Small Sections

• 1). Pick up the stitches above and below the hole, picking up stitches in a straight line (i.e. along the row); place these on a stitch holder or a spare piece of yarn, using a separate holder for the stitches on the top. Try to use a contrasting holder to make the stitches easier to see.
  
  
• 2). Gently unravel the extra rows around the hole until the stitches on your holders become active. This method only works when you are able to replace an entire section; for instance, if you are reknitting a hole on the toe or heel of a sock, you would use this method to insert a new toe or heel.
  
  
• 3). Knit the stitches in according to the original pattern. Weave in the ends.
  
  

Panels

• 1). Find the first row above and below the hole that is not broken by the hole; pick up the stitches just above the hole using a separate stitch holder for the top and one for the bottom. A contrasting color stitch holder or piece of scrap yarn works best. If the hole affected six columns of stitches, you would only pick up six stitches on the top and six on the bottom. Use this technique when repairing a hole in a panel of fabric, like a sleeve or blanket.
  
  
• 2). Gently unravel the stitches that are between the stitches you picked up by picking them apart. You will end up with a square or rectangular section where the hole used to be and long strands of yarn from the stitches you picked apart to make your vacant square. Leave these ends in place.
  
  
• 3). Place the stitches from the bottom stitch holder onto a knitting needle. Work according to the original pattern, using the same size needles and yarn as you had originally, until you knit the length of the hole.
  
  
• 4). Sew the live stitches together (those from your needle and those at the top of the hole).
  
  
• 5). Finish the reknit by seaming the sides of the patch to the sides of the hole; weave in all ends.