Correcting Mistakes

#1

I have the hardest time correcting my mistakes. In most cases i am not able to.

So i have to rip it all out and start over. I get so discouraged and often times want to give knitting up because of this.

Talking to women who knit i know i am not the only one who has felt this way.

I am not going to quit knitting but i wonder how many of you have felt the same way i am feeling right now?

Why is so hard to remember how to correct a mistake?

Think this topic has been on here before but i wanted to let off steam!!!

#2

The answer is quite simple I think …

:arrow: You haven’t made [color=red]enough [/color]mistakes!!! :lol:

I know that sounds impossible, but for me, there was a point when (after massive amounts of mistakes) fixing techniques (either learned or made up) just clicked because I [color=red]absolutely refused[/color] to rip another row!

Keep at it, one day it will click for you too :wink:

#3

When I make a mistake, I pull out a swatch and try to do the same mistake and then fix it. For some reason, fixing a swatch 50 times isn’t as bad as trying to fix the original. You’re not worried about wrecking a swatch.

On that note, I will be investing in some crochet needles to make it easier to fix these mistakes.

If you’re still frustrated and getting discouraged, put it away for a while and clear your mind. Knit something else, read a book (I can mention a few faves), have a bath in candlelight with some bubbley, etc…

#4

I just rip it out. I am usually not sure what I have done to mess it up… so I wouldn’t know how to correct it if I could.

That is bad

#5

I’m learning how to make mistakes. Actually, I’ve purposely ripped out a row and put it back ‘bacwards’ to see how knitting through the back loop fixes twisted stiches. I find varigated yarn helps me see what the leading edge is and how things are supposed to look. I’ve purposely dropped a stitch to try both using my crochet hook to put it back on the needle and have tried correcting it with the needles

I guess my point is to start a swatch and mess up on purpose so you can recognize how to fix stuff. I find I’m less panicked about that now.

#6

I have recently been very frustrated simply trying to get my stitches back on the needle after I’ve had to rip out a couple of rows! I’m using size 7, wood circular needles (small diameter). For some reason, I can’t seem to get my stitches back on the small circulars as easily as when using straight. Is there a technique for this?

Holly

#7

This is exactly why I prefer to “unknit” instead of rip in most cases. It takes much more time to unknit, but it’s a small price to pay for my sanity when it’s time to put ripped sts back on the needles. :wink:

But since you’ve already ripped, you might want to try picking the sts back up with a smaller needle size - perhaps a 6 or even a 5. Then transfer them back to the 7 once they are all picked up. I’m a pretty tight knitter, so whenever I try to pick up sts from a ripped row, the sts continue to fall out by themselves b/c the knitting is so tight.

You might want to try perfecting this technique for fixing mistakes. It really comes in hand!!! Too bad I had to figure this out all on my own; I had not yet seen Amy’s video when I needed to use this technique.

Hope that helps

#8

I agree with Ekghiey: If your mistake’s not too far back in your work, you may want to try unknitting back to that point instead of ripping it all out. I used to rip out all the time too, but I’ve discovered unknitting is much easier and much less stressful! :slight_smile:

#9

Thanks for the “unknitting” advice! Having done crochet before, I actually got the concept from Amy’s video :slight_smile: I had seen that technique in a knitting book, but I didn’t understand from the pictures.

Unfortunately, I was working on a piece that had cables, and I didn’t notice that I was atleast one stitch off for a couple of rows. As soon as I had to cable again, I realized that something wasn’t right :-(. Oh well, it is a learning experience. I may try the advice to use a smaller needle before I pull out anymore. I’m not very far, in any case.

Holly

#10

When I lose my patience and don’t want to rip out, if I can, I keep going and fix later with a crochet hook and some more yarn. For example, I “filled in” holes, pulled up lost stitches, and smoothed rough borders. In fact, I hate “picking up stitches” on a border to continue knitting in another direction. I don’t care what the stitch is supposed to be! I am going to pick up the stitches with my crochet hook and do the border that way!

Crochet hooks can do amazing things. Too bad there aren’t more clothing patterns for them.

Carie

#11

Um … :oops: Sure there are … how about crochet patterns … ?? :oops:? :lol:

#12

Ugh I experienced the “joy” of ripping out last night. What should have been a one row 5 minute fix ended up costing me about 10 rows and half an hour, and I consider myself fortunate that it wasnt worse. I have a problem with the stitch on the end when I rip out, the rest I can seem to figure out, and get back on the needle correctly but that one blows me away every time :frowning:

#13

Sorry it was a bad experience, but I’m sure you will be glad you went through the trouble :roll: . Depending on what you are making and how, mistakes are hard to cover up, and after all that work, you want it to look amazing.

C

#14

Well, AFTER I posted that, I re-watched Amy’s video…and wouldnt you know, I went to a swim meet today, and ended up having all my stitches fall off the needle…thank God I had watched it, or else I would have been totally fuzzled…its a quicky scarf out of that “Divine” yarn, which is fun and cheap and totally not forgiving…got all stitches back on the needle first time and only lost one row.

Unfortunately I do agree…in order to learn how to fix the mistakes, we gotta make LOTS of them!!!

#15

I don’t know … I guess I’ve made enough of some mistakes to be able to fix most of them!
But sometimes I have to rip out a few rows and reknit it! I figure it’s all a part of the territory and the ability to fix them will get better over time? I hope!

#16

Practice makes “almost perfect”!! My most major experience was making a mistake with my 2nd try on circular needles while knitting my first totebag…had to unravel about 4 rows…now, that’s practice when you’re trying to put 110 stitches back onto circular needles!!