How to fix crochet mistakes
Every crocheter makes mistakes, and almost all of them can be fixed. The skill is deciding quickly whether a mistake is worth pulling back for, then doing it without tangling the yarn or losing your place. This guide covers the fixes that come up most: ripping back, picking the work up again, a wrong stitch count, wavy or uneven edges and gaps in amigurumi.
Fix it or leave it?
Ask three questions before you pull anything out.
- Will the mistake affect the stitch count or shape? A missing or extra stitch changes the count and spreads into every row above it, so fix it. A stitch worked into the wrong loop usually does not change the count, and a tiny colour or texture slip may not matter.
- Is it a garment or a toy? Those deserve a neat finish. A coaster or dishcloth can be more forgiving.
- How far back is it? If it is in the row you are working on, it takes a minute. If it is ten rows down, check whether you can live with it before you spend an evening on it.
If you are not sure where the count went wrong, find out first with the steps in our guide to counting stitches and rows.
Frogging: ripping back cleanly
Crochet people call unravelling "frogging", because you "rip it, rip it". Crochet unravels from the working end, since each stitch sits on the one below, so you can always undo your work back to where the mistake is.
- Take the hook out of the working loop and hold the loop with your fingers so the work does not unravel past where you want it to.
- Pull the working yarn gently and let each stitch undo.
- Stop at the last correct stitch. You cannot remove one stitch from the middle of a row, so if the error is in an earlier row, keep pulling back through every stitch after it, then rework from there.
- Wind the loose yarn onto a card as you go so it does not tangle.
Unravelled yarn is often crinkled. If it bothers you, wrap it loosely around a book or a chair back and let it relax, or steam it by holding an iron or steamer just above it without pressing. Check the yarn label first and never press a hot iron directly onto acrylic, because it can be damaged by heat.
Getting the loop back on the hook
When you have unravelled to the last good stitch, you will have one loop at the top. Slip it onto the hook so the loop sits flat and is not twisted; a twisted loop makes the next stitch look crossed. If you lost the loop entirely and the yarn has pulled out one stitch too many, put the hook through the top of the stitch below (the V, or the loops your pattern works into), pull up a loop and continue. Check the count afterwards.
If you pulled out partway through a taller stitch, such as a double crochet with several loops on the hook, pull out back to the end of the previous complete stitch. Redoing one stitch is quicker than rebuilding a half-made one.
A stitch is missing or you have one too many
If you have found the error while working on the current row, undo back to it. If you find it a few rows later, you have two options:
- Rip back to the error when the piece has to be exact, such as a hat, a toy or a blanket whose edges need to be straight.
- Adjust in the current row by adding one stitch (or working two stitches together) near the edge if one stitch is missing or extra and the piece can tolerate it. This works for a scarf or a dishcloth; it will not hide an error in a shaped piece.
In the round, count at the end of every round while you learn. A flat circle with the standard six increases per round should have 6 x n stitches in round n; if it does not, fix it right away.
Uneven or wavy edges
Uneven sides are almost always a counting or turning-chain problem rather than a tension problem.
- Missed the last stitch. The top of the turning chain at the end of a row is easy to miss; that makes the side narrower. Count at the end of each row until it becomes automatic.
- Added a stitch. Working an extra stitch at the start of a row, often because the turning chain was counted as a stitch when it should not have been, makes the side wider.
- Turning chains that vary. Use the same number, and the same counting rule, on every row of the piece. If your pattern says the turning chain does not count, always work into the first stitch.
To even out an edge that is still slightly off after you have fixed the cause, finish the piece with an even round or row of single crochet along the sides, which is how most patterns add a border. Blocking can help too: shape the damp piece, let it dry flat, or hold a steamer just above it. Check the yarn label before you apply moisture or heat.
Piece ruffles or curls
A flat circle that ruffles has too many stitches; one that curls into a bowl has too few. Both usually come from a miscounted increase round. Count each round against the pattern and fix the round that drifted. If the count is right and the piece still ruffles or cups, your gauge may be different from the pattern's, so check it with our gauge calculator and consider a different hook size.
Gaps and holes in amigurumi
If the stuffing shows between stitches, your stitches are probably too loose for the yarn. Go down a hook size and re-test on a small swatch. Our hook size converter shows the next size down in each system. Also check that the first round closed fully; the magic ring guide shows how.
A small hole at the join of two body parts can be closed by weaving the tail around the stitches on either side, drawing it snug and hiding the end inside the piece.
Make fewer mistakes next time
- Use a stitch marker at the start of every round, and move it every time.
- Count at the end of each row or round, and mark every tenth stitch in long chains.
For a project to practise the fixes above, try the free first granny square or the simple beanie in all sizes ($0.99), where a count at the end of each round catches problems early.
