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Very little is written about this stitch.  It’s as if it never disappeared. But it did. What stitch is this?

The Provisional Cast On –Crochet Method – Missing Stitch

Ever used the Provisional Cast On and notice that you had one less stitch when you picked up the stitches from the second half? You probably thought you did something wrong. But you didn’t.

Here’s why.

When you pick up your first stitch from the crochet chain, you will notice that that first stitch is not grounded. In other words, the end is just hanging and not tied to anything. You can continue to pick up stitches and knit as usual with no problem, however, when its time to unravel the crochet chain and pick up the live stitches, that first stitch since its not grounded, will disappear. Poof.

Here’s a video I found. Provisional Cast On Live Stitches

So if you come across a pattern that instructs you to use the Provisional Cast On with crochet hook and makes no mention of the missing stitch, make sure you have the right amount of stitches needed for your pattern. You may have to do some fudging if not.

Fudging/Troubleshooting  – Check pattern to see how many stitches you need. To get the correct amount of stitches, increase or decrease one stitch at the beginning or end of the next RS. This would probably work for most patterns but use your judgment. The idea is to make the increase/decrease in a place that is inconspicuous.

Avoiding the missing stitch dilemma all together  – It all comes down to the fact that the first picked up stitch is not grounded. So if you wrap the loose end of the first picked up stitch with the working yarn while picking up the next few stitches (much like you would in color work) you will secure it and the stitch won’t disappear.