How To Pick Up Dropped Stitches

     We've all done it. At some point, every one of us has dropped a stitch or two.

     Now what do we do? Do we rip back all of our work to that spot and start over? *shudder*
     Hopefully not, as this can be an almost physically painful thing to do! If at all possible, I like to pick back up the dropped stitch(es) and continue working on my project without a major setback!

     To pick up dropped stitches, you will need a crochet hook, preferably a size smaller than your needles.

     Note: This works on the knit side of a garment. If your dropped stitch is purled, you will have to pick up from the back of your work.

     Insert your hook into the dropped stitch closest to your left-hand needle.

     Do you see all of those strands of yarn hanging just above the dropped stitch? Place your hook behind the lowest strand.

     Pull the strand through the dropped stitch and repeat as necessary. When you have reached your current row, slide your needle up through the bottom of the stitch on the hook (see below for clarification). Pull out your hook, and you have picked up one stitch!

     After picking up any other dropped stitches, you can continue knitting as you normally would and your work should show no evidence that you ever made a mistake!

How to Add Beads

     Adding beads to your knitted or crocheted garment is super simple. It also adds interest on otherwise plain creations! There are actually two methods (that I know of) for doing this! For each method, I will explain the crochet instructions first.

Method #1 (Crocheting):

     Note: The first method works best on small projects. 

     String the desired amount of beads onto your yarn.

     If you hold your index finger out while you crochet, the beads will be easier to work with if you hold them in your hand behind your finger.

     When you've gotten to the point that you wish to place a bead, push it down your yarn and into place (see below). Just crochet the stitch as you normally would, making sure that the bead is facing the front of the garment.

Method #1 (Knitting):

     String the desired amount of beads onto your yarn and knit up to the point that you wish to place a bead. Push the bead very close to your right-hand needle.

     Simply knit the next stitch, making sure to knit with the bead.

     After a few rows, your work will look like this.

Method #2 (Crocheting):

     Note: You will need a small enough crochet hook to fit through the eye of your bead. 

     Place your bead onto your small crochet hook.

     Crochet up to the point that you wish to place the bead. This can be at the middle of a stitch (which is what I'm doing) or after you make a stitch.

     Slip the loop that you wish to place the bead on off of your larger hook.

     Insert your small crochet hook into the loop and pull it through the bead.

     Pull your smaller hook out of the loop and slide the larger hook back into the loop.

     Continue crocheting as you normally would.

Method #2 (Knitting):

     Knit up to the place that you wish to place the bead and knit the stitch that you wish to place the bead on.

     Slip the stitch that you wish to place the bead on off of your right-hand needle and insert your small crochet hook.

     Using the hook, pull the stitch through the bead. Place the bead back onto your right-hand needle.

How to: Brioche

     The Brioche stitch (Not to be confused with the bread. Yum!) looks a lot like k1, p1 ribbing. However, it is much stretchier and very soft! Loads of people are intimidated by brioche because, frankly, it's pretty much made of yarn overs.
     First, to be able to make brioche you will have to know a few stitches (if you already know these stitches, just scroll down to the pattern):

sl 1yo-- slip one stitch purlwise and wrap the yarn around your needle
brk-- knit the yo and slipped stitch together

sl 1yo:

     Move your yarn to the front of your work.

     Insert your right hand needle purlwise into the next stitch on your left hand needle.

     Slip the stitch off of your left hand needle and wrap the yarn around your right hand needle.

brk/ brk2tog:

     When you come to a sl 1yo stitch, insert your right hand needle into both the yo and the slipped stitch and knit them together.

Now for the pattern:

     Cast on a number divisible by two (plus one). I did eleven stitches.

Setup row: *sl 1yo, k1; repeat from * to end

Row 1: k1 *sl 1yo, brk; repeat from * to end

Row 2: *sl 1yo, brk; repeat from * to end

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until your project has reached your desired length.

After a few repeats, your work should look like this!

How to: Lotus Stitch

     The Lotus stitch is a really easy pattern to memorize and is absolutely beautiful! It is also ridiculously hard to make with wooden knitting needles, so I would recommend you use metal.

     To make this, you will need to know:
How to Purl
P5togm5- purl five stitches together and make five
P3togm3- purl three stitches together and make three

    If you already know how to make all of those stitches, scroll to the pattern. If you don't, I will explain the bottom two.

p5togm5:
     Knit up to the point that you wish to p5togm5. With your yarn in front, insert your right-hand needle purlwise into five stitches on your left-hand needle.

     Now you understand why I said this was hard! Yarn over and pull it through all five stitches.

     (1) Yarn over, and insert your needle back through all five stitches.

     (2) Yarn over again and pull it through the five stitches.

     Repeat (1) and (2) one more time and pull the five stitches off of your left-hand needle. You will have 5 stitches on your right-hand needle!

p3togm3:

     With your yarn in front, insert your right-hand needle into three stitches on your left-hand needle.

     Yarn over, and pull the yarn through all three stitches.

     Yarn over, and insert your needle into the three stitches again.

     Yarn over one last time and pull up a loop. Now pull the three stitches off of your left-hand needle. You will have three stitches on your right-hand needle.

Lotus Flower Pattern:

     Cast on a number divisible by six (plus one).

Row 1: Purl all stitches

Row 2: p1, *p5togm5, p1; rep. from * to end of row

Row 3: Purl all stitches

Row 4: p3togm3, p1, * p5togm5, p1; rep. from * to last three stitches, p3togm3

     Repeat these four rows until your project has reached your desired length.

     The front of your work will look like this;

     and the back will look like this!

How to: Lazy Links

     The Lazy Links (or Waffel, I've seen it named both) stitch gives the impression of cables, all the while being easy and fairly quick to knit up. 
     You will only need to know the knit, purl, and cluster stitches to make this pattern! You will also need either a cable needle or a double pointed needle.


     First, I'm going to explain how to make the cluster stitch. If you already know how to make this, scroll down to the pattern! :)
Cluster 6:
 


     Knit up to the point that you wish to make the cluster.

  Now that you're there, slip six stitches purl-wise onto your cable needle.

     Wrap your yarn in a counterclockwise fashion around those six stitches twice.

     k2, p2, k2 off of the cable needle.

Pattern Instructions:

     Cast on a number divisible by eight (plus 10 stitches).

Row one (RS): p2, *k2, p2; rep. from * to end.

Row two: k2, *p2, k2; rep. from * to end.

Row three: p2, *cluster 6, p2; rep. from * to end.

Row four: k2, *p2, k2; rep from * to end.

Row five: p2, *k2, p2; rep from * to end.

Row six: k2, *p2, k2; rep from * to end.

Row seven: p2, k2, p2, *cluster 6, p2; rep from * to last 4 sts, k2, p2

Row eight: k2, *p2, k2; rep from * to end.

Repeat these rows and after a while your work will look like this!

        ...The Right Side...

     ...The Wrong Side...

     If you would like to make a hat with this stitch pattern, go to: Waffel hat - free knitting pattern - Pickles