Even the most experienced knitters drop a stitch eventually. It’s inevitable. The stitch may have simply slipped off your needle while knitting, or maybe your working stitches were bunched up too close to the edge of your needle, or perhaps you put that project down mid-row and a small creature, be it cat or kid, got ahold of your yarn. However it happened, you dropped a stitch and now it’s time to fix it!
Many beginning knitters think the only way to fix a dropped stitch is to rip back all your work until you get to the row that the stitch dropped down to. Don’t do it! No matter what the stitch, it’s almost always easier to simply pause in your work to pick it up with a crochet hook. Even multiple dropped stitches can be picked up this way, but for today, we’ll focus on picking up a single dropped stockinette, purl, or garter stitch.
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Check out the video tutorial below from Knit Picks:
Materials
Crochet hook
Crochet hook
Pro Tip: When picking up stitches using the crochet hook method, be sure not to pull on your work or allow the needles to drop. This will pull the dropped stitch even further down, creating even more work!
Written Pattern
Picking up Knit Stitches
To pick up a knit (stockinette) stitch, insert your crochet hook through the front of the lowest knit stitch in your work (this is the last live stitch that has not become undone in the dropped column). Hook it around the bar (or dropped stitch) immediately above the knit stitch. Pull the bar from back to front through the knit stitch, dropping the first knit stitch off your hook. The bar has now become your new live (or working) stitch. Repeat until you have picked up all bars. Slide the final live stitch back onto your left-hand needle (inserting needle through the front of the stitch). Continue on in pattern as written.
Picking up Knit Stitches
To pick up a knit (stockinette) stitch, insert your crochet hook through the front of the lowest knit stitch in your work (this is the last live stitch that has not become undone in the dropped column). Hook it around the bar (or dropped stitch) immediately above the knit stitch. Pull the bar from back to front through the knit stitch, dropping the first knit stitch off your hook. The bar has now become your new live (or working) stitch. Repeat until you have picked up all bars. Slide the final live stitch back onto your left-hand needle (inserting needle through the front of the stitch). Continue on in pattern as written.
Picking up Purl Stitches
To pick up a purl (or reverse stockinette) stitch, use your crochet hook to pick up the bar (or dropped stitch) immediately above the lowest purl stitch in your work (this is the last live stitch that has not become undone in the dropped column). Move the bar in front of your live purl stitch. Insert your crochet hook through the back of the live stitch. Hook it around the bar. Pull the bar from front to back through the purl stitch, dropping the first purl stitch off your hook. The bar has now become your new live (or working) stitch. Repeat until you have picked up all bars. Slide the final live stitch back onto your left-hand needle (inserting needle through the front of the stitch). Continue on in pattern as written.
To pick up a purl (or reverse stockinette) stitch, use your crochet hook to pick up the bar (or dropped stitch) immediately above the lowest purl stitch in your work (this is the last live stitch that has not become undone in the dropped column). Move the bar in front of your live purl stitch. Insert your crochet hook through the back of the live stitch. Hook it around the bar. Pull the bar from front to back through the purl stitch, dropping the first purl stitch off your hook. The bar has now become your new live (or working) stitch. Repeat until you have picked up all bars. Slide the final live stitch back onto your left-hand needle (inserting needle through the front of the stitch). Continue on in pattern as written.
Alternately, if you’re knitting a flat project (like a scarf), simply turn your work around so that the wrong side faces you. On this side, a purl stitch becomes a knit/stockinette stitch. Then, simply follow the pattern above for picking up knit stitches. Just be sure to remember to turn your work around again and resume knitting on the right side.
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Picking up Garter Stitches
To pick up a dropped garter stitch, you’ll have to inspect your work to figure out whether you’re picking up a knit stitch or a purl stitch. If your live stitch is coming through the front of the stitch immediately below it, you are holding a knit stitch and need to follow the pattern above for picking up a purl stitch (as each row in garter stitch alternates between knit and purl). If your live stitch is coming through the back of the stitch immediately below it (directly behind the “bump” of a purl), you are holding a purl stitch and need to follow the pattern above for picking up a knit stitch.
To pick up a dropped garter stitch, you’ll have to inspect your work to figure out whether you’re picking up a knit stitch or a purl stitch. If your live stitch is coming through the front of the stitch immediately below it, you are holding a knit stitch and need to follow the pattern above for picking up a purl stitch (as each row in garter stitch alternates between knit and purl). If your live stitch is coming through the back of the stitch immediately below it (directly behind the “bump” of a purl), you are holding a purl stitch and need to follow the pattern above for picking up a knit stitch.