Undoing Mistakes

3 Methods:

1. Frogging and lifeline – Rip it, rip it

2. Dropping stitches (on purpose, or accidental)

3. Tinking – Knitting in reverse

What method to use

1. Frogging and lifeline – when you’re doing an especially complex pattern, such as lace or cables, or spot a large mistake many rows down

2. Dropping Stitches – when you’ve accidentally dropped a stitch, or see a small mistake some rows down

3. Tinking - When you’ve spotted a mistake earlier in the same row or the row below

The Big Exception

• Lace knitting uses a variety of techniques to achieve a specific texture and pattern

• Lace relies on the previous row being a specific way to make the next row work, and tinking or dropping stitches can become messy and confusing fast

• When knitting lace, use a lifeline and frogging as your primary unknitting method

Key Concept – Visualizing the Stitch• The Golden Rule: Stitches should always have the right leg over the

needle when you look at them• True for knit or purl

• The end goal of all these methods is to restore stitches to this configuration

Technique 1 - Frogging and Lifelines• Frogging – Rip it!

• Don’t be aggressive when frogging, even if it’s tempting• Sometimes you can get knots or tangles while frogging – it’s okay to cut the

yarn and rejoin it once you’ve frogged down far enough

• Running a lifeline• Use a slightly thinner, strong thread/yarn in a contrasting color• Easiest when the lifeline row is still on the needles, but doable after the fact• A lifeline should follow the rule – right leg in front

Where to place lifelines• Where it makes sense!

• Most complex patterns have repeats, so lifelines should be placed at the beginning/end of each repeat

• Some patterns have a “relief” row that is all knit or all purl, lifelines work best on those rows

• Avoid placing lifelines on rows with increases/decreases

• Leave lifelines in as you go, in case you mess up frogging a section and need to frog down to the next lifeline

Lifeline and Frogging PracticePlace a lifeline 4 rows down and frog to the lifeline, then place stitches back onto needle

Technique 2 - Dropping a stitchFixing an accidental dropped stitch

1. Don’t panic!

2. Stop the stitch from unraveling further - follow the golden rule

3. Slip stitches or knit to dropped stitch

4. Use crochet hook to grab dropped stitch and reknit it• Can use knitting needles in a pinch, but crochet hook is easier

Dropping a stitch on purpose

• Same technique as fixing an accidental stitch

• Before dropping stitch, place a stitch marker or other stopper in the stitch below the problem stitch

Dropping a stitch – practiceDrop a stitch, then knit it back

Technique 3 - Tinking• “knit” backwards

1. Make sure working yarn is on correct side of knitting• In front for purl, in back for knit

2. Insert left needle into stitch below the one on the right needle• Follow golden rule

• Pay more attention to the final product than making it look “right” immediately

3. Slide new stitch off right needle and pull on working yarn to unravel

1 2 3

Technique 3 –Tinking multiple stitches at once

Tinking - PracticeTink a row of stitches, or however many you need to do to feel comfortable

1 2 3

What method to use

1. Frogging and lifeline – when you’re doing an especially complex pattern, such as lace or cables, or spot a large mistake many rows down

2. Dropping Stitches – when you’ve accidentally dropped a stitch, or see a small mistake some rows down

3. Tinking - When you’ve spotted a mistake earlier in the same row or the row below