How to fix a dropped stitch in less than a minute
It has happened to all of us! No matter if you are a newbie or an advanced knitter, a stitch will fall off when you set your knitting down, pop off the end of your needle in your bag, or fall off while you are watching tv and aren't paying close attention. First thing, don't panic! Here is what you have to do:
1- Pick a small crochet hook. A double-pointed needle works too, but I honestly find the hook to work better and faster. I even have a mini crochet hook that works miracles!
2- Identify where the slip stitch is. Look at your fabric from the right side, and you will spot an unusual nub or gaping row of ladders.
3 - With the right side of the fabric facing you, spread out all the stitches on your needle so that those loose strands of yarn above the dropped stitch are stretched out and clearly visible.
4- Put the hook through the loop of the dropped stitch from the front to the back, then catch the bottommost strand in the ladder, and pull it through the loop. You have moved up a row. Keep doing this till you reach the top row.
5- When the stitch has reached the top of the needle, it’s time to rejoin it with the rest of the stitches. Making sure you didn't leave any strands unpicked, keep the drop stitch on the crochet hook, as shown in the video. Start knitting until the point where you meet the dropped stitch, place the dropped stitch back onto your main needle (making sure it is untwisted), and continue knitting.
MY TOP 3 TIPS ON PICKING UP STITCHES —
1- It's important to always make sure you did not leave a ladder unpicked before placing the stitch back on the needle. Although it is not the end of the world, it will show in the final piece.
2- Some people will work all the stitches up to the spot where the dropped stitch should be sitting on the needle to pick it up. I don't like this method because I am very clumsy, and I would drop other stitches while working on the dropped stitch.
3- Once you are done placing the dropped stitch on the working needle, your tension may be a bit uneven in the recreated column. You can even the tension about by gently pulling the fabric in all directions.