Spot the mistake and decide whether to fix it

The first step is figuring out what went wrong and whether it matters enough to fix. A dropped stitch—one that has slipped off the needle—will unravel downward if you leave it. A twisted stitch (where the loop sits backwards on the needle) creates a visual flaw but won't spread. A yarn-over in the wrong place or a knit stitch where you meant to purl will show as a hole or bump in the pattern.

If the mistake is more than a few rows back and only visible from the inside, or if it's in a seam that will be hidden when the garment is sewn together, you can often leave it. If it's in a visible spot on the front of the piece, on the other hand, most knitters fix it. The decision depends on how much the error bothers you and how much work the fix will take.

Key Takeaways

  • A dropped stitch must be picked up when ready or it will ladder down; use a crochet hook to pull the loop back onto the needle.
  • For mistakes one or two rows back, you can drop the stitches down to the error row, fix the problem, and knit back up.
  • Mistakes more than a few rows back usually require unknitting (pulling yarn to undo stitches one at a time) or frogging (ripping back to the error and reknitting).
  • A twisted stitch can be fixed on the next row by knitting into the back of the loop instead of the front.
  • Keep a crochet hook and stitch markers in your knitting bag so you can fix problems as soon as you notice them.

Pick up a dropped stitch with a crochet hook

A dropped stitch is the most urgent mistake because it will unravel downward like a ladder if you ignore it. The fix is straightforward: use a crochet hook (one size smaller than your knitting needles works well) to pull the dropped loop back up through the rows below it.

Insert the crochet hook through the dropped loop from front to back. Catch the horizontal strand of yarn that sits above it (the strand that should have gone through the loop). Pull that strand through the loop. Repeat this process for each row the stitch has dropped, working upward until the stitch is back at the correct row. Then place the loop back on your knitting needle. If the stitch is near the edge, use a stitch marker or safety pin to hold it in place while you work.

Fix mistakes one or two rows back by dropping stitches down

If you notice an error only a row or two above your current needle, you can drop the stitches down to the mistake row, fix the problem, and knit back up. This is faster than unknitting stitch by stitch.

First, place a stitch marker in the row where the error sits. Slip the stitches off your needle one at a time, letting them drop down to the marked row. Use your crochet hook to pick up each stitch at the error row, fix the knit or purl as needed, and then knit the stitches back up to your working row. This method works best when the mistake is a single stitch or a small section, not an entire row of errors.

Unknit stitch by stitch for mistakes further back

Unknitting means pulling the yarn to undo stitches one at a time, working backward from your current row to the row with the error. It is slower than dropping stitches but gives you complete control and works for any distance.

Hold the needle with your working stitches in your left hand. Insert your right needle through the stitch below the one on your left needle, from back to front. Pull the working yarn to undo the stitch above, and the loop will come off onto your right needle. Repeat this for each stitch you need to undo. Once you reach the error row, fix the problem and knit forward again. Unknitting is tedious but reliable, especially if you are working in a complex stitch pattern where dropping stitches risks tangling the yarn.

Frog back to the error when unknitting takes too long

Frogging means ripping out your knitting back to the row with the mistake. The name comes from "rip it, rip it"—frog, frog. This is the fastest way to fix a mistake that is many rows back, but it requires you to pick up all the stitches again.

Pull the working yarn to unravel the knitting until you are one row above the error. Place a stitch marker or safety pin through each loop on that row to keep them from dropping further. Carefully pull the yarn to unravel the last row. Then use your needle to pick up each loop from the marked row, making sure each stitch faces the correct direction. Knit forward from there. Frogging works best on stockinette stitch (knit and purl rows that look smooth) because the stitches are straightforward to see and pick up.

Fix a twisted stitch on the next row

A twisted stitch sits backward on the needle—the right side of the loop is in front instead of the back. It creates a tight, distorted-looking stitch. If you catch it on the row after it happens, you can fix it without unraveling.

When you knit into a twisted stitch on the next row, insert your needle through the back of the loop instead of the front. This reverses the twist and the stitch will sit correctly. If you do not notice the twisted stitch until several rows later, you will need to drop it down or unknit back to it, because knitting into the back of a stitch several rows down is difficult and risks dropping other stitches.

Prevent mistakes by checking your work regularly

The easiest fix is to catch the mistake before it becomes a problem. Every few rows, set your knitting down and look at the last row you completed. Check that each stitch sits on the needle correctly and that the pattern matches what it should be. If you are following a stitch pattern, count your stitches at the end of each pattern repeat to make sure you have not accidentally added or dropped one.

Use stitch markers to divide your work into sections. Place a marker after every 10 stitches, or after each repeat of a pattern. Markers make it easier to spot where an error happened and easier to count stitches if something goes wrong. Keep a crochet hook and a few safety pins in your knitting bag so you can fix a dropped stitch the moment you notice it, before it unravels further.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size crochet hook should I use to pick up a dropped stitch?

Use a hook one size smaller than your knitting needles. A hook that is too large will stretch the loops; one that is too small will be hard to work with. If you do not have the exact size, a slightly smaller hook works better than a slightly larger one.

Can I fix a mistake if I have already bound off?

Yes, but it is more difficult. You will need to carefully unravel the bind-off row, pick up the stitches, fix the error below, and bind off again. For this reason, many knitters check their work before binding off and fix any visible mistakes while the stitches are still live on the needle.

What if I drop a stitch and do not notice for several rows?

The stitch will have unraveled into a ladder. Use a crochet hook to pick up the dropped loop and pull it back through each rung of the ladder, working from the bottom up. This takes patience but the stitch can be recovered as long as you have not cut the yarn.

Is it better to unknit or frog?

Unknitting is safer because you control each stitch and can stop at the exact row you need. Frogging is faster but requires you to pick up all the stitches again, which can be tricky on textured stitches. For a mistake only a few rows back, unknit. For a mistake 10 or more rows back, frogging is usually worth the time.

How do I know if a stitch is twisted?

A twisted stitch looks tight and slanted, different from the smooth V-shape of a normal knit stitch. Hold your knitting up to the light and look at the base of each stitch where it sits on the needle. If the right side of the loop is in front instead of the back, the stitch is twisted.