What picking up stitches means and when you need it
Picking up stitches means using your needle and yarn to create new loops along an existing edge of your knitted fabric — usually along a vertical side edge, a horizontal cast-on or bind-off edge, or around a neckline. You are not unraveling anything. Instead, you are anchoring fresh stitches to the existing fabric so you can knit in a new direction from there.
You pick up stitches when you want to add a border, knit a collar, create sleeves on a garment you knitted flat, or join pieces together. It is one of the most common finishing techniques in knitting, and the difference between a picked-up edge that looks intentional and one that looks sloppy comes down to where you insert your needle and how consistently you space your new stitches.
Key Takeaways
- Pick up stitches by inserting your needle under one or two strands of yarn at the edge of your fabric, then pulling new yarn through to create a loop on your needle.
- Along a vertical edge, pick up one stitch for every row, or one stitch for every 1.5 rows if your gauge is tight, to avoid bunching.
- Along a horizontal edge (cast-on or bind-off), pick up one stitch in each stitch, unless the edge is very loose, in which case skip every third or fourth stitch.
- Use a needle one size smaller than your working needles to keep picked-up stitches from looking too loose or gappy.
- Mark your starting point and count as you go, because it is straightforward to lose track and end up with too many or too few stitches.
Picking up stitches along a vertical edge
A vertical edge is the side of your knitted piece — the edge you see when you look at the rows stacked on top of each other. This is where most beginners pick up stitches, usually to add a border or sleeve.
Insert your needle under the two horizontal strands of yarn that sit between the outermost stitch and the edge. These strands form a small V-shape at the edge of each row. Push your needle through from front to back, then wrap your working yarn around the needle as if you were knitting, and pull the new loop through. You now have one stitch on your needle. Repeat this motion down the entire edge.
The spacing rule for vertical edges is: pick up one stitch for every row. If your knitting is very tight or your yarn is thin, you may need to pick up one stitch for every 1.5 rows instead — skip every third row occasionally — to avoid a bunched or wavy edge. Count your rows beforehand and mark the edge with safety pins or scrap yarn every 10 rows so you know where to pick up.
A common mistake is picking up stitches too far from the edge, which creates a gap between the picked-up stitches and the body of the fabric. Stay as close to the edge as possible without actually going into the outermost stitch itself.
Picking up stitches along a horizontal edge
A horizontal edge is a cast-on or bind-off edge — the top or bottom of your piece. Picking up here is straightforward because you have a clear stitch to aim for.
Insert your needle under the entire stitch (both strands of the V), then wrap and pull through as before. Pick up one stitch in each stitch across the entire edge. This works because horizontal stitches are already evenly spaced by definition.
The exception is a very loose cast-on or bind-off. If your edge looks stretched or wavy, skip every third or fourth stitch as you go. You can tell this is necessary if the edge curls or if the stitches look noticeably larger than the rest of your fabric.
Picking up stitches around a neckline or armhole
Necklines and armholes combine vertical and horizontal edges, so you will use both techniques in one go. Start at a corner — usually the shoulder seam — and work your way around.
Along the vertical parts of the neckline, pick up one stitch per row (or one per 1.5 rows if needed). Along the horizontal bind-off edge at the center front or back, pick up one stitch per stitch. At the corners, you may need to pick up an extra stitch or two to avoid a hole or a sharp angle. Knit a few rows and look at the result — if the corner looks too pointy, you skipped too many stitches; if it looks loose, you picked up too many.
Needle size and yarn choices for picked-up stitches
Use a needle one size smaller than the needles you used for the main body of your piece. This prevents the picked-up stitches from looking loose or creating a visible gap. Once you have picked up all your stitches and knitted a few rows, you can switch back to your original needle size if the pattern calls for it.
Use the same yarn you used for the body, or a yarn of the same weight if you are adding a contrasting color. If you are picking up with a much thinner or thicker yarn, the stitches will look uneven and the edge will not sit flat.
Counting and marking as you pick up
Before you start, count the rows or stitches on the edge you are picking up from. Write the number down. Then, as you pick up, count every stitch you create and mark every 10 stitches with a safety pin or a piece of scrap yarn in a contrasting color. This takes an extra minute but saves you from picking up 47 stitches when you needed 50, or 63 when you needed 60.
If you reach the end and your count is off by one or two stitches, you can usually hide the difference by working a decrease or increase in the first row of your new section. If you are off by more than that, it is worth pulling out and starting again — a miscount now means an uneven edge later.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
The most common mistake is picking up stitches too far from the edge, which leaves a visible gap. The second is picking up too many stitches along a vertical edge, which makes the edge wavy or ruffled. The third is picking up too few stitches, which makes the edge tight and pulls the fabric out of shape.
If you pick up and realize you have made a mistake, you have two options. If you have only knitted one or two rows, pull out those rows and pick up again. If you have knitted several rows, you can sometimes fix a gap by going back and picking up an extra stitch or two in the gap with a crochet hook, then securing it to the row above. This is not perfect, but it works in a pinch.
If your picked-up edge looks wavy, you picked up too many stitches. Next time, use the one-per-1.5-rows rule from the start. If it looks tight and pulled, you picked up too few — aim for one per row, or even one per 0.75 rows if your gauge is very loose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I pick up stitches from the front or the back of my work?
Pick up from the front (the side facing you). Insert your needle under the strands of yarn at the edge, working from front to back. This creates a neat, finished look on the side that will be visible when you wear the garment.
What if I pick up too many stitches and realize it halfway through?
Stop, count what you have, and decide whether to continue or pull out. If you are only a few stitches over, you can work a decrease or two in the first row to bring the count down. If you are significantly over, pull out and start again — it is faster than fixing it later.
Can I pick up stitches with a crochet hook instead of a knitting needle?
Yes. A crochet hook can actually be easier for beginners because you create one loop at a time and do not have to balance stitches on a needle. Once you have picked up all your stitches with the crochet hook, transfer them to a knitting needle and continue knitting normally.
How do I pick up stitches if my edge is very uneven or curled?
Block your piece first — wet it, pin it to shape, and let it dry. This evens out the edge and makes it much easier to see where to pick up. If the edge is still uneven after blocking, pick up slightly fewer stitches and space them as evenly as you can by eye.
What is the difference between picking up stitches and picking up and knitting?
Picking up stitches creates loops on your needle that you will knit in the next row. Picking up and knitting does both in one motion — you insert the needle, wrap the yarn, and pull through, all in one step. The result is the same; picking up and knitting is just faster once you are comfortable with the motion.