Dropping stitches

#1

please if anyone has advice on how I can stop dropping stitches I’d really appreciate. I’ve only been knitting for a couple of days now but I drop stitches a lot and it’s so frustrating. The problem is I don’t even realize i’m doing it and I have no idea how to fix the problem without completely starting over. I’m getting to the point where I’m starting to feel discouraged and wondering if knitting really is for me. I tried to see if this had already been posted but I couldn’t tell. If it has and I’m asking a question that has already been answered I’m so sorry and please direct me to where I can look at answers to this question. Thank you for your time and anything you can do to help.

Sincerely,
Celeste

#2

I honestly think that more practice and getting comfortable with your needles will help. Right now the fear of dropping a stitch is causing the tension which in turn, causes even more fear of dropping a stitch and thus the cycle is born.

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I stole this quote from another thread…i think it fits the bill here.

The problem is I don’t even realize i’m doing it and I have no idea how to fix the problem without completely starting over.

Relax and know that you can always bring up a dropped stitch with a crochet hook and that it does get easier with practice.

There was a reason you started to knit…Everything is frustrating when you are learning. But it does get easier.

#3

Maybe knowing you can fix a dropped stitch will help you relax and keep you from dropping them. Look on the Tips page under Fixing Mistakes.

Do you have a lot of sts on your needles? If you have them crowded together, they’d be more prone to dropping. Or if you pull the needle tips away from each other between stitches.

#4

Celeste, Not to worry! I’ve been knitting for 2 or 3 generations and I still drop stitches and I’m probably not finished making all the errors that are possible. I’d like you to find the free video so graciously provided on this site at Tips and More. Scroll down a bit and you’ll see videos on how to repair common mistakes. For dropped or purls that should be knit stitches the fixes are quite simple and you won’t have to rip out you work. You didn’t mention if you’re doing practice swatches or trying to knit a project. I’d say slow down a little and do small swatches till you can be more comfortable and see how a particular st. should look and make it easier to count each row and see if you end up with the same number of stitches (stitches have a way of appearing and disappearing sometimes). And don’t be so hard on yourself. Good things take time. Keep practicing and asking questions. There are very wise, experienced people on this site who will give you all the help you need. You can count on that. Jean

#5

As suzeeq says, knowing how to fix dropped stitches with a crochet hook really helps. It really does make the anxiety go away.

Heck, I dropped a stitch on the sock I’m working on now at one point, and didn’t notice until it had unravelled down 4 rounds. One crotchet hook and 5 seconds later and everything was fine.

The more practice you get, the more you’ll realize that not all mistakes are permanent, and almost none of them require frogging the whole work and starting over.