A yarn over is a deliberate loop you create by wrapping yarn around your needle
A yarn over is the simplest way to add a new stitch to your needle while creating a visible hole in your fabric. You do it by bringing the yarn to the front of your work, then knitting or purling the next stitch normally — the yarn wraps around the needle as you work, and that wrapped yarn becomes a new stitch. The hole it leaves behind is intentional and decorative, used in lace patterns, eyelet details, and buttonholes.
The basic motion takes three seconds once you know where the yarn starts. Most patterns call for a yarn over before a decrease stitch (like a knit two together), which balances the stitch count — you add one stitch with the yarn over and remove one with the decrease, so your row stays the same width.
Key Takeaways
- A yarn over is created by wrapping yarn around your needle between stitches, leaving a hole in the finished fabric.
- The yarn position before you knit the next stitch determines whether the yarn over works correctly — it must be in front of the needle for a knit stitch.
- Yarn overs pair with decreases in lace patterns to keep your stitch count stable across rows.
- The hole created by a yarn over is the point of the technique, not a mistake to hide.
Yarn over before a knit stitch
Bring the yarn to the front of your work between the needles. Knit the next stitch normally. As you insert the right needle into the stitch and wrap the yarn around it, the yarn passes over the needle shaft — that wrap is your yarn over. When you pull the new stitch through, the yarn that was in front stays on the needle as a new stitch, and the old stitch comes off the left needle.
The result is a hole directly below where you worked the yarn over. If your pattern says "yarn over, knit two together," you have added a stitch and removed one, keeping your stitch count the same while creating a decorative eyelet.
Yarn over before a purl stitch
Bring the yarn to the back of your work, between the needles. Purl the next stitch normally. The yarn wraps around the needle as you work the purl, creating a new stitch the same way it does for a knit.
This is less common than yarn over before a knit, but it appears in some lace patterns. The motion is the reverse of the knit version — yarn goes back instead of forward — but the result is the same: a new stitch and a hole in the fabric.
Yarn over between two purl stitches
If you are purling across a row and need a yarn over, bring the yarn to the front of your work, then when ready take it to the back again before you purl the next stitch. This forward-and-back motion is what creates the yarn over when both stitches are purls. If you skip this step and purl two stitches in a row without moving the yarn, you have straightforward continued purling — no new stitch is created.
This version is straightforward to miss because the yarn is already in front for purling. The extra motion of bringing it forward, then back, is what signals a yarn over to the needle.
Where yarn overs appear in patterns
Lace patterns use yarn overs in rows to create columns of holes. A typical lace row might read: knit 3, yarn over, knit two together, knit 3, yarn over, knit two together — repeating across. Each yarn over adds a stitch, and each decrease removes one, so the row stays the same width. The holes line up vertically across multiple rows, forming the lace design.
Buttonholes often use a yarn over or a series of them. A straightforward eyelet buttonhole might be: yarn over, knit two together, which creates one hole. Larger buttonholes bind off several stitches, then cast new stitches back on in the next row, but small buttonholes use yarn overs.
Decorative details like leaf shapes or diamond patterns in stockinette stitch also rely on yarn overs paired with decreases. The yarn over creates the hole, and the decrease shapes the surrounding stitches.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
The most common error is forgetting to move the yarn to the correct position before the yarn over. If the yarn is already in front and you are supposed to knit, you cannot create a yarn over — the yarn is already where it needs to be, so you just knit normally. Move the yarn to the back first, then bring it forward again to create the wrap.
Another mistake is treating a yarn over as a mistake and trying to hide it. The hole is the point. If your pattern calls for a yarn over and you see a hole, you did it right. If you do not see a hole, the yarn over did not happen.
Loose yarn overs are also common, especially in lace. If the stitch created by the yarn over is much looser than the stitches around it, tighten the yarn slightly as you work the next stitch or two. This is a tension issue, not a technique issue, and improves with practice.
Yarn overs in different stitch patterns
In garter stitch (knit every row), a yarn over before a knit stitch works the same way — bring yarn forward, knit. The hole will be visible in the finished fabric.
In ribbing, yarn overs are less common but do appear in some patterns. The principle is the same: the yarn must be in the correct position relative to the stitch type (knit or purl) you are about to work.
In cables and texture stitches, yarn overs are rare because they create holes, which break up the solid look of the pattern. Lace is where yarn overs shine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a yarn over and accidentally dropping a stitch?
A yarn over is intentional and creates a new stitch on your needle. A dropped stitch is an accident where a stitch falls off the needle entirely. A dropped stitch leaves a ladder of loose yarn running down your work and must be picked back up. A yarn over stays on the needle and creates a hole by design.
Do I count a yarn over as a new stitch for my stitch count?
Yes. A yarn over adds one stitch to your needle. If your pattern says "yarn over, knit two together," you add one and remove one, keeping the same total. If a pattern says only "yarn over" with no decrease, your stitch count increases by one for that row.
Can I fix a yarn over if I worked it in the wrong place?
If you notice it in the same row, you can unravel back to that point and redo it. If you have already finished the row, you can use a crochet hook to pick up the stitch and ladder it back down, then reknit it correctly. For lace patterns, it is usually easier to unravel the whole row and start over.
Why does my yarn over look loose compared to other stitches?
Yarn overs are often looser because the yarn wraps around the needle without being pulled tight by a previous stitch. Tighten the yarn slightly as you work the stitch after the yarn over. This is a tension adjustment, not a mistake in technique.
Can I do a yarn over on the last stitch of a row?
Yes, but it creates a stitch that hangs off the edge of your needle. On the next row, you will knit or purl into it normally. Some patterns use this to create decorative edges or to increase stitches at the edge of a piece.