How to Fix a Dropped Knit Stitch (Without Crying)
Learn how to fix a dropped stitch in knitting (without the tears) in this step-by-step tutorial below. For even more tutorials head to my knitting tutorial page.
Dropped a stitch? Take a deep breath. We’ve all been there. Whether it slipped off your needle mid-row or you noticed a little ladder several rows down—yes, the panic is real. But don’t reach for the tissues just yet. I’m going to walk you through how to fix a dropped stitch in knitting, step-by-step, and I promise you can do this (without crying, even if it was six rows back on your lace panel).
I used my go-to yarn, KnitPicks Heatherly (affiliate link), for this tutorial, which is soft, springy, and shows stitch definition beautifully—perfect for spotting (and fixing) mistakes. I also grabbed my trusty size 6 Clover Bamboo knitting needles (affiliate link) and a Lantern Moon crochet hook (affiliate link), and you’ll want to keep a spare needle or a crochet hook handy as we get into the nitty gritty of rescuing that runaway stitch.
Let’s dive in!
Why It’s So Important to Know How to Fix a Dropped Stitch in Knitting
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been knitting—if you knit, you’ve dropped a stitch. And when it happens, knowing how to fix a dropped stitch in knitting can mean the difference between calmly correcting a mistake or angrily ripping out ten rows you already knit..
Dropped stitches can unravel down several rows if not caught, especially in smooth yarns or looser gauges. The good news? It’s almost always fixable, and you don’t even have to frog a thing.
Tools You’ll Need to Fix a Dropped Stitch
Here’s what I used in the tutorial and what I recommend having in your knitting emergency kit:
- KnitPicks Heatherly yarn (affiliate link) – or whatever yarn your project uses.
- Size 6 Clover Bamboo needles (affiliate link) – or the needles you’re currently using.
- Lantern Moon crochet hook (affiliate link) – or any crochet hook close in size to your needles.
- A spare knitting needle (for one of the techniques below).
- Stitch markers (optional but helpful to mark your dropped stitch when you spot it).
Step-by-Step: How to Fix a Dropped Stitch in Knitting With a Spare Needle
This method is great when you don’t have a crochet hook nearby, or if you’re already in the middle of a row and want to stay in your knitting flow.
1. Find the Dropped Stitch
Look for the loop that’s hanging loose below your current row. You’ll see a little ladder of horizontal bars above it—that’s the evidence of your stitch dropping.
2. Pick Up the Dropped Stitch With Your Spare Needle
Insert your spare needle into the loose loop from front to back. You’re now holding the dropped stitch steady.
3. Use the Horizontal Bars to Rebuild the Stitch
Working from the bottom of the ladder up:
- Use your working needle to pull the bottommost bar of the ladder through the stitch loop.
- Each time you pull a bar through the loop, you’re recreating the knit stitch.
- Repeat this for each horizontal bar until you reach the current row.
4. Slip the Rescued Stitch Back Onto Your Working Needle
Once you’ve rebuilt all the stitches, simply slip the loop back onto your working needle and keep knitting like nothing ever happened.
Step-by-Step: How to Fix a Dropped Stitch in Knitting With a Crochet Hook
This is hands-down the easiest and fastest method (especially with that gorgeous Lantern Moon crochet hook (affiliate link)).
1. Grab the Dropped Loop With Your Hook
Find the lowest point the stitch dropped to and insert your crochet hook through the loop from front to back.
2. Pull Each Horizontal Bar Through the Loop
Using your hook, pull the next horizontal bar (the ladder rung above the loop) through to make a new stitch.
Repeat this process, working one bar at a time from the bottom of the ladder up, until you’re back at the top.
3. Place the Final Stitch Back on Your Needle
Once you’ve climbed the ladder, slip the loop back onto your working needle, and you’re good to go!
What About Purl Stitches?
Yep, you can fix those too! The method is the same, but instead of pulling the horizontal bar through the loop from front to back (like for knit stitches), you’ll pull it from back to front for a purl stitch. It’s a little trickier, but very doable with a crochet hook.
When You DON’T Want to Frog (Trust Me)
Sometimes, you’re knitting a project where frogging a few rows feels downright tragic. Think long rows or hundreds of stitches in the round. If you’ve dropped a stitch in one of those, fixing it right where it is will save your sanity.
Here are a few patterns where I absolutely do not want to frog unless absolutely necessary:
Rosemary Cardigan Free Pattern
When you’ve got really long rows/rounds with high stitch counts, fixing a mistake, a split ply or a dropped stitch without frogging saves you HOURS of work!
See It in Action: Video Tutorial
If you’re a visual learner like me, don’t miss the full video tutorial on my YouTube channel. I walk through both methods step-by-step, using KnitPicks Heatherly yarn (affiliate link) and my Lantern Moon crochet hook (affiliate link) so you can follow along with the exact tools I used. Whether you’re a lefty or a righty, I’ve got you covered with slow-mo close-ups and no confusing jargon.
Bonus Tips for Avoiding Dropped Stitches in the First Place
Of course, knowing how to fix a dropped stitch in knitting is important—but it’s even better if you can prevent them!
Here are a few quick tips:
- Keep an eye on your stitch count. If something feels off, check sooner rather than later.
- Don’t knit when you’re too tired. Ask me how I know.
- Use stitch markers for lace or complex stitch patterns.
- Tug the working yarn gently after each stitch to tighten it slightly—just enough to keep it secure but not so much that it messes with your tension.
- Lay your work flat occasionally to scan for issues, especially before binding off!
Why It’s Totally Normal (and Okay!) to Drop a Stitch
Knitting isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress, patience, and problem-solving. You’re not a “bad knitter” if you drop a stitch. You’re just a knitter. And now that you know how to fix a dropped stitch in knitting, you’ve got one more tool in your toolbox for the next time life (or your yarn) throws you a curveball.
More Tutorials You Might Like
If this post helped you, you’ll love the tutorials on:
- How to Bind Off Knitwise
- How to Do Judy’s Magic Cast On
- How Ts Do the Tillybuddy’s Very Stretchy Cast-On
You can find all of them (and more!) on my Knitting Tutorial page.
Let’s Chat!
Have you ever dropped a stitch in the middle of a complex lace row or miles into a top-down cardigan? Tell me about it in the comments—bonus points if your story ends with “and I didn’t cry!”
And if this post saved your project (and your day), I’d love to hear about it. 
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through those links—at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog and free content!
The post How to Fix a Dropped Knit Stitch (Without Crying) appeared first on The Knit in the Womb Blog.
Comments
Post a Comment