Total lightbulb moment!

#1

I’ve been seriously knitting for almost a year now. I’m a perfectionist so whenever I made a mistake I’d either rip it back to the mistake or unknit back to it. Last night while I was working on the Corset-T for my daughter I realized on the k2, p2 ribbing I purled a stitch when I should have knit (about 7 rows back) and it was showing on the right side.

I was contemplating unknitting to the mistake when it hit me that I could just knit to above the mistake and drop the stitch down and then pick it back up the right way with a crochet hook. I felt totally brilliant then completely :doh: for not realizing this a LOT sooner. :teehee:

So anyone else have any “Ah-ha…duh!” moments in knitting?

#2

Yeah I had it when I watched Amy’s video on how to do that! :teehee:

:muah:

#3

I fix mistakes like that all the time! Cool isn’t it!?

#4

I think I would have stopped knitting a long time ago without that trick :teehee: I make mistakes ALL the time!!! :wall:

#5

I read about that in an elizabeth zimmerman book. It’s amazing! You just reminded me of it though. It’s awesome. Congrats to having that thought before reading it anywhere!

#6

Isn’t that the most satisfying thing? When I do more than a few sts at once, like if I’ve goofed on lace but I think I can fix it, I call it Open Knit Surgery.

That feeling of “I know where all these loops are supposed to go, and I know how to put them where they belong” is just the coolest feeling.

Sometimes it is like one of those 3D posters where you can’t see it and can’t see it, but when it finally jumps out at you, you can’t not see it and you can’t believe you ever couldn’t see it.

#7

I think I had been knitting for 1 1/2 yr. before I had that realization. :doh: :oops:

:muah: :hug:

Nadja xxx

#8

I am too scared to try it. I am afraid I will let that stitch drop and I won’t be able to make it look right again! :oops:

#9

MamaMer,

Make a swatch, doesn’t have to be big. Deliberately drop a stitch and change it. That way you can try it without putting a large project at risk!

Mama Bear

#10

I call that Knitting Surgery, too, but I like “Open Knit Surgery” better. And I really should get a crochet hook instead of using a) my fingers, b) another knitting needle, or c) a pencil or whatever else is pointed and close. Usually when I do it, it’s accompanied by a string of four-letter words – especially if the yarn has decided to get fuzzy and stick together – but I’m always so happy when I get it back in order. Now if I could only figure out how to put cables back together like that, I could fix the sweater sleeve I’m working on. As it is, I’m going to leave it because even though it bugs me I know I couldn’t put it all back together even if I frogged it, and if you’re close enough to my sweater to see the mistake, I should probably slap you anyway. :wink:

#11

Thanks for sharing your lightbulb moment. I never thought of it that way! Like you, I’ve always frogged back to my mistake. I’m going to have to try the swatch thing and practice this. :muah:

#12

It was an a-ha moment for me too–I remember it very well…Ingrid prompted me to watch the video on fixing my mistake and it was like you could hear angels singing–it was a beautiful moment!

#13

I love those moments. You’re knitting something totally normal and then :figureditout: huzzah!!! You’re a genious :cheering:

#14

My biggest “Ah-ha…duh!” moment was when I realized I should yf/yb between k & p sts. :oops: Needless to say, I didn’t have any problem with incs when it came time to do them intentionally. :rofl:

#15

My :figureditout: came when Ekgheiy and I were talking a few years ago about the difference b/t ssk and k2togtbl… after that i was able to recognize twisted stitches and slanting decreases. (thanks :heart: )

#16

Live and Learn~! :teehee: :teehee: :teehee:

#17

I am too scared to try it. I am afraid I will let that stitch drop and I won’t be able to make it look right again!

Think of this way: Nothing ventured, nothing gained. We learn by doing and trying new things.

Talking about re doing stitches or picking up slipped stitches: I too was able to quickly catch on. Now, I’m just happy to catch mistake as I make them. It’s after you’ve bound off and item that I hate to find the mistake, etc.

#18

Yes, make a practice swatch to try it out. I read in Elizbeth Zimmerman’s book that slipped stitches rarely slip more then a few stitches down, and I have found this to be mainly true. I’ve dropped a stitch that went down four rows once, and it was easy to fix with a crochet hook. Make sure you’re working from the “knit” side, and it all works itself out.

My lightbulb moment was when I was working on a cabled scarf, and forgot to turn a cable. With the encouragement of some KH’ers, I cut it open, and reknitted the cable the correct way. I made a practice swatch first though, before I actually cut the real scarf. It was really empowering!

#19

My DH says I can’t knit without the crochet hook in my mouth!! I certainly couldn’t knit without one. guess that shows how frequently I goof, huh?

#20

:muah: