"Frogging" is crochet slang for ripping out your stitches to undo your work. If you've made a mistake several rows back, frogging lets you unravel down to the problem and re-crochet from there.
Why is it called frogging?
Because when you unravel yarn, you "rip it, rip it" — which sounds like a frog's "ribbit, ribbit." Crafters love a pun, and the name stuck.
When should you frog?
- You miscounted stitches and your edges are uneven.
- You used the wrong stitch and the texture looks off.
- Your tension changed dramatically partway through.
- You simply don't like how a section turned out.
Pro tip: Before frogging, place a stitch marker in the last "good" row. That way you know exactly where to stop ripping and pick your hook back up.
How to frog without a tangle
Slip your hook out, then gently pull the working yarn to unravel one stitch at a time near the mistake. For big sections, you can pull faster — but go slowly as you approach your stopping point so you don't overshoot. Wind the freed yarn back into a loose ball as you go to avoid knots.
Don't fear the frog
Frogging feels like losing progress, but it's actually how you make something you'll be proud of. Yarn is endlessly reusable, and a few minutes of ripping beats finishing a project that bugs you. Embrace it — even experts frog all the time.