How to Fix a Dropped Stitch

We’ve all done it: dropped a stitch while knitting. Depending on how many rows down that slippery, little sucker fell we may or may not feel the dread of the inevitable: unknitting (aka “tinking”) several rows of precious stitching. One row down is simple: just use the right-hand needle to pick up the loop of the stitch in the row below; place it on the left-hand needle; pull the “rung” or strand of yarn from the current row through the stitch on the needle, letting the other strand drop down over it. Easy-peasy. Once the stitch has ran 2 or more rows down, though things can get a little hairy. The challenge is manipulating the strands of yarn without pulling the fabric so much that it causes the stitch to drop further. Thanks to Clover’s Bamboo Knitting Repair Hook, though you can avoid the stress of stitches gone awry — and in just a few, simple steps. Here’s how to use this cool tool for a quick fix, the next time you drop a stitch!

Step 1:  For Stockinette stitch come up through the loop of the stitch that’s off the needle, slip it onto the Knitting Repair Hook and under the “rung” closest to the stitch.

Step 2: Pull that strand through the loop. Repeat this step for as many times as rows have been dropped.

Tip: I don’t recommend this method for a stitch dropped any more than 5 rows down, or else you may get puckering in the fabric. Sorry, folks; for 6 or more rows, you’ve gotta frog (pull out the rows) it!


Step 3: Place fixed stitch back onto left-hand needle.

Although Garter stitch is easier to knit, it’s actually a wee bit more complicated to fix because you have to mock both the front and back facing stitches. Here’s what I mean:

Step 1: For the purl bump stitches (in garter all rows are knit, but when you knit on the wrong-side of the piece, then the backside of the stitch –which looks like a purl bump–is visible on the right-side), come down through the loop of the stitch that’s off the needle, slip it onto the Knitting Repair Hook, and over the “rung” (below) closest to the stitch.

Step 2: Pull strand through the loop.

Step 3: For knit stitches, work as for Stockinette (see above).

Alternating these two methods every other row, recreates the garter pattern.

Step 4: Place fixed stitch back onto left-hand needle.

Tip: Use the pointy end of the Knitting Repair Hook to lift a rung over the loop, so it’s in the ready position to create the purl bump effect!

Use this tool for your next, stitch snafu — I promise it’ll save time, and make you feel super fancy for knowing a quick-fix method for your favorite craft: knitting!

xx,
Vickie
@vickiehowell