Hi everyone! I'm new to this website and this is my first post here, so I hope my question is clear and intelligible!

I know basically nothing about knitting or the lingo. But I have a sweater I love that needs a minor repair, and I'm up to the challenge! I've been told that it's easy, will take about 15 mins and needs knitting needles. Unfortunately the person who was going to help me is missing in action, the library books don't help and I don't know anyone else who can knit!

I unfortunately don't have a way to post a picture, but I will try to describe the problem as accurately as possible in lay lady's terms:

My sweater's knit is plain, neither exceptionally fine or coarse, that, looking at it from the front, consists of a sort of braided V that is I think a regular knit stitch. At the cuffs and bottom is a wide section of ribbed knitting (a ladder stich? Dunno.) that looks like a bunch of little horizontal stiches layed out like bricks on a wall in the "valley", and the raised ribbing like 2 double rows of V's side by side.

I appologise for this ever so technical description *L*! I hope you are still with me!

Ok, so my problem is at the bottom of my sweater, the area that joins the regular part of my sweater to the ribbed cuff is getting horozontally unravelled, increasingly detaching the cuff portion and making a hole, and also threatening to unravel down the ribbed cuff too. I tried to repair this with thread, the only thing I could think of - it started as a small hole right by the side seam of the sweater. I tried to reknit or rather rethread the hanging section of yarn into the loops too (not with any skill, but I figured as long as it wasn't visible on the outside and stayed together it would be good) but evidently that didn't work because even though the part I worked on stayed together, my problem area moved down into a previously ok adjoining section.

The lady who was going to help me said I would have to build up the cuff area again with new thread before I joined the two sections because the top of the (ladder stitch? I think that's what she called it) had unravelled. It does look like the hole is missing something like 2 rows, not just one - it does seem like the top of the ribbed section did get unravelled a bit.

I have found internet info about mending horizontal unravels, but not about 1. rebuilding the ribbed section 2. joining together 2 different kinds of knitting.

Please help me save my much loved warm and cosy beastie! :heart:

I can't speak for everyone here, but to really help I think we're going to need some good pics. Isn't there anyone you know that has a digital camera or scanner?



The other option is to try to find a local yarn shop (not major chain craft stores like Michaels and Joanns-unless you can contact an intructor from one of their classes) and have someone there help you. My local yarn shop (LYS) has open hours a couple days a week where they will help you with anything.

If this is a ready-made (not hand-knit) sweater, take it to a professional tailor or dressmaker. If they can't fix it, they can send it out to a reweaving specialist.

I love your descriptions, although I'm afraid I can't help with your problem. The way you describe the basic architecture is pretty easy to understand, though. The body of your sweater is "stockinette stitch." The way the stitches look from the outside are "knit" stitches. The ribs and valleys are "ribbing." Sounds like 2x2, 2 knit stitches beside 2 purl stitches. If you look at it inside out, the valleys should look exactly like the Vs from the other side.

I don't believe the ribbing sections are usually seamed to the other part, so it's not a likely place for it to come apart, unless there happened to be a yarn join there. Like others have said, it's probably best you get some help in person. The instructional videos here are really helpful, but fixing and mending is such a case-by-case basis, it would be hard for someone to tell you how to do it, especially if you don't "yet" have the basics down-pat. But you seem to have a good grasp of it so far, so keep at it, and good luck!

Thanks for your reply! I'm glad you were able to understand me!...yes you're absolutely right, when I look at my sweater inside out the valleys and V's of the ribbing look exactly opposite. It does look like the two sections have been joined together with yarn, and that is what is coming out, because all along the top of the cuff at the joining, viewed from the outside, there's a little horizontal dash-like stitch that seems to bind both together and is also a pretty finish/transition to the two parts. I remember thinking how interesting it was that they were able to do that horizontal stitch because it didn't look like any other parts of the sweater (neither ribbing nor V's), and not understanding how it joined the two pieces since, unlike if you were say repairing a tear in sewing, it wasn't vertically pulling the 2 pieces together.

I wonder if that helps at all...I would still like to tackle this...

Yes, it is a machine made sweater. I will see if I can borrow a digital camera but it's a bit hard, I am new to this area. I can't really afford to pay for a repair professionally but perhaps I can find a how to night at a yarn shop - good idea I can check into. Meanwhile, if anyone is still inclined to help, it's appreciated.

Thanks for you feedback, all!