Okay - everybody knows how to pick up a dropped stitch.  You just whip out your handy, dandy hook and crochet that little sucker right back up there where it belongs - right?  What if you don’t have a crochet hook available, or don’t have one the right size or just plain don’t have one?

I discovered this trick when I accidentally pulled a needle out of the sock and 36 stitches made a run for the border!  Perhaps you heard me cursing?

Here is a dropped stitch :)  It has traveled down 3 rows - see the three loose loops behind the stitch?

First - don’t panic :)  Pick up the dropped stitch with the tip of your left needle.  Now it can’t run any further.

Now, insert the tip of your left needle under the row loop nearest (just above) the stitch.  Your left needle now holds the dropped stitch and the yarn it released from the last row it fell through.

Insert the tip of your right needle into the dropped stitch and lift it up and over the loop of yarn in front of it.  Drop it off the end of the left needle.  You’ve worked the stitch back up one row!

Do the same with the next two row loops, lifting the stitch up and over the row loop and then off the needle for each in turn.

Presto!  You’ve rescued your stitch and your work looks great again - no crochet hook needed.

Have a great weekend!