fixing knitting Archives - La Visch Designs

tutorial – fixing an edge stitch

It can happen that an edge stitch goes wrong I mean, you’re knitting merely along, and you work a purl stitch where it should have been a knit stitch. And, of course, we only see it when a couple of more rows have been worked. No worries, though, it can be fixed! Fixing an edge stitch is a bit more complex to correct than previous mistakes. This is because you are not dealing with just 1 thread per step, but with a loop that covers 2 rows. We are also dealing with garter rib stitch, instead of stockinette stitch. That said, it’s still very doable if you know the tricks.

So, in this post I’ll show you to fix this!

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color 142 Tea Rose.

A crochet hook in the same size or slightly smaller than your knitting needles. For example, this Pony Aluminum Crochet Hook in size 4 mm.

You will also need a couple of extra crochet hooks or stitch markers to keep the loops of yarn under tension. This will enable you to identify both parts of the loop and work them back up in the correct order.

Fixing an edge stitch step by step

Let’s get started! In this tutorial, I’m using the swatch I also used in previous tutorials on fixing things in knitting.

First, we have to identify the exact spot where the edge stitch went wrong.
Do you see it? It’s right next to the tip of the knitting needle!
Drop the edge stitch down, until you’ve reached the stitch that went wrong.
In this picture, I’ve used some spare crochet hooks to keep the loops of yarn under tension. This way, it’s easier to see that each loop has 2 strands of yarn to use to work the stitches back up. If you’d cover the right side of the picture, it would look exactly like dropping a stitch in the middle of a piece of knitting!
Do you see that the first stitch, directly underneath the main crochet hook, is a knit stitch? This means that the first stitch to be worked back up, needs to be a purl stitch if we work it from the right side.
You can, of course, turn the work and work the stitch up as a knit stitch. However, with an edge stitch I find it easier this way, to keep the edge loops under tension. While under tension, I can more easily see which strands to grab, and in which order.
To work the stitch up as a purl stitch, make sure that the thread of yarn directly above the stitch is positioned in front of the work, and insert the crochet hook from top to bottom through the stitch.
Like this:
Pull the thread through the loop on the crochet hook to complete the purl stitch.
Now it looks like this: (I’ve removed the crochet hook, because I will have to position it differently for the next stitch).
Next is working a knit stitch: Make sure the thread of yarn is behind the work, and insert the crochet hook from bottom to top into the stitch.
To complete the knit stitch, pull the thread through the loop on the crochet hook.
It will look like this:
Repeat steps 4 to 7 once to work the next garter stitch ridge up.
For the final stitch, we repeat steps 4 and 5 once more, using the thread going to the ball of yarn.
With this, you’ve fixed the entire column of edge stitches!

And that is how to go about fixing an edge stitch gone wrong! You are now ready to continue with your project.

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tutorial – fixing a forgotten shaping yo in a triangle shawl

In an earlier tutorial, I already showed you how to fix a forgotten yo. However, fixing a forgotten yarn over becomes a tad more complex if it’s a shaping increase. Take, for example, a typical top-down triangle shawl, with increases on both outer edges, and on both sides of the central spine stitch. But, no fear, when such a shaping increase has been forgotten, it’s still very much possible to fix it without ripping out all your work back to the -place where the error occurred.

So, in this post I’ll show you to fix a forgotten yarn over, used as a shaping increase. Specifically for the situation that the lack of the increase hasn’t been noticed until several more rows have been worked.

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color 142 Tea Rose.

A crochet hook in the same size or slightly smaller than your knitting needles. For example, this Pony Aluminum Crochet Hook in size 4 mm.

Fixing a forgotten shaping yo step by step

Let’s get started! In this tutorial, I’m using the swatch I also used in previous tutorials on fixing things in knitting.

First, we have to identify the exact spot where the increase is missing.
Do you see it?
The yo is missing in between the two columns of stitches above the yo’s that are there.
The two horizontal threads, in the center of the yellow circle, is where we need to work our magic. You can count both the garter stitch ridges in the border, and the shaping yo’s that have been worked, to know how many rows have been worked since making the mistake. In this case, that’s 4 rows.
Let’s start fixing! Insert the crochet hook as shown from bottom to top underneath the two horizontal threads…
…. and pull the top thread through the one below to make the yarn over.
Now we can ladder the work back up! To see which threads should be used to ladder up the rest of the stitch column, you can pull the two columns of stitches slightly apart above.
There are 4 horizontal threads, just like we deduced earlier.
To ladder the work back up, insert the crochet hook underneath the lowest horizontal thread directly above the new yo (the 4th horizontal thread down), and pull the thread through the loop already on the hook to make a new knit stitch.
Repeat this (for stockinette) as often as needed until you’ve run out of threads to pull through to make the new column of stitches above the yarn over.
The end result!
The new yarn over and stitches above it, will be a bit tight when compared with the surrounding stitches. But, this will usually even out with some blocking.

And that is how to fix a forgotten shaping yo! You are now ready to continue with your project.

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tutorial – fixing a forgotten m1

Fixing a forgotten m1 increase - a tutorial by La Visch Designs

In an earlier tutorial I already showed you how to fix a forgotten yo. But, of course, that’s not the only type of increase that can be forgotten. What about fixing a forgotten m1? Personally, I have a very big aversion against ripping out my work, just because I forgot one teeny tiny stitch a couple of rows back. I mean, it certainly is an option, but I consider it to be more of a last resort type of option.

So, in this post I’ll show you to fix a forgotten m1 increase, specifically for the situation that the lack of the increase hasn’t been noticed until several more rows or rounds have been worked. I’ll address it for both the m1l and m1r variations of the increase.

Materials used

Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color 142 Tea Rose.

A crochet hook in the same size or slightly smaller than your knitting needles. For example this Pony Aluminum Crochet Hook in size 4 mm.

Fixing a forgotten m1 step by step

Let’s get started! In this tutorial I’m using the swatch I also used in previous tutorials on fixing things in knitting.

First, go to the spot in your knitting where the m1 increase should have been.
Let’s assume we’ve forgotten to work the increase at the spot indicated by the crochet hook. If you look carefully, you can see horizontal threads between the 2 columns of stitches.
Let’s assume we’ve forgotten the m1 increase 4 rows down.
Now insert the crochet hook from top to bottom underneath the 5th horizontal thread.
Next, twist the crochet hook 180 degrees to twist the loop on the hook.
The direction depends on the type of m1 increase you want to make. Twist it 180 degrees clockwise for a left leaning increase (m1l), or 180 degrees counterclockwise for a right leaning (m1r) increase. In the picture below the loop has been twisted, see how it sits more snugly on the crochet hook?
Now we can ladder the work back up!
To do so, insert the crochet hook underneath the horizontal thread directly above the new m1 (the 4th horizontal thread down), and pull the thread through the loop already on the hook to make a new knit stitch. Repeat this (for stockinette) as often as needed until you’ve run out of threads to pull through and place the stitch on the left-hand needle. Below you can see the result.

Now you’re ready to continue your knitting!

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tutorial – correcting a wrongly worked purl stitch

If you’ve ever worked some sort of patterning in your knitting, you know it can happen easily: a short distraction. And when your attention is somewhere else a purl stitch is worked instead of knit stitch, or vice versa. It may even be that you won’t notice it until several more rows or rounds have been worked.

Personally, I have a very big aversion against ripping out my work, just because I made a little mistake a couple of rows back. I mean, it certainly is an option, but I consider it to be more of a last resort type of option.

So, in this tutorial I’ll show you how to deal with a wrongly worked purl stitch that should have been a knit stitch.

Materials used

Yarn: * Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color 142 Tea Rose.

A crochet hook in the same size or slightly smaller than your knitting needles. For example this * Pony Aluminum Crochet Hook in size 4 mm.

Fixing the wrongly worked stitch step by step

In this example, 2 stitches next to each other are purled instead of knitted in the stockinette fabric. Since there are only 2, I correct them one by one and not at the same time.

1. First, slip the stitches purl-wise from the left-hand needle to the right-hand needle, until you reach the first wrong stitch.

2. Drop this stitch and ladder down up to and including the purl stitch.

3. Since we want to create stockinette stitch fabric, we now insert the crochet hook through the correct stitch directly below the laddered-down purl stitch from the front to the back.

4. Next, ladder your way up again by inserting the crochet hook underneath the horizontal thread directly above the hook, and pulling the thread through the loop already on the hook to make a new knit stitch. Repeat this until all horizontal threads have been worked. After this you can place the stitch back unto the knitting needle.

5. Next, repeat steps 1 to 4 for the next wrongly worked purl stitch. The result should look something like this:

Fixing the wrongly worked stitch step 5.

But what if I need to fix a knit into a purl?

Good question! Well, as you know the wrong side of a knit stitch is a purl stitch and vice versa. So, the easiest way to fix the reverse situation as pictured in this tutorial, is to just turn your work so the wrong side is facing! This way you’ve got the exact situation as pictured here.

If you do want to ladder up a purl stitch, do the following:

1. To start, move the next horizontal thread directly above the stitch from the back to the front of the work.

2. Next, insert the crochet hook into the stitch from the back to the front, grab the loose thread and pull it through the stitch on the hook.

If you’d like pictures with these last steps, take a look at the second part of my tutorial on how to fix a dropped stitch in garter stitch.

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tutorial – fixing a forgotten yo

Fixing a forgotten YO - a tutorial by La Visch Designs

If you’ve ever knit lace or eyelet-patterning you know it can happen easily: a short distraction. And when your attention is somewhere else a yarn over or yo is forgotten and all patterning and shaping is thrown off-course. It may even be that you won’t notice it until several more rows or rounds have been worked.

Personally, I have a very big aversion against ripping out my work, just because I forgot one teeny tiny stitch a couple of rows back. I mean, it certainly is an option, but I consider it to be more of a last resort type of option.

So, without further ado, here a way to fix that forgotten yo without issues and stress!

Materials used

Yarn: * Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color 142 Tea Rose.

A crochet hook in the same size or slightly smaller than your knitting needles. For example this * Pony Aluminum Crochet Hook in size 4 mm.

Fixing a forgotten yo step by step

1. First, go to the spot in your knitting where the yo should have been. If you look carefully, you can see horizontal threads between the 2 columns of stitches. Do you also see the left-leaning decrease, 4 stitches down on the left-hand needle?

Right next to it is where the forgotten yo should have been. This means we need to insert the crochet hook from bottom to top underneath threads 3 and 4, counting from the needle down.

2. Next, pull the top thread through the other one on the hook to create the yarn over or yo.

3. The next step is to insert the crochet hook underneath the horizontal thread directly above new yo and pull the thread through the loop already on the hook to make a new knit stitch. Repeat this (for stockinette) as often as needed until you’ve run out of threads to pull through and place the stitch on the left-hand needle.

Now you’re ready to continue your knitting!

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tutorial – fixing a dropped stitch

It can happen just like that: a dropped stitch in the middle of your work! When using a somewhat “sticky” yarn, it is usually a matter of putting the stitch back on the needle and continuing to knit. With a smooth yarn, however, it may be that the stitch ladders down in your work….

Do not panic, though! A dropped stitch really isn’t that hard to fix. Especially when the project is still on the needles and you’re not dealing with patterning and shaping. So, in this tutorial, I’ll show you how to fix a dropped stitch in the middle of a piece of stockinette knitting.

Materials used

Yarn: * Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color 142 Tea Rose.

A crochet hook in the same size or slightly smaller than your knitting needles. For example this * Pony Aluminum Crochet Hook in size 4 mm.

Fixing a dropped stitch step by step

1. First, grab your crochet hook and catch the fallen stitch before it ladders even further down!

2. Take a look at the last stitch that sits correctly in the fabric and the stitch directly below it: Here we have stockinette stitch. This means that we, therefore, insert the crochet hook through the stitch from the front to the back.

Catch the wayward stitch with your crochet hook.

3. Next, insert the crochet hook underneath the thread directly above the dropped stitch…

4. … and pull the thread through the loop already on the hook to make a new knit stitch.

5. Repeat steps 4 and 5 (for stockinette) until you have run out of threads to pull through.

6. Place the stitch back on the knitting needle and continue knitting as if nothing happened!

An that’s all there is to it! Really not that hard, right?

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