Here is a methode to pick up stitches on a project : along a vertical border, along a slope and along an horizontal border.

Material

You will need the piece you want to pick stitches on, a knitting needle (straight or circular) and your working yarn.

Vertical border

Step 1

Identify the border stitches.

Step 2

RS facing you, locate the first stitch in which you will pick up and knit a stitch.

Pass the tip of the needle between the border stitch and the next one on the row (going away from the border).

Pass the yarn around the needle and pull it on the RS. You have picked up and knitted your first stitch.

It is loose because the strand of yarn isn’t held tightly. Don’t worry. Just tighten it before weaving it in at the end of your project.

Step 3

Locate the next place along the border where you want to pick up a new stitch. Here, I’m picking up 1 stitch every 2 rows, which means I’m skipping one row between each stitch.

Pass the tip of the needle between the border stitch and the next one on the row (going away from the border).

Pass the yarn around the needle and pull it on the RS. You have picked up and knitted a new stitch.

Repeat this step as many times as necessary.

Note

If you need to follow a ratio of 2 sts for 3 rows, pick up and knit 2 stitches into 2 rows one right after the other, then skip one row.

If you need to follow a ratio of 3 sts for 4 rows, pick up and knit 3 stitches into 3 rows one right after the other, then skip one row.

On a slope

When you bind off stitches on multiple rows, you create a slope (ie. Sloped Bind Off)

Step 1

Pass the tip of the needle into the stitch under the bound off stitch (it looks a bit like 2 stitches knitted together).

Step 2

Pass the yarn around the needle and pull it on the RS. You have picked up and knitted a new stitch.

Step 3

Repeat those 2 steps as many times à necessary.

On a horizontal border (= BO or CO edge)

Générally, we pick up and knit 1 st for each BO stitch (or CO stitch).

Step 1

Pass the tip of the needle into the stitch under the bound off stitch.

Step 2

Pass the yarn around the needle and pull it on the RS. You have picked up and knitted a new stitch.

Step 3

Repeat those 2 steps as manuy times as necessary.

What it looks like

Right after the pick up

After a few rows

If the picked up stitches are to loose

sometimes, some picked up stitches are too loose. To solve this problem, you need to intervene before weaving in the ends.

RS facing you, starting by the stitch on the far left (or the last picked up stitch if you are working in the round), tighten it slowly by pulling lightly the “legs” of the stitch just on the right. The stitch on the right is now more loose.

Continue the same way along the picked up stitches, one stitch after the other, from left to right, until all the stitches are just tight and all the loose thread is on the 1st picked-up stitch. tighten the thread and weave it in.

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