Why do we pick up stitches?

When you have finished the main part of a garment (e.g., the front of a sweater), you often need to add edges. By picking up stitches along the existing edge, you can continue knitting in a new direction without having to sew the parts together afterward.

Important uses

  • Necklines: Pick up along the neck opening to knit ribbing.
  • Sleeves: Pick up around the sleeve opening on a vest.
  • Button bands: Pick up along the edge of a jacket.
  • Heel: Pick up stitches along the side of a heel flap.

How to do it (Step-by-step)

Picking Up Stitches Step-by-Step
Insert here
1

Locate insertion point

Work 1 full stitch in from the edge (between the edge stitch and the first column) for a neat, stable join.

2

Insert needle front to back

Insert right needle tip from front to back under both legs of the stitch.

3

Wrap yarn & draw loop

Wrap working yarn around the needle tip behind the work and pull a new loop through to the front.

1. Pick 2. Pick 3. Pick 4. Skip
4

The 3:4 ratio for rows

Along vertical edges, pick up 3 stitches for every 4 rows (skip every 4th row) to prevent flaring or puckering.

Picking up stitches is done 1 full stitch inside the selvage, with a 3:4 ratio along vertical rows for a smooth transition.

  1. Prepare needle and yarn: Hold the needle in your right hand and the yarn over your left index finger (as usual).
  2. Insert the needle: Find the "space" just inside the actual edge stitch. This is where you want to insert the needle from the right side to the back.
  3. Pick up the yarn: Wrap the yarn around the needle and pull it through the hole to the right side. You have now made your first new stitch.
  4. Continue evenly: Repeat the process along the entire edge. The most important thing is to pick up the right number of stitches, evenly spaced along the edge.

The magic rule: 3 out of 4

When picking up stitches along a row edge in stockinette, a good rule of thumb is to pick up 3 stitches for every 4 rows. The reason is that a row is shorter than a stitch is wide: at a stockinette gauge of, for example, 22 stitches and 30 rows over 4 inches, four rows cover roughly the same distance along the edge as three stitches do across it. This prevents the edge from being either too tight or "wavy".

Avoiding holes

A common problem is small holes where you pick up. Solution: Make sure you insert the needle through the stitch itself or directly under both strands of the edge stitch, instead of just in the outermost strand.

See how it's done

Sometimes it's easier to see the technique in action. Here is a good video showing how to pick up stitches:

Video from VeryPink Knits