Mistakes 101: Stitches Facing the Wrong Way on the Needle

Learning to recognize and fix errors in your knitting is an important part of the process. Mistakes are going to happen every now and then and in this video Mary Beth Temple shows you how to fix a common problem. She will show you how to fix stitches that are facing the wrong way on the needle.

LOOK AT THE LEGS

When looking at the loop of a knit stitch, there are two legs. For a knit stitch, the right leg is in front of the needle and the left leg is behind the needle. However, sometimes the stitches can get oriented the wrong way when fixing another error or picking stitches back up after they have fallen off the needle. When a knit stitch is facing the wrong way, the left leg is in front of the needle and the right leg of the stitch is behind the knitting needle. If this incorrect stitch is then worked in the same way that a properly oriented knit stitch is worked, the stitch becomes twisted, which can be quite noticeable when working Stockinette stitch.

To fix a stitch that is facing the wrong way on the needle, there are two simple solutions. The first is to slip the stitch to the right needle and then back to the left needle, making sure that the legs of the stitch are now correct. The stitch can then be knit normally. The other solution is to knit the stitch that is facing the wrong way through the back loop. Since the stitch is oriented the wrong way, knitting through the back loop fixes the stitch. As Mary Beth points out in the video, it doesn’t matter which method is used to fix the stitch, use the method that is most comfortable for you in your knitting project.