Quick fix: Insert the left needle tip from front to back into the stitch directly below the one on the right needle. Slide the right needle out. Pull the working yarn gently to undo the stitch. Repeat to the left until you reach the error.
What you are seeing
You have made a mistake and need to undo stitches one at a time without risking a dropped stitch. Tinking is the safest way to reverse your work stitch by stitch, and is ideal when the error is within the current or immediately previous row.
Why tink instead of frog
- Each stitch stays under control — there is no risk of losing stitches or having the whole row unravel.
- You can stop precisely at the error stitch, fix it, and re-knit forward without disturbing anything else.
- Tinking is safer in cables, lace, and colourwork where frogging can cause chaos.
Fix it now
- For a knit stitch: hold work normally with the right needle in your right hand — insert the left needle tip from front to back into the stitch directly below the first stitch on the right needle.
- Slide the right needle out of that stitch completely.
- Pull the working yarn gently to undo the loop — the stitch lands safely back on the left needle.
- Repeat for each stitch, moving to the left, until you reach the error stitch.
- Fix the error stitch, then re-knit forward as normal.
- For a purl stitch: the motion is identical — insert the left needle tip from front to back into the stitch below the right-needle stitch, slide the right needle out, and pull the working yarn gently. The stitch lands correctly on the left needle ready to be purled again.
Prevent it next time
- Tink for 1-10 stitches back; if you need to undo more, consider frogging with a lifeline — see tink vs frog vs drop down for guidance on when to use each method.
- Count your stitches at the end of each row to catch errors earlier, when tinking is faster.