How to Rebuild Dropped German Short Row Double Stitches from the Purl Side

A German short row double stitch forms when you turn, slip the turning stitch purlwise with yarn in front, and pull the working yarn over the needle. This draws the base of the slipped stitch upward, exposing two strands. Those strands occupy one stitch position. La Visch Designs’ illustrated tutorial explains this construction and explicitly counts the double stitch as a single stitch.

The useful repair target is therefore a connected turning structure with two legs ready to be worked together. Simply putting two nearby strands on the needle does not establish that they belong together. Trace their connections before lifting them.

Also distinguish the side facing you during repair from the side on which the turn was made. A double stitch created after turning to begin a purl row and one created after turning to begin a knit row can look different. Purl Soho’s German short row tutorial demonstrates both turning sequences.

Set the work down without stretching the opening. Keep the surrounding stitches on their needles and place a removable marker through any loose live loop while you inspect it. A spare needle and a small crochet hook can help separate the strands without pulling them out of position.

Use this inspection sequence before attempting the reconstruction:

What you can identify	What to do next
Two connected legs that still retain the double-stitch shape	Lift both back onto a needle together; inspect their orientation before continuing.
A distinct upright loop and sideways loop at the turn	Use the loop reconstruction below.
Several loose strands, with no clear pair of turning loops	Recover the surrounding stitches and undo to a point before the damaged turn.
An intact double stitch still on the needle, with a gap beside it	Check its construction and the pattern’s next instruction before dismantling it.

This table is a practical decision aid derived from the double stitch’s structure. The detailed reconstruction below assumes that the two turning loops remain identifiable. It does not assume that every loose horizontal strand near a short row belongs in that double stitch.

Hold the purl side toward you and locate the precise turning point using your pattern, stitch markers, and the neighboring short rows. Avoid choosing a loop solely because it is closest to the opening.

Look for an upright loop, rising from the stitch column, and a sideways loop, associated with the turn. These are the two elements named in aficioknito’s repair notes. Keep them separated on spare tools until you can follow their paths.

If the arrangement remains unclear, compare it with an intact turn of the same type elsewhere in the work. You can also make a small separate swatch, form the matching turn, and loosen that double stitch while observing its connections. Treat the swatch as a construction reference; its stitch count and turn placement do not replace your project’s instructions.

Leave the surrounding stitches supported. Use a spare needle as the receiving needle so you can inspect the repair before transferring it back into the working row.

1. Separate the upright and sideways loops. Keep both visible rather than tightening either one.
2. Pass the upright loop through the sideways loop. Arrange the sideways loop with its upper leg facing the front, toward you.
3. Place the upright loop on the right needle. Its right leg should lie behind the needle.
4. Lift the upright loop’s left leg onto that same needle. This traps the sideways loop between the upright loop’s two legs and restores the double stitch.
5. Snug the reconstruction gently. Stop once the structure is recognizable and supported.

This is the sequence in “Fix a Dropped Double Stitch”, whose notes state that it works on either side of the knitting. Here, “right needle” identifies the receiving tool during reconstruction; it does not mean you should immediately work the repaired stitch.

Before transferring it, check that you lifted whole yarn strands rather than splitting the yarn. Keep both legs supported during the transfer. If you lose track of the sideways loop, return to the separated-loop stage and trace the connections again.

When your pattern takes you back across the repaired double stitch, insert the right needle through both legs together and purl them as one stitch. Purl Soho demonstrates this purl-side resolution in its German short row tutorial.

Do not purl each leg separately. Both belong to one stitch position. Likewise, restoring the double stitch does not itself mean the pattern requires you to resolve it immediately: if the current short row turns before that point, leave it intact until the instructions reach it.

If a decrease includes the double stitch, follow that decrease rather than resolving the double stitch separately first. For example, Liz Corke’s tutorial explains that a p2tog involving a double stitch and its neighbor passes through three visible strands: the double stitch’s two legs plus the adjacent stitch.

Use three checks together: stitch count, yarn path, and turn placement. A plausible appearance alone gives you less information than all three.

• Count: Count each unresolved double stitch once. Compare with the count expected at your current pattern position.
• Connection: Confirm that the sideways loop is captured in the reconstruction rather than hanging independently beside it.
• Position: Confirm that the repaired stitch sits at the original turning point, using your markers and pattern instructions.

For an illustrative count, suppose a section should contain 20 stitches, including one unresolved double stitch. You should count 19 ordinary stitches plus one double stitch. Counting its two visible legs separately produces 21 visible units, but it does not establish that you have gained a stitch. The underlying rule—one double stitch counts as one—is stated in La Visch Designs’ tutorial.

Inspect the knit side too, then return to the purl side before resuming. Use this inspection to compare the repaired turn with neighboring turns, rather than repeatedly tightening the working yarn to change its appearance.

The loop reconstruction requires identifiable components. If you cannot distinguish the upright loop from the turning loop, stop rearranging loose strands. Put the recoverable live stitches on a spare needle and undo the affected knitting to before the damaged turn, keeping track of the rows removed.

Rework to the pattern’s original turning point. Turn, place the yarn in front, slip the first stitch purlwise, and pull the yarn over the needle to recreate the double stitch. If you will purl next, bring the yarn forward between the needles and continue. La Visch Designs documents this sequence and the need to maintain tension until the following stitch secures the formation.

Finish the repair by checking the original turn position and counting the double stitch once. When the pattern next crosses it on a purl row, work both legs together. Those checks give you a concrete stopping point: the turning structure is restored, the count matches, and you can continue from the correct instruction.

• Fix a Dropped Double Stitch — aficioknito on Ravelry
• tutorial – Working German short rows — La Visch Designs
• Short Rows: German Short Rows — Purl Soho
• German Short Rows — Liz Corke Knits