Fixing Mistakes in Your Knitting: Laddering Down a Span of Stitches

[@tracyvision]

My heart leapt into my throat when you pulled out all those rows! 😱 I’m a beginner knitter but I know this will be an invaluable skill in my knitting life. Thank you!

[@kathleenbacon3720]

I’ve been knitting for three years, and can tink back and can drop down and fix one row at a time, but I have never seen or read of laddering like you just showed us. Very cool! Thank you!

[@judylee3589]

I'm a beginner knitter and I completely understood your direction. You are very good at explaining stitches. Thank you, as I know I'll be using this often, lol.

[@louiseshepherd528]

Thank you so much for this, enabled me to fix a mistake 4 rows back over eight stitches. Felt so proud of myself. Sleeve complete and jumper finished. x

[@sarag1158]

This video changed my life. I know that sounds drastic but it has kept me knitting because I can fix my mistakes, even those purls from 5 rows down.

[@DrKarenHoving]

OMG thank you. I have been a life long knitter and am HUMILIATED to admit I didn't know how to do this! I am working on a sweater (collar down ) and am doing k2P2 for bottom of the body. Well for some reason K2P2 throws me off ...(socks are easy K2P2 makes me nuts) so I found a mistake 5 rows down and was thinking OMG I'm going to have to tink the whole thing. THEN I found you! It was SO easy how did I not know this! Luckily I have size 0 dp's AND I had been trying to learn continental knitting!! I'm a shrink - I owe you a session!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

[@evamariamartinez2612]

This video just saved me from tinking 6 full rows of a sweater. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, Roxanne!!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

You are so welcome!

[@susanlc95]

Thank you so much!!! I’m a crocheter, but have a knitted baby blanket made by my Grandma 34 years ago when my son was born. It needs a couple of repairs and thanks to your tutorial, I’m confident I can do them. The blanket can then be passed on to his son, who is arriving next month.

[@3311lee]

Wow!! I followed your instructions and it worked perfectly. I laddered down 15 rows and 4 stitches. The correction is undetectable. Your instructions were perfect!!!

[@LaniDianeRich]

Rox! I love that whenever I have a knitting problem, KZbin always gives me you. You are the best knitting teacher in the world, and I'm not biased because I know & love you. It's absolutely true! Thanks for saving me from frogging all those rows! Mwah!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

You are so, so welcome, Lani! I really think this must be the best technique of all the techniques. :-)

[@reganmartin4126]

This video just saved my life! I had a mistake 57 rows back on a sweater!!! Since mine was only one stitch (not 8! Whew!), I was able to just use a crochet hook and pull the loops up each row. I NEVER would have tried this, if I hadn't just watched your video! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

[@bluebellhs]

I've just started to learn knitting for less than a week, and screamed silently for about a hundred times while practicing stitches. It took more time trying to figure out what I've done wrong, and how to fix mistakes than actually getting used to stitches... And your videos are absolute gems!!!! I successfully fixed and saved a strangely twisted stitch in the middle of my piece. Thank you!!!! I know I'll keep on revisiting your videos... 🩷

[@marginannotates]

A knitting newbie here, thank you for being so thorough and understanding. Your channel is the only one I’ve found that actually focuses more on knitting rather than the aesthetic of the individual.

[@Sandra-yx6yp]

this video was just a God send to me. I bought $145 worth of bulky alpaca for my first time knitting a sweater. I was almost finished with the back body, and 5 rows later, I noticed I put a purl on the wrong side. everything else was beautiful. I watched this abt 4 times, and tried 3 0r 4 times to get it right, but I DID IT! I was so excited and proud of myself, I never thought Id get it right, but i did, thx to you. You're a wonderful teacher, and I so appreciate your videos. 👍

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Yay! I'm so glad you were able to fix your mistake. Once you get the hang of it, you will likely use it all the time. It's a rare project that doesn't require me laddering down at least once!

[@Sandra-yx6yp]

boy does that make me feel better. i taught myself to knit abs 7 years ago, but only did the occasional beret, scarf and socks. i was way too scared to try a sweater, but this time i was so determined. The back is done, and Im half way through the front, and it looks great! Im so excited! Ive wanted to try for so long.Thx again Roxanne, for all your help ☺️ @@RoxanneRichardson

[@pamelasertich9850]

Thank you so much for this wonderful instruction. I've never been able to understand how to do it and I've been knitting for over 60 years. Thank you Thank you.

[@justbyron1536]

Roxanne, thank you, thank you for this video! I didn't know that correcting stitches could be done without ripping work apart. You're an angel!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

That technique is a game changer, for sure! :-)

[@Jennifer-oz8ec]

I have to fix just one stitch 4 rows down on a seed stitch project on circular needles. Your instructions encourage me to do it laddering down. I have 75 sts which is not too bad but want to get used to laddering down. Thank you so much, Roxanne. Smiled at your husband noticing you were not swearing as much when you learned to do this!!!! Loves it!!!

[@tgabe1278]

I just found your tutorial and I wanted to say Thank You for posting this. I'm a beginner level knitter and had to repair a baby blanket for my grandson (his twin sister, not yet two, chewed through the corner and unraveled a few rows. You saved me from knitting a whole new blanket. 😀

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Glad it was helpful!

[@constancetruggle8832]

Hi! I'm a beginner knitter, and I came across this video looking for something else (just picking up a dropped stitch from the row below). I'm so glad I found it, though, because you just saved me hundreds of stitches, immense frustration, and a blue streak a mile long. Thank you so much for this knitting life hack!!!

[@GrandmaMarlayne]

You are the absolute best instructor on knitting. Amazing how exact and detailed you are at describing a technique. Thank you so much! The end was hilarious as you explained leaving out an entire section with 100 rows of a pattern and ripping this afghan down 12 rows. I thought that must have been the day your husband heard you swear. Ha! Ha! Ha!😂

[@sayitloveitscreamit]

Thank you for this video. You literally saved my project. I felt like frogging it entirely when I noticed that I had made a mistake. I'm making a cape, and the rows are long and laborious, so I almost gave up. But this was surprisingly easy with your guidance.

[@sagaciouslysage9454]

I’ve been knitting for over a decade and this video was a great, unexpected find. Thank you! ~Sage

[@donnas4553]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Clear, concise, and easy to follow! You saved me from frogging 150 stitches plus on several rows on a shawl. Must have been a good TV show to cause me to knit 6 stitches instead of purling, but I did. Needless to say they really showed up and I caught then two rows down. I cannot tell you how pleased I am that this “fix” worked so beautifully. I’m a life long fan now. Best lesson I’ve ever had.

[@Nell0111]

Thank you ever so much ! My favourite stitch is moss stitch but I am always apprehensive about doing alot of it because I know I get distracted when knitting and purl when i should be knitting and knit when i should be purling! I am currently knitting a oversized jumper in moss stitch in a dark navy blue cotton yarn that is very splitty.. Yesterday I noticed a row of 5-6 mistakes about four inches below my working row on the back and tried to tink back and change the stitches one by one with a crochet hook …even tho some of my attempts to correct worked it was a mess with all the splitting and so i ended up ripping back all the work to fix the mistakes.. I didnt know you could rip back more than one stitch at a time and so this is an amazing discovery ! I feel alot more buoyant for the rest of the moss stitch now knowing that when I next make mistakes I can do this instead ! Hurray !

[@jmdes8]

I am just so thrilled to have found this tutorial, THANK YOU THANK YOU !!!! I also understood how to tink back one row and fix a stitch, but I am doing a sweater, and I needed to drop back maybe 20 rows and fix a section of 20 stitches in a pattern. And IT WORKED ! I so appreciate your generosity and care to share this with all of us.

[@shannonmcevoy1896]

This has to be hands-down the most essential knitting video for my early learning! Thank you so much!!! It has helped me immensely!!!

[@a.sobriquet6220]

You have brought me to a whole new level of confidence in my knitting...thank you!!

[@AmyDangRabbit]

I never heard of this technique until seeing your video here last night... this is the best tutorial I’ve seen in a long time! And... today, working on a blanket project, it made my life so much easier when I realized I made a mistake two rows back! Thanks so much for all you do!s

[@janetschafer-beck9563]

Thank you !! I am happy to find someone whose knitting style is so much like what I do after starting completely differently.

[@nancypalmierievans6333]

Where have you been all my life!?! Thank you for this video!!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I've been accumulating knitting knowledge, waiting for you to show up. :-)

[@robinsnest7627]

Nancy Palmieri Evans: Amen! My Mother only taught me to start knitting, the rest I taught myself.

[@ronniedickes]

I am knitting a beanie for my daughter and I dint want any mistakes in it. Guess what… I made a bad mistake which was reflected along several rows of stitching!!! I’ve been sitting on the project waiting for some divine inspiration to help me…and I came across your video! Going to try this tomorrow morning when I’m fresh and have had my coffee!! Thank you!!

[@satenikel-rawi3378]

Wow! Thank you so very much for these invaluable tutorials! You are so clear and articulate in your descriptions and so are your accompanied visuals. So helpful. Thanks again.

[@Solchys]

Thank you for teaching me this!! I was about to unravel rows and rows of a sweater. I watched this video the other day and never thought I would be able , but today I did it. I just decided that it was worth the risk, if wrong, I would unravel anyway. Just 7 stiches, and 3 ladder rows. Unbelievable!!!Such a great explanation, truly thankful!!

[@zorakj]

Thank you! Instead of tinking two rows of 50 each, I used this technique to fix the two stitches wrong on the previous row! It was scary, but I did it, and will revisit this video the next time I need to do something similar.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

So nice to hear! It is less scary with practice!

[@emmaginaryfriend]

Roxanne, thank you so much for this tutorial. You gave the the confidence to save my knitting project. I was working on my first ever sweater project when I was interrupted by someone trying to break into my home! I was so startled I dropped my knitting and of course lost a lot of stitches. Luckily, no one was hurt and everything ended up okay…including my sweater!

[@soma7940]

I broke out in a cold sweat watching you rip all those ladders out, but I think I feel confident enough to try this next time. Very helpful, thank you!!

[@tarynwoodcave7194]

Haha! You had me sub'd as soon as I heard you say your husband remarked you seem to be swearing a lot less when you knit than you used to!😅 I can totally relate!! I'm just a beginner so thank you very much in advance for providing this amazing resource! And making me laugh during my current knitting knot🙄😅🤗💐 PS edited to add my goal is to be just like you ....an awesome knitting goddess and for my husband to notice I'm not swearing as much when I knit!🤩🤗💐 Sending you love and light from Down Under!🤗🥰

[@IsabelGibson]

Fabulous! I fixed something I couldn't even diagnose in a lace panel. Just do it again - what a concept. 🙂

[@U2cantrustme]

Wow! I cant believe I found you. I am new to knitting and have torn down a scarf probably a good 25 times all over a dropped stitch or some other mistake. Had no idea I could do this laddering down. Its nice to hear other people make mistakes too :D Thanks for teaching me about knitting, I appreciate all your videos. So glad I decided to look on youtube as I was getting so frustrated. I did a better job on a 2x2 ribbed scarf than this plain knitted scarf, its driving me crazy. Sadly still mistakes in the work so instead of a gift it will be a personal scarf. Thanks again you are a great teacher.

[@hannahnewton8544]

I very rarely comment on videos but I am so grateful for this! I am currently on my first throw for my bed (150sts on circular needles) (usually a hat knitter) I had made a huge mistake 5 stitches across one row but atleast 30 rows down, your video helped me so much!!! Very easy to follow and your technique is brilliant in comparison to other videos I have seen! Saved heaps of time dropped 5 and used stitch marker to hold stands. Perfect!! 😇😇

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Yay! So glad to hear you were able to ladder down and fix the mistake. :-)

[@monicatecca7531]

As a new knitter, this is my go-to video for fixing my mistakes. THANK YOU!

[@meletcl]

You do rock Rox! I have always just ripped down to problem but fortunately didn't have to rip many rows down. The laddering technique you demonstrated is so helpful. One thing I try to do consistently is to look at row just finished so as to catch an error quickly. However, with very thin yarns or certain patterns this can be difficult to discern. Thank you heaps.

[@nancywashburn-caggiula9901]

Oh my gosh! This was so helpful and so well explained. Returning to knitting after a 15 year hiatus (at least!). Fudged a pearl stitch 4 rows back and couldn't BEAR to rip it all out. I had to watch the portion of knitting and pearling about 4 times as I struggled to work with the tight three stitches that had to be reknit. Finally had decent success!!! Thank you Roxanne!!

[@Cthecool]

Oh my goodness I’m so grateful to have found this tutorial. I’m almost dismissed with a silk shawl and I had the project on my lap and five rows pulled from the middle. I xs tink 2 or 3 stitches but this horrified me. I prosed through a few videos but; this one is exactly what was needed. It’s kinda hard to get the stitches back because it’s silk; but your video has given me the confidence to do this! Thank You very much😌🌹

[@AnneBeamish]

Thank you! I just restarted a sweater and decided to look this topic up. No more restarting projects for me!!!

[@bellejames9368]

Thank you ,your method & clear steps make sense & has stopped me totally giving up on my project. 🙌

[@DR-ee5ul]

I am so happy I found your videos. Thank you. They are so helpful. I have not investigated all of your videos, but I am looking forward to watching your videos about correcting more complicated stitches.

[@lauriekehler8297]

THIS has saved me so many tears, ripping and frustration!! Thank you🙌🏼

[@RoxanneRichardson]

You're so welcome!

[@FayeGwenn]

THIS HAS CHANGED MY FREAKING LIFE THANK YOU

[@darlenebagley3828]

You are awesome! I had no idea how to fix a mistake. You saved my project and my sanity! Thank you so much!!!!

[@illievee]

Thank you thank you thank you Roxanne! This is just what I needed to save my work!! There’s no video out there like yours, and I appreciate you so much for what you do for the community! Thank you!!!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

You are so welcome!

[@monawize1]

This was so helpful! I usually end up doing 1 row at a time with a crochet hook up the ladder! Never thought about actually knitting across😀! Thanks! I love all your videos as you make them so easy to follow and so detailed, you are a knitting master and take it to a whole new level!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Thank you! knitting all of the stitches across at one time was a revelation to me, when I first learned about it. It's a rare project that I doesn't end with me laddering down to fix something. Last week, I had to ladder down 101 rows of a 6-stitch span!

[@chameleonhound]

Thank you from saving me from ripping out around 10 rows of colorwork for one missing column! Great video!

[@cleokrav1146]

Thank you so much! I’m a beginner knitter and I’m knitting my first hat. I was so ready to cry since I’m too far out and I don’t want to start over. Thank you for your video, you saved me!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Wonderful!

[@aida087]

OMYGOD thank you for sharing Roxanne!! You don't know how MANY times I've frogged and started over projects, curse words included lol, and now I will happily knit away knowing your techniques!!💖🥰🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@cbakerazle]

Excellent teacher! Finally it looks like I won't have to fear mistakes anymore. I now can fix them! Thank you!

[@cass828]

Omg I wish I found this before Saturday... I frogged my entire first sock bc I did a massive snafu and couldn't work out how to safely undo and redo 🤦🏻‍♀️ as a fellow swearing knitter, I think this will help me a lot!

[@carolinehickson2646]

You have helped me so much, as I keep forgetting my lace pattern, laddering down, not being able to make sense of it all....thanks so much for your clear instructions.

[@debbieperkins8824]

I'm so grateful to my FB knitting friends who referred me to YOU. My blood pressure is back to normal. Thanks so much

[@PatriciaRicci-q7o]

I think you just saved my current project. Thank you so very much for this video & sharing your knowledge.

[@crystalloyer5170]

Thank you so much for this! I'm a beginner knitter and I'm making a surprise baby blanket for a friend who's due. Last night I discovered a pretty solid error several rows down. I really didn't want to tink that back, and I didn't want to try and frog back either, since it's a rather thin yarn I'm using (calls for 3.75 mm needles). Thank you so much for this solution to my problem

[@Zayaxa]

Roxanne you are a magician! Total game changer.

[@marilynbunte5376]

Just this week I was trying to fix a mistake with several rows of ‘ladders’!,, I could not figure it out! Thank you for this video!

[@kaymack5304]

I cracked up when you said your husband said he didn’t hear you swearing at your knitting anymore. I had just been saying to my husband that men knit and he said it didn’t seem very relaxing because I was swearing at it all the time. Glad to know I’m not alone and as I get better at it I am much less upset by it. Lol

[@leetrayer774]

Thank you...I never thought of correcting mistakes this way.

[@samanthav563]

Amazing!!!! Thank you so much for posting. I fixed my scarf myself, with your help 😃

[@earndoggy]

Hahaha, just a couple of days ago I was dropping stitches like crazy. Eventually my husband got up to get his ear buds. Even the dogs got off the couch and went somewhere else. :D

[@leotaviolett5265]

Jean Strong rA-

[@SSaaNNddYY77]

THANK YOU!!! I never knew this could be done! I'm making a sweater and have one lil mistake but I have to undo 3 stitches. I'm so happy I don't have to rip out all the good stitches to fix this. Wish I would have had your video in hand years ago!

[@kristiwood2926]

I am a very new knitter and so glad to have stumbled across this video as I have been stumped as how to fix my mistakes. Thank you! Going to checkout more of your videos.

[@rudydawgsmom]

Thank you!! I need to fix a glaring error in my linen top and I’ve never laddered down before. I’m not frogging this thing again 😬 I can do it!! 🥳🥳🥳

[@kdhaws]

I like your teaching style and the skill that you presented. :)

[@theastewart6721]

This is an excellent video! I have taken a few stitches down a few rows but never this many across. Being able to pick up dropped stitches to me was a huge accomplishment and now I’m going to swatch and master this technique! Thanks so much!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Oh, you'll be so happy to master this technique. I use it all the time (I'm really good at making mistakes). Last weekend, I realized I had forgotten to work a stitch pattern on either side of the 2-st cable that formed the seamline of my sleeve. I had forgotten to do it for the entire sleeve! (It was the second sleeve. If it had been the first, I would have left it, and made the 2nd sleeve to match.) I laddered down 101 rows of 6 sts and reknit them all the way back up.

[@theastewart6721]

That is amazing! Wow! I am also very good at making mistakes! I think I am becoming a master frogger! Lol! I recently took my möbius cowl off of the needle forgetting that that there were so many stitches that the cord was in two circular rounds. Then wondered how I would ever get all the stitches back on after frogging a bunch of rows. I don’t know how I did it but I did. My teacher was amazed as was I. It was easier than the mesh stitch which continues to give me trouble. This will be great to have in my arsenal. I’ve decided recently that making swatches to play around with is something I feel will be extremely helpful. Thanks for all of these great tips and tricks. If anyone had told me years ago that I would be spending Friday and Saturday nights at home enjoying myself watching Knitting and crocheting tutorials I’d have said they were nuts! Not so! Really loving them! Thanks again! Looking forward to Tuesday!

[@starla1607]

You saved my {knitting} life! Thank You!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I'm so glad!

[@honeywell891]

Just found this from Facebook. Thanks for being there.

[@novembers]

This is amazing! I never knew this could be done. It is a little scary, but fantastic that there is a remedy for a goofy mistake that ruins the pattern.

[@kirsten4211]

I appreciate this video! I'm knitting my first pullover sweater (a Flax) and noticed I'd accidentally done a kfb near my garter panel a few rows back. I was able to drop down the stitches correctly without having to rip back rows!

[@carolesimone5221]

You are sooo helpful. I am learning how to knit with your teaching. THANK YOU! + I love your personality.

[@courag1]

I happen to have DPNs of different lengths as I thought it was a good idea to have them. I have found them essential in mistakes I would make when knitting lace of all things. So even complex stitch patterns can be reknit including when I reknit nupps in Estonian. Cables can also be reknit and not always the whole cable depending upon what kind of a cable it was, as it seems that making a cable left when it should be a cable right may be hard to spot for someone else, but I don't like even when I am gifting for my work to look that way. What I found more difficult is if I had made a mistake in decreasing but managed it too in the end. The more I know how to knit, this includes in other styles and forwards and backwards in whatever style I want to use, helps me when I have to make repairs. It also helps out when because of how I scoot up my yarn and develop a sore spot especially on my right Index finger, that I can vary my style or use a different style where I am less likely to keep the repetitive injury from happening again. My gauge is fairly consistent between styles except I do get rowing in reverse stockinette when working in Continental no matter what I've tried, But it goes away when I knit backwards. It is still me doing the knitting and how I get from point A to B is up to me. If the final result looks good, I am not worried as I used to be that I am a knitting style heretic or something. I think it is all useful and have respect for all who knit in any style. I went back to knitting when I found out how to help heal my Arthritis which was quite disabling in my hands. Knitting being low impact exercise for the hands, helped me recover. Mostly I am pain-free. But I am pleased I did not have to give up what I love to do. The various styles are a rest for my hands if any finger gets sore. Thank you for all your wonderful videos.

[@LordRubino]

Great tutorial. Fantastic camera and explaination! Thank you

[@lsncred19]

Thank you for this video . The other day I was trying to do this same thing , but with a crochet hook , and one stitch at a time , and I wondered why can't I just knit them like usual ? Any way , this is so much more easier . I ended up just ripping out the whole thing and starting over . Now I know I don't have to do that anymore.

[@nancychiquoine1453]

Thank you for this magic trick! You are a GENIUS at explaining. My new granddaughter may actually have her felted Xmas stocking on time!

[@58Raini]

Although this is too far advanced for my experience, I saved this in a folder. I'm still learning the basics! But thank you!

[@k.embers]

God I hope I never have to backtrack like that in my knitting but I know one day I will. This was terrifying to watch come undone but so fascinating to watch it come back together! So cool!!!! 🤩

[@RoxanneRichardson]

Practice on a swatch. It's a no-risk way to get over the terror. If you knit, you make mistakes, so the best thing to do is learn how to fix them! :-)

[@angelamcneece1137]

You are a life saver. Thanks so much for your video help on fixing mistakes.

[@RenataMalicka]

Thank you so much for saving my work!!!🤗

[@gayeb662]

Using a crochet hook of the same size as your needle and laddering down one stitch/column at a time makes this technique very easy, especially if you use a double-ended crochet hook. Look at the video for the fix-a-stitch tool, which is just a double-ended crochet hook. The video shows how to use a double-ended crochet hook to make this type of repair quickly and easily.

[@terryhickman7929]

This is great! Exactly what I was looking for. Your video is so visually clear and your explanation is perfect. I'm going to subscribe!

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I'm so glad you found it helpful. I hope you find my other videos just as helpful as this one. :-)

[@debrasusan73]

This was fantastic! I'm a fairly new knitter, so this helped tremendously!! Thank you!

[@sharontzu5]

Great clip. My only comment is that some knitters might prefer to insert a life line through the stitches on the "target" row before starting to pull out.

[@katibere1966]

Wowww...you are GREAT at knitting!!

[@vadec5909]

Totally totally amazing!! This isnt the video I need but i watched it and I am just amazed. I need a dropped stitch thanks

[@blackhatquilter65]

Wow oh wow! Thank you for this video! This will help me keep my sanity for when I screw up!😃

[@stephaniestange662]

Thank you so much for this video!! Just fixed my first mistake in my first cardigan haha

[@Amy-tn3qv]

Wow this was super helpful! Thank you so much for your instructions!

[@suebean3873]

That’s awesome information. Now let’s see if I can do the same now. Thank you!

[@dorotheaarola1672]

Very good video. Thank you. And another beautiful sweater you have on. The cable pattern is knit beautifully with great stitch definition. Sometimes I think that is not only technique but yarn selection also.

[@RoxanneRichardson]

I love knitting textured patterns (especially cables), so I tend to favor 100% wool with 3 or 4 plies. Nothing fancy, just your standard worsted weight wool for this sweater!

[@karenbednarz4700]

Bravo 👏 you hit it out of the park ⚾️

[@amandamcfaul10]

This is SO WELL explained - thank you!

[@catherinewile7128]

Thank you! I was able to fix a mistake in a 12 stitch cable patter that was 13 rows down.

[@delakranjec6764]

Incredibly helpful, thanks!