Picking up stitches sounds intimidating but let’s work through it! The following example is the heel flap of a sock with a slipped stitch edge, but the principles are the same when picking up stitches from stockinette no matter the project.
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how to pick up stitches
To pick up stitches you need the right side of your work facing you (the knit side).
Step 1: Insert your needle into the stitch or between rows (from RS to WS)
Step 2: Loop the yarn around your needle (at the back of work)
Step 3: Pull the loop through to the RS (using the needle tip, as though you were knitting a stitch)
Now you will have a stitch on your right hand needle. You have picked up a stitch!
Great beginner patterns from Tin Can Knits:
Barley Light
Rye Light
Maize
Wheat
Flax Light
Flax
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September 13, 2021 @ 6:03 am
Can you help me with this:
“Patt 39 [ 44: 46: 52: 57: 62] turn 39 [44: 46: 52: 57: 62] sts.”
Thanks you
September 13, 2021 @ 10:45 am
Hi Nicole – I’m sorry, I’m not really sure what that means. I would guess that you need to work in pattern for 39 [ 44: 46: 52: 57: 62] sts and then turn your work but I’m not sure what the last set of numbers means without seeing the pattern.
June 15, 2020 @ 6:13 am
When a pattern says to “pick up and knit” x stitches (like the title of this page), what is the “and knit”? I’m never sure if just doing what you show here fulfills the direction, or if I’m supposed to be adding another row over it.
June 15, 2020 @ 11:30 am
Hi Alice – Just ‘picking up’ sts can mean that you are literally putting your needle through them. You might do this if you were picking up a pocket or from a garter stitch edge. Picking up and knitting means you are using your yarn to create loops, as the tutorial shows.
May 1, 2020 @ 11:32 am
I the harvest pattern it says to knit along the live stitches on the provisional cast on row on the collar and then you turn the work 90 degrees and increases stitches for the raglan… Finally, undo the provisional cast on and put the stitches on the left needle. How do you knit the provisional stitches while the cast on yarn is still in them?
May 4, 2020 @ 12:31 pm
Hi Mary – The instruction is to ‘undo the provisional cast on’ so the waste yarn won’t be in there any longer
November 2, 2019 @ 6:12 am
These instructions say that you should be working on the right side when you pick up stitches, yet in the Harvest pattern we are knitting on the wrong side when we pick up stitches. Can you explain why, or am I misunderstanding something? Also, the edge stitches in you tutorial look like they were slipped.
November 5, 2019 @ 12:37 pm
Hi Jane – for the harvest cardigan at the collar the RS should be facing you. These sock sts were indeed slipped.
October 22, 2019 @ 8:09 pm
I understand concept of picking up sts however – my pattern (harvest sweater) pick up and knit 93 sts along collar edge pick up at rate of 3 sts in every 4 rows – this I don’t understand
Please help
October 23, 2019 @ 9:46 am
Hi Margaret – It means you are going to pick up 1 stitch in each row for 3 sts, then skip a row, then pick up 3 sts (one in each row) then skip a stitch etc. Does that help?
December 16, 2019 @ 7:31 pm
Thank you so much for the clarification! It took 3 tries but I was finally able to pick up all the necessary stitches for the harvest cardigan collar!
March 11, 2019 @ 8:12 am
I have knitted the collar three times. I knit row 1 and row 2 and which makes 1 of my 60 times, which equals 121 rows including my cast on (crochet). The problem is, I can see every knitted side stitch perfectly, but there are not enough to pick up 90
March 12, 2019 @ 7:05 pm
Hi Barbara – which pattern are you knitting? Maybe drop us an email (tincaknits@gmail.com) with which pattern and what size you are knitting and we can better help with pattern support!
February 18, 2019 @ 11:27 am
Hi there! Making the Harvest sweater and cannot manage to get 93 stitches when I pick up and knit (making the S/M size)…I picked up 3 stitches every 3 rows (incorrect) but only was left with 75 stitches. If I pick up 3 every 4 rows…it won’t work. Help!
February 18, 2019 @ 1:39 pm
Hi Anne – it sounds like maybe you don’t have enough rows? If you have 125 rows you should be able to pick up 93 sts.
February 18, 2019 @ 2:04 pm
I have 125 rows! Likely a me problem. Thanks.
September 5, 2018 @ 12:04 am
When I pick up stitches under the arm ,holes are left. How can I correct this?
September 5, 2018 @ 10:22 am
Hi Darlene – one suggestion is to pick up 2 extra sts on either side of the underarm, then decrease these 2 sts on the first round of the sleeve. Another is to leave a long tail when starting your pick up and sewing up those holes once your sweater is done.
February 18, 2019 @ 11:12 am
Not sure if you found a solution that satisfies you but this YouTube video helped me out a ton!
https://youtu.be/8K-IsMdTHK0
February 21, 2018 @ 11:47 am
Thank you for the free patterns! I have knitted the flax pullover and love the pattern. Now I am doing the Harvest cardigan.
I am knitting the 1 to 2 yrs size and I am having a problem right after picking up stitches around the collar. The pattern reads-
‘Setup row (WS): knit to marker, p3, PM, p14 (17, 18 19,
17, 18, 18, 23, 21, 23, 21, 21, 22, 20, 23, 23, 25) sts, PM,
p24 (28, 30, 32, 32, 37, 37, 42, 43, 47, 47, 48, 53, 56, 61,
64, 67) sts, PM, p14 (17, 18, 19, 17, 18, 18, 23, 21, 23, 21,
21, 22, 20, 23, 23, 25) sts, PM, p3 (this brings you to the
last marker), knit to end’.
My stitch count is as follows -8 sts for the garter edge=8+3+18+30+18+3+8=88 but the pattern says I should have 92.
what am I doing wrong?? Any help appreciated.
Thanks!
February 21, 2018 @ 11:50 am
Just realized my garter edge should be 10!
February 28, 2018 @ 9:01 am
Hi Mary – I think I answered this question on Ravelry? You should have 10 edge sts for your size.
March 18, 2018 @ 2:26 pm
Hey i am doing the size 2 years to 4 and i am having the same issue i am not sure how many rows am to knit for the collar i pick and knit for the set up row and i am short stitches i took it out 3 time now and i started over
March 21, 2018 @ 11:29 am
Hi Mary – sorry, which pattern are you working on? (the comment is on the ‘Picking up and knitting stitches so I’m not 100% sure)
March 11, 2017 @ 8:20 am
Making this harvest cardigan now and wondering when picking up stitches along the collar do you pick up both strands of the stitch or one strand? Thank you
March 11, 2017 @ 9:46 am
Hi Gina – I usually go in both strands, I find it makes for a cleaner pick up.
March 11, 2017 @ 11:08 am
I’ll do the same then thank you
November 19, 2016 @ 6:34 pm
how do you pick up and knit on a circular needle
November 21, 2016 @ 10:53 pm
Hi Barbara – it is exactly the same as a DPN or a straight needle
March 21, 2016 @ 2:58 pm
I’m not sure I understand the pick up xx stitches every xx rows. This needs a bit of clarification. I had picked up all 70 stitches and then took them out realizing it wasn’t right.
March 22, 2016 @ 9:57 am
To pick up x sts for x rows you will pick up a few sts in each row then skip a row. If, for example, you are picking up 3 sts for 4 rows, you would pick up a stitch in each row for 3 rows, then skip one row, then pick up 3 sts in each row for 3 rows, then skip 1 row, etc.
May 22, 2014 @ 4:39 pm
Thanks for your tutorials – I’m about to knit my first cardigan, Harvest Knit. Could you please explain to me how to pick up xx stitches every xx rows? Does it mean I’m not picking up every available stitch? Won’t this leave holes in the cardigan?
March 21, 2016 @ 3:10 pm
Did you ever get it figured out?
August 11, 2019 @ 12:15 pm
Hi,
I am knitting the Gramps cardigan size 2-4.
After picking up sts for button band & shawl collar, I will be doing a p1(k1,p1) on the wrong side up to 2nd marker. Kfb for the back neck sts.
My question is, do I continue ribbing down to the left front? Then rib up to 2nd stitch past the 4th marker W&T?
Thank you for the tutorial. I just want to be clear as I am knitting for my twin grand kids.
August 19, 2019 @ 9:48 am
Hi – I’m not sure I understand the quetsion? Once you have picked up all of your sts and worked the set up row that establishes the ribbing you are going to start the short rows. You will work to a few sts past the 4th marker (that’s into the left front of the sweater) then wrap and turn, leaving the rest of the left front sts unworked. Does that help?
January 27, 2017 @ 1:01 pm
hey Sarah. I had a hole issue. Maybe I did something wrong as I knit contin etnal but I had the feeling that the fourth (skipped) stitsch left a rather large hole. In the end it wasn’t a disaster, but it’s not as neat as I would like…
January 27, 2014 @ 1:31 pm
Qué fácil lo haces! Muchas gracias