Every knitter, be it a beginner or a seasoned expert will come across a dropped stitch in their knitting projects. A dropped stitch is a common knitting mistake that generally happens if you are tired or distracted or if the yarn+needle combination is slippery. Generally, a dropped stitch is a loop that has come off the knitting needle tip unworked. These unknitted stitches if left out will surely unravel the knitted fabric so you need to fix the stitch. Whether you work on a pair of single-pointed needles (STNs), a set of double-pointed (DPNs) or the versatile range of circulars for knitting round or back and forth, you might come across this mistake. But like all knitting mistakes, if caught in time can be easily corrected.

To fix a dropped stitch all you need is your knitting needles, a repair hook or a crochet hook (a size smaller than the knitting needle). In knitting, there are only two basic stitches - knit and purl. All other stitch patterns are a combination of both so, you need to know how to fix a dropped stitch on both. Many times you can work the dropped stitch on the wrong side of the pattern but many projects are reversible so you need to neat fix the stitch.

There are many ways to avoid this mistake but if you have made this mistake, then there are three options to get it fixed.

Option 1 – Pick up the Stitch

Once you spot the dropped stitch, place a locking stitch marker on it to secure it and prevent it from ripping out other stitches. If you are in the middle of the row or round, complete it first and continue to knit till you get to the stitch on the same column as the dropped stitch. Get to the dropped stitch and pick it up on the knitting needle. You can use a repair hook or a crochet hook to insert the hook into the dropped loop. If you do not have both then work with the tip of your knitting needle and pick up the dropped stitch. Once you have the loose loop on your needle make sure to pick the stitch from the back.

Above the dropped stitch the unworked yarn makes horizontal bars called ladders. You need to pick the dropped stitch through these ladders securing, each one by one till you get to your knitting needle. Just be careful to not twist the stitch and keep an eye that the stitches face the same direction as the other stitches on your needle. 

Option 2 - Tink or Unknit 

Once you spot the dropped stitch and it is only a few stitches then the best option is to tink or unknit. Tink is knit spelled backward and this is what it does - to knit backward and unknit the mistake. Work out the stitches backward till you get to the dropped stitch and pick it up on the knitting needle. The only thing to remember is that when you tink you will lose some knitted stitches so make sure to mark the stitch with a marker and in the pattern.

Option 3 - Frogging

Some knitting mistakes call for ripping out stitches and starting fresh. This works best if you have many dropped stitches or if it’s a complex pattern such as lace or brioche. The British Olympic diver Tom Daley recently quoted, “When you make a mistake in knitting and you have to unravel everything and start again, remember that you’re not starting from scratch, you’re starting from a place of experience”. This is the best advice for all new and seasoned knitters in the face of a knitting mistake.

All these three methods work no matter what knitting project, style or technique you are working with. But that is not all, even after you've finished knitting you may find a dropped stitch. You cannot undo the bind-off or pick the dropped stitch up because it will be too tight. However, you can still fix the dropped stitch. Simply pick up the stitch work through the ladders (if any) and then secure the stitch through the back with a piece of yarn. Use a darning needle or pointy tip to fix the dropped stitch with yarn as neatly as possible.

Dropped stitches are nothing to despair. They are easy to fix but you can easily avoid this using a lifeline. A lifeline can be any waste piece of yarn in a contrasting colour or a white or transparent shade of dental floss that can be threaded on the project. Or, choose to work with interchangeable circular knitting needles that have a lifeline hole on the needle.

The Mindful Collection assists with the mindful practice of knitting for all kinds of knitters. The range of stainless steel knitting needles is ideal for all knitting projects and needs.

Source: https://mindfulknitterspride.bcz.com/2023/04/05/how-to-fix-a-dropped-stitch/