The Knitting Fiend

I thought everyone knew this life saving trick!

Near the end of our guild meeting, two knitters were conferring about ripping back. One was a beginner; she’d made an error several rows back, and was being advised to rip. Not surprisingly, she was worried she would be unable to pick up her stitches.

So, I said “Use a life line”. I got two blank stares.

I explained: Thread a tapestry needle, and weave it in and out of a row of stitches. Then when you rip back, those stitches won’t ravel. You can pick the stitches up, and then remove the lifeline.

This time I was rewarded with “Wow! Great idea!”

Of course, it’s not my idea. People have been doing this for a long time; I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Mom do it. It’s especially useful if you knit lace, or very complicated stitch patterns. So, use a life line, and you can rip back confident you will be able to pick up your stitches.

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Technique tip: When showing this to beginners knitting stockinette, I like to weave the thread through the row of stitches below the needle. That way, the strand doesn’t interfere with knitting the current row. Lace knitters often prefer to weave it through the stitches on the needle; otherwise, it can be difficult to catch all the yarn overs and stitch decreases properly.