going under the strand running between the stitches and pulling it through the stitch on the crochet hook until all of the strands are pulled through, and you are back up to the knitting needles.
Illustration by Alison Kolesar
Step 6: Place the stitch on the crochet hook on the left needle.
Illustration by Alison Kolesar
Step 7: Now you are ready to continue on with your knitting as usual!
Illustration by Alison Kolesar
Tip: To pick up a purl stitch, turn the fabric around so the knit side is facing you, and then pick up the stitch following the steps above.
More from Susan B. Anderson’s Kids’ Knitting Workshop:
• Tinking Back
• Frogging
