We have all been there, making our fair share of mistakes as beginner knitters. It may be the knitting needles or the way we are holding the yarn or other things. Mistakes are learning steps in the process of knitting. One common mistake that has happened to most beginner knitters is that you end up with unwanted holes in your knitting, knitwork, project, or item). But, it is nothing to be disheartened by. Finding a hole in your knitting is not entirely random, it means there has been a slipup and this can be easily corrected. Of course, there are times when for example a lace knitting pattern asks us to create aesthetic holes in the project. Our tips refer to the plainly accidental ones that just seem to pop up unwantedly.) This can happen whether you work with single-pointed, double-pointed, fixed or interchangeable circular knitting needles. Or, whether you knit in the round or back and forth.
In this blog, we’ll be taking a look at how unwanted holes appear in knitting and how to fix them. First, you have to diagnose your mistake by taking a proper look at the hole and inspecting the stitches in the row or pattern before they appeared. Once you understand the mistake, then all you have to do is correct it.
1. Yarn over the needle
A very common beginner mistake is bringing the yarn over the top of the knitting needle at the beginning of a row. When this happens, two stitches are formed rather than one and you are running the danger of working them separately later. As you have more stitches to work with, this results in holes in the knitting. It also messes up your pattern (if you are following one) and will certainly make your project slant outward.
Once you notice the hole and understand the problem the only way to fix it is to unravel your work till the stitch where you brought the yarn over the needle.
Fix - To avoid making this mistake make sure that the working yarn hangs underneath the needle. If the stitch you are working on is a knit stitch, move the yarn to the back of the work and if the first stitch is a purl, bring the yarn to the front of the project.
The opposite of yarn over is missing to bring the yarn over. You will have a dropped stitch on the project. This too causes annoying holes in the project.
2. Accidental yarn over
Another common mistake that causes holes in the project is accidental yarn over. When you knit, the yarn must be underneath the project, and when you purl it must be above. When you work both knit & purl in the same row you need to move the yarn accordingly. If you miss the yarn position adjustment for knit and purl, you will have an additional stitch and an unwanted hole in the knitted fabric.
Fix - To fix this mistake there are two ways. If you notice the mistake while knitting the next row, drop the yarn over to loosen up adjacent stitches and then redistribute the yarn. And, if you have noticed the gaping hole later in the project, unravel your work to the place of the mistake.
To avoid this mistake entirely, try knitting without distractions. As a beginner it is overwhelming but with time you will develop better focus and avoid the accidental yarn-overs.
3. Turning the work
This has happened to many knitters, especially beginners when you knit with back and forth with single-pointed needles or circulars: You have accidentally turned your project in the middle of the row and worked in the wrong direction. Affectionately called the "Mommy Mistake" this happens when you leave your knitting before completing the row. When you later take up the project, you have turned the project accidentally and then started working in the wrong direction.
Fix - The only way to fix this error is to unravel it to the point where you picked up the project and knit it wrong.
Conclusion
Besides the above three, there are many other reasons for unwanted holes in knitting. Most of the problems can be solved by just inspecting the work. Many times you will have a stitch that has gone awry.
Errors are just a part of knitting. Do not despair, most knitting mistakes are easy to fix. With practice, you will avoid making the common mistakes that make unwanted holes in knitting. And like all lessons learned you will also get proficient in reading your work and curing your knit errors.
While the random holes in a project have nothing to do with knitting needles, it is recommended to use the best-quality needles that work best for you. Stainless steel knitting needles from the Mindful Collection work smoothly with all kinds of yarns. The sharp tips work efficiently for knitting any pattern and yarn. The collection has a special concept - a unique word (breathe, dream, create, etc.) laser-printed on the needle motivates you. Explore the Mindful Collection for knitting with mindfulness. Follow our blog for more information on knitting needles, accessories, tricks, techniques, etc.
Till then, happy knitting.
