Changing a Knit to a Purl

Yikes! You’re knitting along, and suddenly you notice that a few rows back, you knit a stitch that should have been purled (or vice versa). Instead of ripping out entire rows to make the correction, here is how to drop a single column and make that K a P, or P a K.

Information on things you’ll see in the video:
The sweater on the mannequin is my Easy-Knit Sweater Jacket, pattern + video tutorial.

The shawl I’m wearing is the Clapotis pattern, knit with Noro Silk Garden yarn.

The super bulky yarn I’m using for demonstration is Lion Brand Hometown USA. The needles I’m using are Clover Bamboo DPNs.

The nail color I’m wearing is CND Shellac polish, in color “Midnight Swim”.

12 comments on “Changing a Knit to a Purl

  1. Can you demonstrate how to correct stitches on a garter pattern? I know you have to alternate knit and purl but I always get confused as to exactly how to do it. Thanks for your great videos.

  2. I just have to say it…. You make everything, and I mean every video of yours I have watched, so extremely clear… I have never been able to figure this process out and now it is perfectly clear, and worse yet, so logical, front and back for the ladder, duh, just like the normal stitch!

    I want to thank you so much for all of your videos, they have been a life saver and an incentive to try new things!

    Donna

  3. Thank you! That was sooo helpful. This will save me so much time! I find your videos very clear.

  4. Staci
    Thank you so much for your very clear, concise, easy to understand and follow videos. I’ve only been knitting for a few years (quilter convert) and find your instructions give me the confidence I need to be a much better knitter.

    I had 4 stiches backwards in 4×4 rib and wasn’t looking forward to ripping out 6″ of knitting but I knew this mistake would always bug me. Thankfully I subscribed to your videos and this one showed up in my mailbox! My lucky day!

    I literally just finished unraveling the first 6″ column of baby alpaca, corrected the stitch, crocheted it back and it’s perfect! 3 more to go and I’m done – took less than 5 minutes. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 😀

  5. I really have enjoyed your tutorial videos. You have made them so easy to follow and understand. I have been knitting for several years and today was the first time I was brave enough to try correcting a dropped stitch without unraveling my work. It was so simple after watching your tutorials. Thank you so much.

  6. This technique just saved me a TON of stress! I’m working on a shawl that has 681 stitches per row at this point, and I noticed a tiny mistake on five stitches in a row that would require me to go back four rows to fix. I spent the greater part of the afternoon tinking two of those rows, but was really fed up and decided to give this a try. I’ve had a fear of dropped stitches but this was much easier than I thought it would be and I saved myself from tinking and restarting a few extra rows. I’m feeling so much better now!

  7. How ironic. I was watching random videos on your website yesterday and watched this one. Then later in the day I was working on your Men’s Sweater and on the WS of my work I noticed I had 1 lousy stitch that was supposed to be knit but was a purl a couple of rows down. I immediately remembered this technique, pulled out my crochet hook and fixed it. It worked beautifully and it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. I was so pleased with myself! Thank you!

  8. Staci,
    I have to admit that purposely dropping a stitch is more than a little terrifying. But…Can I use this technique to fix a stitch that I slipped without knitting?
    Thanks for being my go to resource and inspiration!
    Anne

  9. I am taking a class which has been a huge disappointment to date and am making a sweater. The pattern has purled sections and I forgot one entire segment at the side. Your demonstration is, as usual, very easy to follow and now I don’t feel like quitting and pulling out the wine! Thank you SO much! I feel confidant that I can fix the problem.

  10. I just reviewed this video again and wow did it just help me! I am in the 5th chart of Edwina – a shawl pattern by Dee O’Keefe and realized that I did not place a bead from the previous chart (pattern is not beaded, I added beads in certain locations). I was able to use this video as the mistake was only two rows back and placed the bead and brought the stitch back up with the crochet hook! It saved me a LOT of time since the rows are very long! Thanks, Staci

Comments are closed.