Picking Up a Dropped Knit Stitch

By
Sarah E. White
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Sarah E. White
Sarah E. White is a highly regarded knitting expert with over two decades of hands-on crafting and writing experience. She has authored three books on the subject, including "Quick and Easy Baby Knits," and was an editor for the website Love to Know Crafts.
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Updated on 04/01/20
pick up dropped knit stitch

The Spruce

Project Overview
  • Total Time: 5 mins
  • Skill Level: Intermediate

Dropping a stitch is not an uncommon mistake, even amongst experienced knitters. You may feel that there's nothing to be done and you'll have to start from scratch. Fortunately, it's simple to fix, and you won't be able to tell there once was a hole when the project is finished. This trick is perfectly handy for projects large and small and could be the difference between finishing a project and stopping it out of frustration.

Follow these steps to fix your dropped stitches in just a few minutes. By the time you're done, you'll have learned something that could save you a whole lot of time in the future. Just be sure to pass on the knowledge to fellow knitters.

1:37

Watch Now: How to Pick Up a Dropped Stitch

Featured Video

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • 1 Set of knitting needles
  • 1 Crochet hook

Instructions

  1. Locate the Dropped Stitch

    The first step in fixing a dropped stitch is noticing that you have a problem. Here you can see the dropped stitch between the seventh and ninth stitches from the left side of the picture.

    Dropped knit stitch.
    The Spruce / Sarah White

  2. Knit to the Stitch

    To fix the dropped stitch, you first have to work your way over to the stitch. Just knit all the stitches up to the spot where your dropped stitch should be sitting on the needle.

    Knit to the dropped stitch.
    The Spruce / Sarah White

  3. Insert the Crochet Hook

    Using a crochet hook that will easily hook the yarn you are working with, slide the crochet hook into the dropped stitch from front to back. Then grab the loose horizontal piece of yarn closest to the loop, grabbing it from behind and pulling it through the loop of the stitch.

    Using the crochet hook.
    The Spruce / Sarah White

  4. Continuing to Pick up the Stitch

    If your stitch has slipped down more than one row, continue working, in the same manner, to get back to the row you were knitting before you stopped to fix the dropped stitch.

    When you're back to the top, just slip the loop back onto the right-hand needle and knit the stitch. Lastly, finish knitting the row as normal. Now your project should be fixed, and nobody will be able to tell that there was once a dropped stitch.

    Continuing to pick up the stitch.
    The Spruce / Sarah White