I picked up my stitches from a provisional cast on (knitted into a crocheted chain), only to find out I’ve lost a stitch!? According to the pattern, this shouldn’t be the case, but it is 
And I didn’t miss a stitch while putting them on the knitting needle. So what on earth is going on?
And as for fixing it: add a stitch to the end, or the beginning? For it is kind of important that they add up…
It’s not uncommon for the first/last stitch of a provisional CO to get lost/dropped in transition.
Sometimes you can pull the end/tail through and recreate the stitch. (required if you need all sts to graft)
Sometimes its best to just inc 1 during the 1st row to get the st count you need. (easier but only doable if you are actually working from the picked up sts).
I don’t recall having the problem of missing a stitch when I use this method. http://www.knittinghelp.com/video/play/provisional-crochet-cast-on
I don’t like bothering with the crochet part if I can avoid it and have used Judy’s Magic Cast On as my provisional cast on. I move the stitches to be held to waste yarn for holding. No crochet to undo and the correct stitch count. For me that’s WIN WIN. This method doesn’t always work out well but when it does, it’s great.
KnitBeg, this is a piece knit flat not in the round? If so, there’s not a lost or missing stitch, so don’t worry. When you pick up the loops from the privisional cast on, you’re really picking up the loops between sts. If you had 26sts then you’ll have 25 loops so don’t worry about a lost stitch. (It’s like your hand: 5 fingers but only 4 spaces between them.)
@RochesterKnitter: Thanks, and yes I will use one of those methods to (re)add the missing stitch
@GrumpyGramma: I think I used that method on my yellow scarf, but I was following the pattern really closely and didn’t think about that possibility untill now (as you mention it)
@salmonmac: Yes, I thought about that too but the pattern clearly mentions this cast on AND to pick up all 26 stitches afterwards. I guess they just expect you to know how to add the one you,ve 'lost’on the sides…