Avid Knitter

by Irene
(Harrisburg, Pa.)

I am working a pattern using only Knit and Pearl stitches. I'm about three quarters near the end and discovered an error I made about one-quarter of the way from the beginning.

My question is:

Can I finish the item (Baby Blanket) and bind off, then tear out from the beginning and work down. I really don't want to tear out all the work that is good.

Fixing an error

by Doreen Shapiro
(Brooklyn, NY)

I am knitting a baby blanket. I am 3/4's of the way finished and I noticed that I made a mistake in the border, four lines from the cast on row.

The border in garter stitch and in the middle of the fourth row, for about 10 stitches I accidentally did the stockinette stitch.

Since I don't want to rip out almost an entire blanket, I was wondering if I could rip out from the beginning of the blanket, where I cast on, which is only four rows away from the error.

I await your answer.

Thank you so much for your help,
Doreen Shapiro

YOUR ANSWER

Hi Doreen

I feel your pain. It can be so frustrating when you notice an error like this one, and I assume that as it is 10 stitches, the error is quite noticeable to you.

But before you start ripping the border out, ask someone else (preferably someone reasonably impartial) to have a look and see if they notice it without any prompting.

I find that most knitters (myself included) are fairly critical about their own work, and once they find something they have created is less than perfect, they can never be happy with the finished product if they don't attempt to fix it.

So, who is the baby blanket for, and does a small error (and it is a small error when you consider how much time and love goes into knitting a baby blanket) completely ruin the finished product, or are you being too hard on yourself?

Instead of unpicking the border and re-knitting could you leave it as is? Ask yourself whether a new mother would notice or even care about it. It does after all make this particular blanket unique!

Maybe you could add a ribbon/bow at the point as decoration (and hide the flaw)?

Having said that, if it was my baby blanket, I would have sworn a couple of times and I would have already unpicked it by now.

One of my helpful visitors has provided a great explanation of how to do just that while answering an other question in this section of the website.

You will find it in the comment section of this page.