The "Yarn Over" technique is a simple method of increasing stitches that plays an important role in knitting, especially in the art of lace knitting.
As a beginner, you may initially find the Yarn Overs confusing because they are not just simple acts of moving the working yarn from one place to another, but also depend on the types of stitches before and after them on the needles.
To help clarify Yarn Over Increases, here is A Comprehensive Guide For You.
Yarn Over Increases
Mastering the Yarn Over in Different Situations
| Technique | Abbreviations | Symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Yarn Over | Yo, Yon, Yf, Yb |  |
Yarn Over between two Knit stitches
Bring the working yarn from behind the right needle to the front by moving it counterclockwise between the two needles.
Yes, it’s that easy—your yarn just needs to move a little bit to the front.Yarn Over between two Purl stitches
Bring the yarn from the front of the work over the top of the right needle, then between the needles to the front of the work again.
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Yarn Over after a Purl and before a Knit
Don’t move the working yarn at all—just knit the next stitch as usual. As you knit the stitch, the yarn will automatically come over the top of the right needle, creating a new stitch!
No effort needed—your yarn makes a new stitch all by itself. Great! -
Yarn Over after a Knit and before a Purl
Bring the working yarn from behind the right needle to the front, then bring it over the top of the right needle to return to the front.
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Yarn Over at the Beginning of a Row
Right side rows: Hold the yarn in front of the right needle, then bring it up and over the needle to form a loop behind before knitting the first stitch.
Wrong side rows: Hold the yarn in back of the right needle, then bring it up and over the needle to form a loop in front before purling the first stitch.
Video tutorial [Link]
Yarn Over Variations
Double Yarn Over
| Technique | Abbreviations | Symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Double Yarn Over | Yo yo, Yo x2, Yo twice |  |
A Double Yarn Over creates a larger buttonhole than a single yarn over —of course!
Let’s see how it works
Double Yarn Over Between 2 Knit Stitches
Bring the working yarn from behind the right needle to the front by moving it counterclockwise between the two needles.
Then wrap the yarn over the top of the right needle and bring it back forward between the needles again.
Result: there is one loop (yarn-over) on the tip of the right-hand needle.
Double Yarn Over Between 2 Purl Stitches
Bring the yarn from the front of the work anti-clockwise around the right-hand needle to the back, and then between the needles to the front again.
Result: there are two loops (yarn overs) on the tip of the right-hand needle.
Triple Yarn Over
A Triple Yarn Over, sometimes referred to as "Yarn Over 3 times".
| Technique | Abbreviations | Symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Triple Yarn Over | Yo x3, Yo 3 times |  |
After practicing the Yarn Over and Double Yarn Over techniques, you understand the principle of moving the yarn between knits and purls, right? Yarn over 3 times means you will perform the wrapping action one more time compared to the Double Yarn Over. It will feel difficult at first, but you'll get used to it. Just make sure not to let the yarn overs slip off the needle. If this happens, you can wrap it back on the needle.
The larger the number inside the circle, the more times you need to wrap the yarn around your needle. Work gently and slowly, but with care—make sure not to miss a single wrap. Don’t let the numbers inside the circle or ...your age... unravel you!
Video tutorial [Link]Multiple Yarn Overs
Sometimes, in some knitting instruction texts, you will come across phrases like "Yarn Over 4 times," "Yarn Over 5 times," or even "Yarn Over 9 times." In charts, you may see different numbers appearing in circles. This means that the larger the number, the more times you need to wrap the yarn around the needle.
Work gently and slowly, but also with care—make sure not to miss a single wrap. Don’t let the numbers inside the circle or... your age... distract you!
A Simple Pattern to Practice Yarn Overs
Available as a free Ravelry download: [Link]
Special Increase Techniques
Multiple Increases in One Stitch
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Knit, Yo, Knit into same stitch
| Technique | Abbreviations | Symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Knit, Yo, Knit into same stitch | KYOK, K1 Yo K1 inc, or 1-to-3 inc |  |
How to work a KYOK
- Step 1: Insert the right needle into the first stitch on the left needle as if to knit, wrapping the yarn and pulling the new knit stitch through, just as you normally would. But then don’t slip the stitch off the left needle.
- Step 2: Keep that stitch on the left needle while you work. Bring the working yarn from behind the right needle to the front.
- Step 3: Insert the right needle back into that stitch on the left needle and create another knit stitch.
- Step 4: Slip the worked stitch off the left needle.
Result: There are three stitches on the right needle that come from a single stitch on the left needle.
Video tutorial [Link]
Purl, Yo, Purl into same stitch
How to work a PYOP
| Technique | Abbreviations | Symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Purl, Yo, Purl into same stitch | PYOK, P1 Yo P1 inc, or 1-to-3 inc |  |
- Step 1: Purl the first stitch on the left needle without taking it off.
- Step 2: Work a yarn over by bringing the yarn over the right needle and back to the front of the work.
- Step 3: Work a regular purl stitch.
- Step 4: Slip the worked stitch off the left needle.
Result: You also have three stitches on the right needle from one stitch on the left needle.
In general, when increasing from one stitch to create an odd number of total stitches (e.g., 3, 5, 7, or 9), the yarn over technique is commonly used. This approach adds an even number of stitches.
When the goal is to create an even number of total stitches (e.g., 4, 6, or 8), there are a few methods that may be more suitable than using Yarn Overs.
However, increases that result in an odd number of stitches are not always worked with Yarn Overs. That’s why it’s important to read the notes in each pattern to understand exactly how the increase is constructed.
Gather Together
A combination of a double decrease (or more) and a double increase (or more) happening at the same time.Will be updated soon
I hope the knowledge shared in this article about increasing stitches using the Yarn Over inspires you to continue exploring and creating in the wonderful world of knitting.
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