How to Fix a Dropped Stitch on the Purl Side (Stockinette)
Dropped stitches on the purl side can look worse than they are. The repair is similar to fixing one on the knit side, but the direction you pull the ladders matters. Here’s how to stabilize the stitch, bring it back up correctly, and keep your fabric looking smooth.
Stop the Unraveling
The moment you notice the dropped stitch:
- Put your knitting down.
- Grab a safety pin, paper clip, or crochet hook.
- Catch the stitch so it doesn’t continue to unravel.
If it’s hard to see on the purl side, flip your work to the knit side to locate it. Sometimes it’s actually easier to let it drop one more row so you can clearly grab the full loop.
Once it’s secured, you can breathe. The damage is contained.
Work Back to the Drop Point
Now you need to get back to the exact row where the stitch fell.
Unpurl one stitch at a time, moving them from the right needle back to the left needle until you see the ladders clearly.
Each horizontal bar is one row.
If you need help with this step, review:
→ How to Unpurl Stitches
When you see three ladders, the stitch dropped three rows.
Ladder the Stitch Back Up (Purl Side Method)
This is where the purl side differs.
On the knit side, you pull the ladders through from the front.
On the purl side, you must pull the ladders through from the back.
If you pull from the front, you’ll create knit “V” shapes instead of purl bumps.
Here’s what to do:
- Keep all the ladders behind the dropped stitch.
- Insert your crochet hook from the back.
- Grab one ladder at a time.
- Pull it through the loop.
Work slowly, row by row.
If your yarn starts to fray or split, wrap the stitch slightly around the crochet hook to create a firmer loop. This gives you better control as you pull it through.
After you bring the stitch up all rows, place it back on the left needle.
Before continuing, check:
- Is the stitch twisted?
- Does it sit naturally on the needle?
If it looks correct, continue purling.
Check the Repair
After knitting a few stitches, look back at the repair.
You may see minor tension differences up close, but from a normal viewing distance, the repair should be nearly invisible.
That’s the goal.
Next Step
Dropped stitches look intimidating on the purl side, but the repair follows the same logic as the knit side once you understand the direction.
If you’re working through other common knitting problems…
→ Visit the Fix a Knitting Problem page for more recovery tutorials.
If your stitch dropped on the knit side, that repair is slightly different.
→ How to Fix a Dropped Stitch on the Knit Side (Stockinette)
Take it one stitch at a time.
