Frogging
Frogging means unraveling your knitting to fix a mistake or start over, named for the 'rip-it, rip-it' sound resembling a frog's croak.
Explanation
Frogging involves pulling the needle out of the stitches and pulling on the yarn so the knitting unravels, either because you've spotted a mistake further down or because you want to restart the project. The term is a pun on the sound of ripping out knitting resembling a frog saying 'rip-it, rip-it'. To avoid having to frog large portions of a project, it helps to count stitches regularly and consider placing a lifeline in tricky patterns, so you only need to frog back to the nearest safe point.
Also known as: Ripping back, Tinking
Two ways
To go back only a few stitches, unknit them one at a time by inserting the left needle into the stitch below and pulling the top one out. This is called tinking, and it is safe but slow.
To go back many rows, take the work off the needle and pull. That is fast, but you have to catch the stitches again afterwards — and that is where a lifeline proves its worth.
The yarn afterwards
Yarn that has been knitted comes out crinkled. It can be used straight from the ball for a fresh start, but for a whole garment you should wind it into a hank, soak it and hang it to dry. The fibers then straighten out again.
Mohair, angora and other fuzzy yarns survive ripping back worst.
Common mistakes
- Ripping back without a lifeline in a patterned piece, so you lose track of where you were.
- Knitting a new garment straight from crinkled reclaimed yarn.
Keywords
- frogging
- ripping out knitting
- unraveling
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between tinking and frogging?
Tinking is unknitting one stitch at a time — safe but slow. Frogging is taking the work off the needle and pulling, which is fast but means catching the stitches again.
Can I reuse ripped-out yarn?
Yes. Wind it into a hank, soak it and hang it to dry, and the crinkles relax out.