Technique Tuesday: Fixing Mistakes in Lace

Fixing a mistake in a lace pattern is a process of unknitting a set of stitches and reworking them in the correct pattern. This can be tricky with Lace since the pattern can be more complicated but essentially all you need to identify is what row is correct, rip back to that row and reknit. For the sample lace we have worked a swatch using the chart on the left, the chart on the right indicates the stitches that need to be corrected. Work  up a sample swatch of this chart.

Fixing a mistake in a lace pattern
Begin by identifying which stitches need to be corrected and what row you are currently on in the chart. Since the first chart was finished you should have just finished Row 12, slip stitches from the left needle to the right needle until stitch 3 is between the needles, then drop stitches 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 off the needles. The first row that you remove will be the WS row 14 and I find it helpful to say either WS or RS as I pull out each row, pull out 4 rows of stitches. Place stitches 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, from Row 8 back on the needle (remember right leg front) ready to rework the lace pattern on Row 9 correctly. Using the bottom-most ladder of yarn just like when fixing a single dropped stitch work across the 5 stitches in the correct pattern. For the next row which is a WS row 10, we will try the passing back method to help with tension, pass the 5 stitches back to the left needle evening the tension as you pass. Work the WS row 10 by knitting all the stitches on the RS. In this manner continue working the rows following the chart and using the lowest rung of unpicked yarn.

If you are having difficulty reading a lace pattern it is always a good idea to use a lifeline. A lifeline is a thin smooth piece of yarn or thread that you run through a row of stitches, keeping track of which row you are marking on the chart. Then if you make a mistake that you simply cannot fix, like perhaps an entire row you can take the work off the needles and rip back to the lifeline row with confidence knowing what row it is and that the stitches are held securely with the lifeline.

This is the second last week for Technique Tuesday posts, if you have enjoyed this series or have techniques you are curious about and I have not covered leave a comment!

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Technique Tuesday: Fixing a Miss Crossed Cable

Fixing a miss-crossed cable is a combination of dropping a section of stitches, unknitting them for a series of rows and then reknitting them in the correct pattern. To do this you need to identify the area that the mistake happened in and which stitches needs to be dropped down and reworked. For a sample cable swatch work up the first chart. As you can probably tell there is a miss-crossed cable in this chart. The correct cable that we need to fix is indicated in the red box on the right side chart. To fix this you need to identify the 4 stitches that the cable consists of and drop them from the needles as follows:

Fixing a miss-crossed cable

Begin by identifying which stitches need to be corrected and what row you are currently on in the chart. Since the first chart was finished you should have just finished Row 14, slip stitches from the left needle to the right needle until stitch 4 is between the needles, then drop stitches 4, 5, 6, 7 off the needles. The first row that you remove will be the WS row 14 and I find it helpful to say either WS or RS as I pull out each row, pull out 6 rows of stitches. Place stitches 4, 5, 6, 7, from Row 8 back on the needle (remember right leg front) ready to rework the miss-crossed cable on Row 9 correctly. Using the bottom-most ladder of yarn just like when fixing a single dropped stitch work across the 4 stitches in the correct 2/2 Left Cross. For the next row which is a WS row 10, turn the work around and p across the 4 sts using the next bottom-most ladder. In this manner continue working the rows following the chart and using the lowest rung of unpicked yarn.

Sometimes when reworking a section of stitches the tension can be off on one side or the other. This can be avoided by working every row as a RS row and passing the stitches back to the left needle after every row. This action will help to even the tension across the stitches and make the reworked area blend into the knitting as if it was never a mistake. 

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Technique Tuesday: Fixing a dropped stitch in 1x1 Ribbing and Seed Stitch

Fixing dropped stitches in 1x1 ribbing uses the same techniques as garter stitch except you are working both a RS knit stitch and a WS knit stitch pickup on the same row (at least in this exercise you are).

Fixing a dropped stitch in 1x1 ribbing
With a swatch of active 1x1 ribbing stitches on the needle work across to the middle of the swatch, drop two stitches and allow them (or help them) to unravel at least 4 rows. Place both dropped stitches onto left needle tip right leg forward.

If dropped stitch closest to the tip of the needle is a Knit stitch it needs a to be worked as a RS Knit stitch, if dropped stitch closest to the tip of the needle is a Purl stitch it needs to be worked as a WS knit stitch.

Using the information on the previous page and the diagrams 2.5-2.6  fix the 1x1 ribbing with a combination of RS knit stitches and WS knit stitches.

Fixing a dropped stitch in seed stitch
With a swatch of active seed stitches on the needle work across to the middle of the swatch, drop two stitches and allow them (or help them) to unravel at least 4 rows. Place both dropped stitches onto left needle tip right leg forward.

If dropped stitch closest to the tip of the needle is a Knit stitch it needs a to be worked as a WS Knit stitch, if dropped stitch closest to the tip of the needle is a Purl stitch it needs to be worked as a RS knit stitch.  This is opposite to the 1x1 ribbing as in seed stitch you work the stitch opposite to how it appears. Knit the purl stitches and purl the knit stitches.

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Technique Tuesday: Fixing Dropped Stitches

Essentially a dropped stitch is a loop of knitting that has been dropped off the active needle and is no longer being held, this enables it to unravel down the work. To stop this you must place the dropped stitch onto the left needle right leg forward and work the loops in order up to the active row.

Fixing a dropped stitch in stockinette stitch

With a swatch of active stockinette stitches on the needle work across to the middle of the swatch, drop one stitch and allow it (or help it) to unravel at least 4 rows. 

RS Knit Stitch: Place dropped stitch onto the left needle right leg forward, *insert left needle tip below bottom ladder rung, use right tip to lift stitch over bottom ladder rung and create a stitch, rep from * for remaining ladder rungs.

Fixing a dropped stitch in garter stitch

With a swatch of active garter stitches on the needle work across to the middle of the swatch, drop one stitch and allow it (or help it) to unravel at least 4 rows. Observe whether the last worked row was a knit row on the WS or the RS, you can count rows down from the active row to help you decide. If you need to work  a RS knit stitch, work as above, if you need to work a WS knit stitch work as below, alternate between a RS knit stitch and a WS knit stitch for pattern. 

WS Knit Stitch: Place dropped stitch onto the right needle right leg forward, *insert right needle tip below bottom ladder rung and bring active stitch behind ladder rung with active stitch still on needle and ladder rung across tip of right needle, use left tip to lift stitch over bottom ladder rung and create a stitch; rep from * for WS knit stitch. 

Garter stitch can also be fixed by working a RS knit stitch then turning the work and working another RS knit stitch. 

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Technique Tuesday: Tinking or Unknitting your work.

Tinking or Unknitting is a method used to go backwards a few stitches in your work to fix a mistake. This technique is perfect for a mistake worked in the current row, or to go back to an area that has a mistake lower down.

In standard knitting all stitches are placed on the needle with the right leg in front. 

Tinking a Row

With a swatch on the right needle observe the 1st active stitch on the needle, place the left needle on the top of the loop of the active stitch and follow one leg of the loop down into the lower stitch inserting the needle into the lower stitch. Pull this lower stitch onto the left needle and pull out the active stitch loop to unknit that stitch.  Repeat for remaining stitches of row on swatch.

When unknitting onto the left needle you must insert the tip into the stitch the same direction that the active loop left the stitch so that it is oriented with the right leg in front. Conversely if you are unknitting onto the right needle you need to insert the right needle into the stitch in the same direction that the active loop entered the stitch so the stitch is oriented with the right leg in front.

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Technique Tuesday: Grafting 1x1 ribbing or seed stitch

Kitchener’s can also be used to seamlessly join 1x1 ribbing and seed stitch. This technique is a bit more involved than just the stockinette or garter grafting as it is a combination of the two.

Grafting 1x1 Ribbing

In this case there will be four steps, two for the Knit stitches on each needle and two for the Purl stitches. The first series of steps is for ribbing beginning with a knit stitch, or to get seed stitch that begins with a knit stitch;

Step 1: Insert Tapestry needle pwise into the 1st stitch on the front needle, leave on
Step 2: Insert tapestry needle kwise into the 1st stitch on the back needle, leave on
Step 3: Insert kwise into the 1st stitch on the front needle, slip stitch off, insert kwise into next stitch on the front needle leave on.
Step 4: Insert pwise into the 1st stitch on the back needle, slip stitch off, insert pwise into next stitch on the back needle leave on.
Step 5: Insert pwise into the 1st stitch on the front needle, slip stitch off, insert pwise into next stitch on the front needle leave on.
Step 6: Insert kwise into the 1st stitch on the back needle, slip stitch off, insert kwise into next stitch on the backneedle leave on.

And if your ribbing begins with a purl stitch, or to get seed stitch that begins with a purl stitch;

Step 1: Insert Tapestry needle kwise into the 1st stitch on the front needle, leave on
Step 2: Insert tapestry needle pwise into the 1st stitch on the back needle, leave on
Step 3: Insert pwise into the 1st stitch on the front needle, slip stitch off, insert pwise into next stitch on the front needle leave on.
Step 4: Insert kwise into the 1st stitch on the back needle, slip stitch off, insert kwise into next stitch on the back needle leave on.
Step 5: Insert kwise into the 1st stitch on the front needle, slip stitch off, insert kwise into next stitch on the front needle leave on.
Step 6: Insert pwise into the 1st stitch on the back needle, slip stitch off, insert pwise into next stitch on the backneedle leave on.

If grafting seed stitch both sides need to have the same row worked last, and then choose the grafting steps that begin with the opposite stitch. For example if your seed stitch begins with a knit stitch you will want to graft the instructions for beginning with a purl stitch, and vice versa.

Grafting Seed Stitch

Grafting seed stitch is the same as 1x1 ribbing you just have to make sure that the first and last row are the same and that you are working the opposite row you would work for 1x1 ribbing. So for example if your first and last row of seed stitch begin with a knit stitch you would work a grafting row that begins with a purl stitch. If your first and last rows begin with a purl stitch you would work a grafting row that begins with a knit stitch.

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Technique Tuesday: Grafting Garter Stitch

Garter Stitch is a knit row of stitches worked on every row of the work, as you can see on the diagram below this creates loops around the V’s first to the WS and then to the RS of the work. Garter stitch can also be grafted and is similar to Stockinette stitch grafting with one small but crucial difference; when looking at the grafting laid flat we can see that the upper V has a loop that travels in front of it instead of behind it as in St st.

Grafting Garter Stitch

To work a grafted join on garter stitch the front needle needs to have a row of purl bumps against the needle and the back needle needs to have knit stitches up against the needle. This means that the front needle just worked a WS row with RS facing you, and the back needle just worked a WS with the WS facing the WS of the front needle.

Step 1: Thread tapestry needle with yarn and insert through first stitch on front needle as if to purl,
Step 2: Insert tapestry needle through first stitch on back needle as if to purl, leaving both stitches on the needles.
Step 3: Insert tapestry needle through first stitch on front needle as if to knit and slip it off the needle, go through second stitch as if to purl and leave it on.
Step 4: Insert tapestry needle through first stitch on back needle as if to knit and slip it off the needle, go through second stitch as if to purl and leave it on.

Rep Steps 3-4 for pattern. This pattern is knit, off, purl for both needles.

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Technique Tuesday: Kitchener's Stitch to absorb length

Kitchener’s stitch can also be used to absorb unwanted length in knitting. If you have ever worked a sweater and then decided that it is too long or worked with a summer fiber only to have it stretch and lengthen beyond what you would like then this is a way to shorten the garment without reknitting.

Kitchener’s to absorb length

Begin by threading a contrasting piece of waste yarn onto the tapestry needle, thread this yarn through a row of V’s only threading the needle from back to front through the right hand side of the V. This will serve as a guideline for when you are working the grafting between two rows of knitting. Repeat for a second row of stitches at least 2” lower than the first.

Step 1: Bring the threaded tapestry needle up back to front through the first V on the bottom marked row
Step 2: Bring the tapestry needle behind both strands of the V on the upper marked row
Step 3: Bring the tapestry needle back down through the V you just came up from on the bottom marked row and up through the center of the next V directly to the left.

Repeat Steps 2-3.

A note on fibers: If you are using a 'sticky' fiber such as wool you will want to tension as you go, which means to pull the yarn to the correct tension so the grafted row blends in with the rest of the knitting. If you are using a 'smooth' fiber such as linen you can graft at a looser tension and then after completing a few inches of grafting go along and retension the grafting. This technique is not a good idea for anything with mohair, seriously, just save yourself the insanity.

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Technique Tuesday: Kitchener's Stitch off the needles

Kitchener’s Stitch can also be worked on live stitches that are not on knitting needles. Essentially kitchener’s stitch is simply working a row of duplicate stitch, it has the same needle motions in the same order except it is worked on live stitches instead of overtop completed stitches. This technique is very helpful for fixing holes in knitting.

Rarely does a pattern call for working Kitchener’s stitch over live stitches, one exception is the Mystery Baby Blanket in Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitter’s Alamanac. The blanket is worked as a series of stockinette squares worked in the round, all stitches are left live and then they are all grafted together. I would highly recommend it as a pattern to practice Kitchener’s stitch. 

Kitchener’s Stitch without knitting needles

Begin with two pieces of stockinette stitch, arranged rightside up and flat on a table with live stitches together in the centre. Thread tapestry needle with live yarn:

Step 1: bring tapestry needle up through 1st stitch on bottom piece

Step 2: bring tapestry needle down through 1st stitch on top piece and up through 2nd stitch on top piece

Step 3: bring tapestry needle down through 1st stitch on bottom piece and up through 2nd stitch on bottom piece

Step 4: bring tapestry needle down through same stitch on top that Step 2 came out of, bring up through next stitch to the left

Step 5:  bring tapestry needle down through same stitch on bottom that Step 3 came out of, bring up through next stitch to the left

Continue in this manner always inserting tapestry needle down through the stitch that was worked up through, and always bringing the tapestry needle up through the stitch to the left. You can see how the yarn is worked through the stitches in Diagrams 1.4 - 1.5 below.

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Technique Tuesday: How to read the WS of Stockinette and Kitchener's stitch

Stockinette Stitch (WS)
Stockinette stitch on the WS is a serious of bumps made by the small top of each loop hooking around the base of the next loop. In diagram 1.3 you can see the basic structure of the WS of stockinette stitch.

This Diagram depicts the different rows of stitches and how they look on the WS of Stockinette. Each row on the WS is actually the top of the bottom loop and the bottom of the top loop together that make a bumpy line (shown in green). These lines can be counted as one row when looking at the WS of Stockinette stitch.

Duplicate Stitch cannot be worked into the WS of St st although it does make a nice background for many other kinds of embroidery. Kitchener’s stitch isn’t modified to work on this side either as you would simply turn the work to the RS and work Kitchener’s without modification.

Kitchener’s stitch is a staple knitting technique and is used to join two rows of live stitches together seamlessly. Most patterns call for Kitchener’s stitch to be worked on live stitches that are still on knitting needles, for example closing the toe of a top down sock.

Kitchener’s Stitch on two needles

Begin with two needles that have an equal number of live Stockinette Stitches. Arrange these needles parallel to each other with tips at the same end and WS of Stockinette fabric facing together. Thread live end of yarn into tapestry needle:

Step 1: insert tapestry needle pwise through 1st stitch on front needle, leave on.

Step 2: insert tapestry needle kwise through 1st stitch on back needle, leave on.

Step 3: insert tapestry needle kwise through 1st stitch on front needle, slip stitch off needle, insert pwise through next stitch on front needle, leave on.

Step 4: insert tapestry needle pwise through 1st stitch on back needle, slpi stitch off needle, insert kwise through next stitch on back needle, leave on. 

Rep Steps 3-4 for kitchener’s stitch. 

And easy way to remember the pattern for Steps 3-4 is knit off purl, purl off knit. 

Steps 1-2 are actually only half steps, they are the second action in steps 3 and 4 and set up the kitchener’s stitch, if you miss these your right edge will look wrong.

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Technique Tuesday: How to read your Knitting

How about some technique classes? How about every week? I know sounds good to me too, This week we will start with the structure of basic stockinette stitch, how to read it and how to work duplicate stitch.

Knitting is a structure of loops made in rows, it is a reliable structure where every stitch pattern has a set combination of loops. Because the yarn always loops over the yarn from a previous row in a set pattern it is possible to learn to read your knitting as if different stitches are the letters of the alphabet and different combinations are words. The main difference between reading knitting and reading words is that reading English is done from left to right and reading knitting is done from right to left. To begin to learn how to identify stitches and read  the RS of Stockinette Stitch observe the diagram below.

Stockinette Stitch (RS):

The upper series of loops come from back to front through the lower loop, the red line is the active line of stitches that would be placed on the knitting needle. The purple line is the yarn used to create stitches 3 rows below the active red yarn, you can see how this Purple yarn comes through the loop below it from back to front and then loops beind the Green row worked after it as those stitches come up from back to front through the Purple row.

As you can see the stitches in St st on the RS look like little V’s. This means that when visually counting stitches on the RS of a stockinette stitch fabric you can counts a V for each stitch if counting horizontally and a V for each row if counting vertically.













Duplicate Stitch

Duplicate stitch is a method of applying extra yarn like embroidery to the RS of a piece of knitting. For this exercise cut a piece of contrasting yarn 15” long and thread onto a tapestry needle.

For a row of duplicate stitch : beginning at far right side of knitting bring needle up through a knit stitch V, next bring the needle behind the two strands of the V above, back down through the V you came up through and up through the next V to the left. This route can be seen by following the coloured stitches on the digram 1.2.

For a single stitch of duplicate stitch: work up through the lower V, around the upper V and back into the lower V. Then the yarn can come up through any new V within a reasonable distance.

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