fixing lace 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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fixing damage in ready-made knitwear

Last week, I was approached by a colleague about fixing damage in a garment: she had bought this lovely gold knit cardigan. But when she came home, she found this large laddered down area at the back neck of the garment. She could, of course, bring it back to the store, but it was the very last one they had available in her size. So, she approached me to see if I could perhaps fix it.

I must admit that I’m not too keen on mending, in the sense that I don’t particularly enjoy the process of mending itself. The concept of mending, however, is something I very much endorse. One of the best ways to minimize your environmental footprint, is to make sure to maximize the lifespan of the products you use. When examining this particular garment, mending actually seemed doable because it was indeed regular knitting, and not some complex machine-knit tuck-stitch. And it gave me an opportunity to show you that sometimes ready-made knitwear can be fixed just as nicely as our hand knits can.

So, I gave it a go! In this post, I’ll show you exactly what I did.

Helpful materials

To start, it is pretty handy to have some tools available to make fixing the mistake easier. I used the following:

A circular knitting needle, in a smallish size. Here I used 2.5 mm.
A crochet hook.
Some pins.
A pillow.
A darning needle.
A ball of yarn in a somewhat matching weight and color.

In this fix, I also used some new yarn, because I noticed that the top edge of the garment was consisted of a single thread of yarn holding the live stitches of the back panel. What probably happened, is that the thread snapped near the right shoulder, releasing the stitches and enabling them to run down. I was lucky that the stitches were caught before they ran through the bit of garter stitch below the first lace panel. In other words: the upper edge really needs some reinforcement.

The pillow and pins were used to make sure that your work stays exactly where you need it to be. Also, it helps to see the mistake better when pinned out, instead of all scrunched up like lace tends to be before blocking.

On to the fixing!

To start, I first examined the work. The lace consists of some sort of patterning involving double yarn overs, as well as left- and right-leaning decreases. So, this is the patterning I somehow have to try to replicate.
Once had a picture on how to work the patterning back up, I pinned out my knitting on the pillow as described in this other post of mine, and followed the various steps using my circular needle. I ended up with the below situation.
It’s not perfect, but being on the back of the garment, I think it’s good enough.
Next, I used the new yarn to bind off these worked-up stitches using the crochet hook and a slip stitch bind-off.
Next, I continued reinforcing the rest of the back panel by edging it with a row of single crochet.
It’s a bit hard to see in the above picture, but the newly bound-off part is not as high and looks a bit different from the rest of the edge. So, I also worked a bit of single crochet over that part of the edge. Better!
Finally, I checked the garment for other potentially weak spots. And yes, I did find them… The shoulder seams were serged, but the finishing was such that the edges of the serged length were unraveling due to a lack of enough locking thread.
So, I fixed that too on both shoulder seams.

And there you have it, this is how I went about fixing damage in this garment! A fixed ready-made cardigan that can now at least be worn. I think my colleague will be happy!

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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 – 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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fixing a mistake in lace knitting

This post is all about my recent confrontation with fixing a mistake in lace knitting. As you may have seen if you’re following me on Instagram or Facebook, I’ve been happily knitting along on my latest design using Nurturing Fibres Super Twist Sock in “Odette” and “humbug”. I got mine from Wol zo Eerlijk, a lovely store with lots of environmentally friendly and fair trade yarns. Anyway, there I was, in the home stretch, with only 10 more rows of edging to go before the bind off. It was then that I saw it: a mistake in my lace, 9 rows down!

When I found the mistake in the pink border of my Pink Monarda shawl pictured, I had about 320 stitches per row. So no, I was not going to rip out all that work! Instead, I dropped down only 8 stitches to the place where I made the mistake. After that was correcting the error, followed by knitting everything back up to the row I was on.

In this post, I’ll show you exactly what I did!

Helpful materials

To start, it is pretty handy to have some tools available to make fixing the mistake easier. I used the following:

A set of DPN’s (double pointed needles) in the same size as the needles used in your project, or smaller.
A crochet hook.
Some pins.
A pillow.

Fixing a mistake in lace knitting with La Visch Designs

On to the fixing!

1. To start, I pinned out my knitting on the pillow. I did this in such a way that I could clearly see a repeat of the lace pattern that was knitted correctly, as well as the one with the mistake in it. I slipped some of the stitches on one of the DPN’s to help fixate the whole better on the pillow. Can you see in the picture below where the mistake is?

2. The mistake is in the left half of the repeat, near the 4th yarn over, counted from the needle. Can you see it? In the picture below, I have indicated it with the circle.

3. In this particular case, it wasn’t necessary to drop down the whole repeat. Instead, I only dropped the 8 stitches on the left half of the repeat. I dropped down until I reached the purl row exactly below the row with the mistake in it.

When approaching the row below the mistake, I stopped ripping back and started to carefully tink (tink = knit backward!) further back, catching the released stitches with another DPN. It is especially important to do it like this when working with very slippery yarn. If you don’t take care, the knitting may run deeper down than desired, thus increasing the amount of fixing to do.

The yarn from every row dropped, I pinned to the pillow, going from left to right. This made sure nothing got tangled, and I could easily count the number of dropped down rows. This, in turn, made it easier to see where to pick up the chart when knitting it back up.

4. Then it was a matter of knitting back in pattern. As you can see, you use the free loop of yarn, just as you would use the thread running to the ball of yarn. If you find it challenging to catch the thread correctly to pull it through a stitch, you can always use the crochet hook to assist with this.

5. Because of the way I manipulated the yarn through the stitches, some of the stitches got mounted twisted. In the picture below, you can see that the left leg of the stitch is in front of the needle, instead of at the back. This really is no problem, but it is something to pay attention to. To correct this, I knitted these twisted stitches through the back loop.

6. And here you see the result: all fixed! The loose stitches you can see next to the re-knitted stitches are because of the tension on those threads when manipulating the dropped down stitches. This should, however, correct itself during blocking. If it’s still a tad visible, you can redistribute the excess yarn a bit over the various stitches.

7. And this is how to go about fixing a mistake in lace knitting. Now on to knitting those final rows of this shawl…

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