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Frogging In Crochet: Why, What & When?

Janne Kleivset
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If you’re a crocheter, you may have heard the term frogging. But not all people who crochet knows what it means. Beginner crocheters often don’t learn the full crochet lingo right away.

While crocheting is a relaxing and rewarding hobby, it can be frustrating when you realize you made a mistake. You may need to fix and redo a few stitches and sometimes your whole project.

Frogging In Crochet: Why, What & When?

But have you ever stopped to wonder why it’s called frogging? In this blog post, we’ll explore the origins of the term, what frogging is, when to frog your crochet work and what to do with the yarn you un-winded.

Hint! It doesn’t have anything to do with a crocheted frog!

a crocheted frog on grass

What is Frogging In Crochet?

Frogging in crochet is an important skill a crocheter can learn is how to fix mistakes when they occur. Frogging refers to the act of ripping out stitches by pulling on the yarn to rework mistakes in your project. It means ripping out the stitches you have already made.

It’s one of the crochet slang terms often used on social media, together with words like WIP, LYS, crojo and HOTH. You often find them in hashtags on Facebook and Instagram, visit my stitch abbreviations and crochet terminology post to learn more.

Frogging is an essential skill for any crocheter who wants to create high-quality crochet pieces.

You can frog a crochet project from start to finish, meaning you need to unravel the entire project or you can frog your work up until the point you find that you need to unravel.

Frogging is one term used, but you can also say unravel, undo and rip out, to mention a few.

The Origins of the Word Frogging (from knitting)

The story behind the term “frogging” is thought to have originated in the knitting community. It’s believed to have one of two origins, which both is a play on words.

One alternative is that it comes from the sound that a knitter makes when they pull out their work. The sound is similar to a frog’s croak.

However, many also believe that it comes from the words “rip-it, rip-it”, which is shortened ribbit, it’s also referring of the sound that a frog makes.

Later, the word was adopted by crocheters to describe the same process of undoing stitches. Today, it’s a common crochet term used in both the knitting and crochet communities.

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Frogging In Crochet: Why, What & When?

Why Frogging Your Work Is More Fun

While the word frogging may seem silly, it’s actually quite cheerful. When you notice a mistake and you need to fix an error, you may not actually want to frog.

Using a fun and lighthearted term to describe the process can help to lighten the mood when mistakes happen and may make the process of fixing a mistake a little less stressful.

The Importance of Frogging or Ripping Out Crochet Projects

While the process of frogging can be disheartening, it’s a necessary part of the crocheting process.

It’s not uncommon to make mistakes while crocheting, and leaving them can be detrimental to the final product.

Frogging in crochet allows you to fix mistakes and ensure that your finished piece is as good as possible. It’s also a great way to learn from your mistakes and improve your skills as a crocheter, as you get the opportunity to try again.

Frogging In Crochet: Why, What & When?

Reasons To Frog: Correct A Mistake or Reuse The Yarn

Frogging in crochet to fix mistakes is in general the most common motivation to do it. However, there may be more reason to decide to frog your project.

1. Frogging to Correct A Mistake

Frogging in crochet is most commonly used to remove a mistake in your project.

Whether you’ve made a small error or a large one, it allows you to crochet the rows of stitches or rounds again. By frogging, you can ensure that your finished piece is free from errors.

Once you notice the mistake, start pulling out the crochet stitches you need to redo. If you’re lucky it’s just a few & you can quickly start crocheting again.

Common mistakes may be:

  • Skipping a stitch
  • Doing the wrong stitch
  • Using the wrong colored skein
  • Project turns out bigger or smaller than you though (gauge is wrong)
  • Project turns out wider or narrower
  • Ugly knot in the skein is showing

2. Frogging to Reuse Materials

Another reason for frogging is to reuse yarn. If you have a project that you’re no longer interested in or that isn’t turning out the way you want it to you can frog it. By starting over you to salvage the materials and use it for a different project.

By frogging, you can avoid wasting yarn and save money on future projects. Maybe it’s time to check your current projects and UFO’s (unfinished object’s)?! You may find an old project to use for materials for another fun crochet project.

You can even use the technique on finished crochet pieces to re-purpose the wool or cotton. Do you have a finished project you never use? Like a crochet garment that’s to big or small, blankets or even a project you never was completely happy with.

It can be more environmentally friendly to re-purpose it and use the yarn to make something you find more useful.

unraveled yarn repurposed to start a new crochet project

How to Frog a Project

Frogging is a relatively simple process, but it can be time-consuming depending on the size of your project, if you need to rip out the entire project or just a few stitches.

To frog, you’ll need to carefully pull out each stitch until you reach the mistake. Once you’ve untied the mistake, you can begin crocheting again. It’s important to take your time to avoid ripping out more stitches than necessary.

It’s also helpful to use stitch markers or different colored skein to mark your progress as you frog. This will help you keep track of where you need to start crocheting again and avoid any confusion.

Undoing Different Types of Yarn

The act of frogging may be easier and more difficult depending on the yarn you use. Some fibers are smoother, while others are more fuzzy yarn, like eyelash yarn. That means some are easy to frog, while others are difficult to frog.

Cotton you can frog easily, while wool materials like mohair yarn are often more difficult. The “hairs” of the fiber often gets tangled & it’s easy to get frustrated when untangling them.

Some fibers may be impossible to pull out, so the best way may be to cut the yarn and start over again with new yarn. In the process you may loose yarn, but the result is often worth it, especially if you had just started a project.

Frogging In Crochet: Why, What & When?

How do you wind frogged yarn?

When frogging, you have multiple options on how you wind the yarn. The important thing is to avoid creating a mess of yarn.

If you are just frogging a few stitches, these techniques may not be necessary. You won’t get a tangled mess by un-working a small section.

However if you want to reclaim the yarn for another project, you’ll often have more to wind.

There are a few great ways to do it:

1. Wind onto a yarn winder

The easiest way to frog the whole project is to use a yarn ball winder. What you will end up with is a cake of yarn, that is easy to use when following crochet patterns later.

Place the end of the skein onto the winder and start cranking the handle. Do it slowly, so you get a good result.

2. Wind onto a yarn swift

A different way to untangle is to use a yarn swift. Carefully rotate the swift as you undo the stitches. The process itself may be a bit more difficult, but it’s great if you want to remove the curls from it.

Some yarns are more curly than others, so you can start frogging a few stitches before you decide if this step is necessary.

After winding it onto a swift you will have a hank. Tie the hank with some yarn scrap leftovers, then soak it in lukewarm water for a while, before you hang it up to dry.

When the hank is dry, the old yarn is as good as new & you can use it in your next project.

It’s easiest to place the yarn back on the swift and wind it into a cake before you start crocheting.

using a yarn swift and yarn ball winder when frogging in crochet

3. Wind unraveled yarn into a ball

If you want either to frog a few stitches after finding a mistake in your work or reuse it, this method works for both.

Around the skein you are working from, wrap it back around the skein.

If you are staring with the end of the yarn, it’s easiest to create a new ball of yarn.

To make a ball: Start by wrapping it around your fingers. Take the yarn off your fingers and continue until it is in a shape of a ball and you reach the tail.

yarn winded into a ball

Frogging the First Part of Your Project

If you’ve made an error in the first part of your project, you may need to frog more than just a few stitches. In this case, it’s important to take your time and be patient.

Frogging the first part of your project can be time-consuming, but it’s necessary if you’re unhappy with the mistake.

A more complex way to fix the mistake early in the project is to:

  • Insert a lifeline (threading yarn through a row you want to keep).
  • Cut of anything below & crochet a new foundation row onto the lifeline.

How To Avoid Frogging Crochet Patterns

To avoid having to undo a mistake, here are a few great tips:

  1. Checking your gauge before you start, to avoid the project turning out to big or too small.
  2. Count your stitches at the end of every row or round, especially if you are a crochet beginner.
  3. Keep an eye on your project regularly to spot mistakes early.

Crochet Frogging FAQ

What does frogging mean in crochet?

Frogging in crochet means to pull the yarn to un-work stitches in your project. It’s a term that originated in the knitting community and has since been adopted by the crochet community.

Why is it called frogging when you pull out crochet stitches?

The word “frogging” is thought to have come from the sound that a knitter makes when they pull out their work. The sound is similar to the croaking of a frog.

What does frog mean in crocheting?

In crocheting, “frog” is a term used to describe the act of pulling the yarn to pull out the rounds or rows you have made. By “frogging,” you can fix mistakes and ensure that your final product is perfect.

crochet project and some repurposed yarn

Frog or Not To Frog to Reclaim Yarn

So, why is it called frogging in crochet? The term is thought to have originated in the knitting world and has since been adopted by people who crochet.

While it may seem like a silly term, it’s actually quite useful. Plus, it can help to lighten the mood when mistakes happen.

Remember that frogging is just part of the process when it comes to crocheting, and it’s an important skill to learn as a crocheter.

With practice, you’ll become a pro at frogging and be on your way to creating beautiful handmade pieces.

Janne Kleivset

Janne Kleivset

Founder, Crochet Pattern Designer & Owner of Joy of Motion Crochet.

Janne has helped millions of crocheters find their next crochet project with more than 250 free crochet patterns and 110 crochet tutorials on her blog.

With more than two decades of crochet experience, and crochet designing since 2011, she's been featured on multiple prominent sites such as Lion Brand Yarn, in crochet magazines and the OML "Make" book.

Learn more about Janne.



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