Astraknots
  • How to Fix Knitting Mistakes
    • Get Knitting Help
  • Help Reading Knitting Patterns
    • Learn How to Read Knitting Patterns
    • Knitting Pattern Assumptions
    • Read Knitting Charts
  • Download Free Knitting Patterns
  • Take Knitting Lessons
    • Read That Pattern Knitting Class by Astraknots
    • Knitting Lessons Denver Co
    • Learn New Knitting Skills
  • Knitting Tips and Tricks
    • Beginning Knitting
    • Cast On Methods
    • Knit Purl English Continental
    • Garter Stitch Stockinette St
    • Identifying Knit Vs Purl Sts
    • Cast On Bind Off
    • K2tog Decrease Kfb Increase
    • Colorwork - Stepless Color Change in the Round
    • Tools - Slipping stitches to holders, barber cord
  • Astraknots Shop
    • Astraknots Shop Hats

How to Pick Up Stitches with one knitting needle

Pick Up With Sticks
Pick Up And Knit
When a pattern says "Pick up and Knit", it really means the same thing as "Pick up". The action of picking the stitches up is basically a knit, i.e. you wrap the yarn as if to knit, and you go through the front of the work. In some cases, it might specify "Pick up as if to purl" in which case you'd need to come in through the back, and wrap your yarn like a purl stitch.

Pick Up Using One Knitting Needle
This is the most typical way picking up stitches is done in knitting.  Inserting your right hand needle through the edge of the work, wrapping the yarn and pulling it through. Once you get the hang of this technique, it goes very quickly. The trick is to insert your needle through a consistent amount of the edge (usually two strands). You'll also want to pick up stitches from the right side of the work when picking up as to knit, to create a seamless appearance.

Picking Up Stitches For Socks
After you turn heel on a sock, and you've finished knitting back and forth for the heel flap, your pattern will probably tell you to pick up a certain number of stitches so you can continue working in the round. 
It is important to know how to pick up the stitches so that you don't end up with extra holes. You can always pick up more stitches than the pattern says, and just add some extra decreases later to get back to the right number of stitches.

Picking Up Stitches For Sweaters
Picking up stitches for a sweater may occur when you go to add a neck piece, collar, border, cuff or even sleeves. Your pattern may specify how many stitches should be picked up along how many rows since you aren't always picking up the stitches in the same direction they were knit.

Picking Up Stitches For Thumbs
When knitting mittens or gloves, you'll often either put stitches on a holder for a thumb, or knit onto waste yarn that is removed later for a thumb hole. In the case of the former, you will often need to pick up some stitches. I recommend picking up a couple extra than the pattern says and adding some extra decreases to avoid thumb holes.

How to pick up a dropped stitch using knitting needles
pick up dropped sts
How to pick up dropped stitches using knitting needles
Learn how to use the knitting needles to pick up dropped stitches. Dropped stitches have just lost their knit.
Next Step >
Alternate Step: How to Pick up stitches with a crochet hook
pick up sts
How to pick up stitches with a crochet hook
A crochet hook is a nonconventional way to pick up stitches along the edge of a fabric. You'll have to transfer the stitches to your needles as you go.
Alternate Step >

How to join in the round on circular needles
join in the roundHow to join in the round on circular needles
When working in the round on circular needles, after the cast on you will need to join your stitches into the circle.

< Previous Step

Advanced Step: Switching from DPNs to circular needles
psso englishHow to switch to dpns (double pointed needles) from circular needles
Once your round becomes too small to continue knitting on circular needles, you'll need to switch to double pointed needles to continue.

Advanced Step >

More videos you might like...

yo englishHow to tink (unknit)
How to Tink (unknit)
Make a mistake in your pattern and need to take out the last few stitches you did? That's what the tink (unknit) is for. An essential skill for every knitter.

Discover the tink
knit icordHow to knit an icord
How to knit an Icord
Icords are like tiny tubs of knitting. You create them by knitting in such a tiny round it is only 3 to 5 stitches wide on one double pointed needle.

Learn to Icord

Our Services

Company

Support

Knitting Help Video Index
Knitting Lessons
Online Knitting Classes
Free Knitting Patterns
Community Knitting

Shop
​
Blog-o-knots
Newsletter

Calendar
About Astraknots
Team of Astraknots
Contact Astraknots

Privacy Policy
​Terms of Use
Astraknots Policies
Astraknitopology
© Astraknots LLC 2012-2023. All rights reserved.