How to recover from lace mistakes? Weeping and gnashing

#1

I have knit about six inches of a simple sweater:

http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/60626A.html?noImages=

and have made a bad error. There is a big hole and so I have tried to “un-knit” back to the point of recovery. However I find myself unable to “un-knit” the #2 and #4 rows where I am knitting three stiches and purling one. I get very confused and even more messed up.

If I have to rip back to the beginning every time I make an error, I will NEVER finish this sweater. How/where can I learn to un-knit sections where I am knitting/purling into KO stiches?

Thank you for your help.

Robin Clark
Cincinnti, OH

#2

When I make a mistake I don’t unknit the entire row unless I have to but only unknit the mistake area. Meaning I find the stitch or stitches where I need to fix a mistake and proceed to knit the next row in the pattern. When I get to the stitches or stitch where the error occurs I frog out the stitches for 4 or five rows(below the row I am working on) and with the help of a crochet hook and if necessary make one stitch, I correct my mistake. I did this a number of times while working on hats, scarfs and many items.
I got the advice from my mom and Elizabeth Zimmermann’s dvds.
It has saved me many times.
I hope this has helped you. If ncessary send me a private email and I will talk you through it.

#3

K Robin, welcome to the party!!!
Ummm, I went and looked at the pattern in question and I can see where you are getting confused there. You are on row 2, k1 (the border stitch) and then knitting one into the first k2 tog then you have your double yarn over, so you are basically knitting the 1st loop over and then purling the second and then knitting into the 2nd k2tog and then repeating from the k in the k2tog. (hope I am making sense here).
It might look something like this:
(4) VVV (V VU V)~VVV
(3) VVV (^ oo ^)~VVV
(2) V (V VU VV VU V)~V
(1) V (^ oo^ ^oo^)~V
V= knit, U= purl, ^= knit 2 together, o = yarn over, ~ means to continue your repeat till you reach then end ( at least in this little example)
I tried to illustrate it so that you could see the relationship between the right side row (decrease, yo’s) and the wrong side (the knit purl row)

Now on rows 3 and 4 you are moving the eyelet over to sit in between the eyelets of the first two rounds (like bricks) and repeating the same process as before except now you have moved the hole over. The holes are supposed to be double the normal size.
I hope that this helps to get a picture in your mind (that’s what usually helps me the most is to visualize each row, not the whole garment or piece). :x:

#4

Robin,

Here is something that will help you not to have to frog all the way back if you make a mistake again (if you have to this time). This is a real life saver and you should probably do this with this lace pattern. It’s simple and works. Look here. God bless.