Dropped stitch in knitting: repair a plain stockinette column
For one interior dropped stitch in plain stockinette, first pass a locking stitch marker or crochet hook through the loose loop to keep it from unravelling farther. Then use a crochet hook on the knit face to pull each ladder bar through the loop, from lowest upward. These steps cover a clear column only a few rows deep, not edges, garter, rib, cables, or shaping rows.
Confirm the mistake before undoing yarn
Before pulling yarn, check for one escaped loop with horizontal bars above it. Compare the stitch count and pattern; if what you see may be another kind of mistake, keep the loop secured and identify it first.
Scroll the table sideways to read every column.
| What you see | Check next | What to do with that result |
|---|---|---|
| An elongated loop remains on a needle, with no ladder below it. | Check whether the pattern asked you to slip that stitch on the relevant row. | If intentional, continue as the pattern directs. If it was missed accidentally or you are unsure, identify the affected row and use a slipped-stitch repair; simply knitting on can leave the error in place. |
| A new loop or eyelet appears, and the stitch count increased. | Check whether the row calls for a yarn-over. | Do not ladder it unless you confirm a stitch was dropped. |
| The stitch is at an edge or in rib, garter, cable, or shaping. | Check the pattern's stitch sequence and repair notes. | Pause: the column may need a different repair. |
Work the ladder from the bottom upward
1. Pass a locking stitch marker or crochet hook through the live loose loop. Keep it held while moving the work to the column by knitting or un-knitting intervening stitches as appropriate.
2. Turn the work so the knit face, with its V-shaped stitches, is toward you. Put a crochet hook through the loose loop front-to-back, transferring it from the marker if needed. Catch the lowest bar behind the loop and pull it through. Repeat one bar at a time, upward. The Craft Yarn Council shows this hook direction for a knit stitch.
3. Return the rescued loop to the needle for the next row without twisting it: orient its front leg the same way as neighboring stitches. Check the TKGA stockinette diagram if the loop's legs are hard to see. Keep it secured and pause if you cannot confirm its orientation. Then inspect the reverse for a missed bar and recount before continuing.
Use a checkpoint to catch a missed rung
Hypothetical checkpoint: after pulling up three bars, the front column looks continuous, but a loose bar remains on the reverse. Before undoing anything, compare both faces with the neighboring columns and identify whether that bar belongs to this stitch. If it is ambiguous, keep the loop secured and consult the TKGA illustration. This is an inspection example, not a tested repair.
Choose the simplest visual help
For one mistake, manually attach close-ups of both faces, the loop, ladder, and needle row. A requested phone or webcam still is useful after the loop is secured or a bar is pulled. Confirm hidden or unclear details in text before continuing.
Prompt to adapt
I have a possible dropped stitch in [plain stockinette], [number] rows below the needle, and secured its loop. Use my attached photo, or request a fresh still if MCP capture is available. Can you see one loose loop with ladder bars, rather than a slipped stitch or yarn-over? Ask if unclear. If it is one interior stockinette stitch, guide me up one bar at a time. Then ask me to check both faces, loop orientation, and stitch count before I continue.
Source documentation
Set up without starting a capture
Set up your MCP client with the full tool reference. The separate capture page can replace the active capture page for your account. It does not take a photo by itself.