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Ladder
A vertical strand between stitches caused by a needle out of work or a dropped stitch.
A ladder is the long vertical strand of yarn that appears between stitches when a needle isn’t knitting. Instead of forming a new stitch, the yarn floats up the fabric in a straight line.
Ladders are created when:
- A needle is intentionally taken out of work (for decorative ladders or open columns)
- A stitch drops and runs down the fabric, whether on purpose or by accident
Ladders can be used decoratively to create open columns, or they can signal that a stitch dropped and needs to be repaired.
Example
Reform purl stitches for ribbing by picking up the ladders