The Two Main Ways to Increase Stitches

Adding stitches in knitting means creating new loops on your needle during a row or round. You do this when a pattern calls for shaping — widening a sleeve, expanding a sweater body, or creating a decorative increase. The two most common methods are yarn overs, which create a visible hole and are often used for lace patterns, and knit front and back, which adds a stitch without creating a hole and is the workhorse increase for shaping.

Both methods work the same way in principle: instead of working one stitch and moving on, you work into the same stitch twice or create a new stitch from the yarn itself. The difference is in how they look and when you use them. A yarn over is fast and leaves a decorative eyelet. Knit front and back is invisible and takes slightly longer because you're working two stitches from one loop.

Your pattern will tell you which method to use and where. If it says "increase 1" or "inc 1" without specifying, knit front and back is usually the default. If it says "yarn over" or "yo", use that method instead.

Key Takeaways

  • Knit front and back (KFB) adds a stitch by working into the front of a stitch, then the back of the same stitch before dropping it off the needle.
  • Yarn over (YO) creates a new stitch by wrapping yarn around the needle, leaving a visible hole that works well for lace and decorative patterns.
  • The direction you increase — left-leaning or right-leaning — affects how the finished fabric looks, and patterns often specify which to use.
  • Increases work the same way in flat knitting (back and forth) and circular knitting (in the round), though the needle movements feel slightly different.
  • Counting your stitches after each increase row prevents mistakes from compounding and makes it easier to fix errors before they spread.

Knit Front and Back (KFB) — The Standard Invisible Increase

Knit front and back is the most common increase because it's invisible and works for almost any pattern. You work into the same stitch twice — once through the front loop and once through the back loop — then drop it off the needle. This creates two stitches where there was one.

Here's the step-by-step process: Insert your right needle through the front of the stitch on your left needle, as if you were knitting normally. Wrap the yarn and pull the loop through, but do not drop the stitch off the left needle yet. Now insert your right needle through the back of that same stitch (from right to left, going behind the loop). Wrap the yarn again and pull through. Now drop the original stitch off the left needle. You now have two stitches on your right needle where you started with one.

The most common mistake is dropping the stitch too early — after the first wrap but before the second one. If you do this, you'll have a hole and a twisted stitch instead of a clean increase. Take your time and make sure both loops are find on the right needle before you let go of the left needle.

Yarn Over (YO) — The Decorative Increase

A yarn over creates a new stitch by wrapping yarn around the needle without working a stitch. It always leaves a small hole, which is why it's used in lace patterns and decorative knitting. It's also the fastest increase because there's no stitch to work into — you're just moving yarn.

The motion depends on what stitch comes before and after the yarn over. If you just knitted a stitch and the next stitch is a knit, bring the yarn to the front of your work (as if you were about to purl), then take it to the back over the top of the right needle. When you knit the next stitch, the yarn wrapped around the needle becomes a new stitch. If you just purled and the next stitch is a purl, wrap the yarn around the needle from back to front. The key is that the yarn makes a complete loop around the needle.

Yarn overs are straightforward to spot if you miss one — you'll see a hole where there shouldn't be, or your stitch count will be off. If your pattern calls for a yarn over and you skip it, you'll have one fewer stitch than expected. Count your stitches at the end of each row to catch this early.

Left-Leaning and Right-Leaning Increases

When you increase, the new stitch leans slightly to the left or right depending on how you work it. This matters for shaping because matching the lean on both sides of a garment makes the edges look balanced. A right-leaning increase (like knit front and back) slants toward the right side of your fabric. A left-leaning increase slants toward the left.

For a sweater that increases on both edges, you might use knit front and back on the right edge (which leans right and looks good there) and a left-leaning increase on the left edge. The left-leaning version is called lifted increase or make one left (M1L). You pick up the horizontal strand between two stitches and knit through the back of it. This takes a bit more practice, but patterns that care about this detail will specify which increase to use where.

If your pattern doesn't specify, don't worry — most casual knitting doesn't require this level of detail. Use knit front and back throughout and your garment will look fine.

Increasing in Flat Knitting Versus in the Round

The mechanics of knit front and back and yarn over work exactly the same whether you're knitting flat (back and forth on straight needles) or in the round (on circular needles or double-pointed needles). The only difference is your perspective: in flat knitting, you see the right side of your work on one row and the wrong side on the next. In circular knitting, you're always looking at the right side.

This means that if a pattern says "increase on the right edge," in flat knitting that's literally the right edge of your piece. In circular knitting, the "right edge" is wherever the pattern tells you it is — usually marked by a stitch marker. Read your pattern carefully to know where to place increases, because the instructions might be written for flat knitting even if you're working in the round, or vice versa.

Counting Stitches and Catching Mistakes

After you finish a row with increases, count your stitches before you start the next row. If your pattern says to increase 4 stitches and you started with 100, you should have 104. This takes 30 seconds and saves you from discovering a missing stitch five rows later, when it's much harder to fix.

If your count is off by one or two, look back at the row you just finished. Run your finger along the base of each stitch and look for a gap or a twisted loop. Yarn overs are easiest to spot because they leave a hole. Missed knit front and back increases are harder to see — you're looking for a place where you should have worked twice into one stitch but only worked once. If you find it within a row or two, you can usually pick up the missed stitch with a crochet hook and ladder it up to the current row.

If you don't find the mistake until several rows later, you have two choices: frog back (pull out yarn and reknit) to the mistake, or leave it and accept that your stitch count is slightly off. For shaping that depends on exact stitch counts, frogging is worth it. For casual increases, most people just keep going.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The most frequent error with knit front and back is dropping the stitch after the first wrap instead of the second. You end up with a hole and a twisted stitch. The fix is to slow down and watch your hands — make sure both loops are sitting on the right needle before you let the left needle move away.

With yarn overs, the mistake is usually wrapping the yarn the wrong direction or not wrapping it all the way around the needle. If you bring yarn to the front when you should bring it to the back, the wrap doesn't count as a stitch and you'll be short one stitch. Double-check the yarn position before you work the next stitch — it should be in the position you need it for that stitch (front for purl, back for knit).

Another common problem is increasing in the wrong place. If your pattern says "increase 1 stitch at each edge," that means the first stitch and the last stitch of the row. Some knitters accidentally increase one stitch in from the edge, which throws off the shaping. Read the instruction carefully and mark the stitches where you need to increase if the pattern is complex.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between KFB and M1?

Knit front and back (KFB) works into an existing stitch twice. Make one (M1) picks up the horizontal strand between two stitches and knits through it. Both add one stitch, but M1 is less visible and leans in a specific direction depending on which way you work it. Most patterns for beginners use KFB because it's simpler.

Can I use yarn over for shaping a sweater?

Yarn overs leave a visible hole, so they're not ideal for invisible shaping. They work beautifully in lace patterns where the holes are intentional. For shaping a sweater where you want the increase to blend in, use knit front and back or make one instead.

What if I increase too many stitches by accident?

If you realize the mistake in the same row, you can drop the extra stitch off the needle and let it ladder down, then pick it up and find it. If you don't notice until later rows, your best option is to frog back to the mistake row and reknit. Alternatively, you can decrease later to bring your stitch count back to where it should be.

Do I need to block my increases to make them look neat?

Blocking helps even out all your stitches, including increases, but it's not required. Knit front and back increases look fine without blocking. Yarn overs in lace patterns look much better after blocking because the holes open up and the fabric relaxes into its final shape.

Can I increase multiple stitches in one row?

Yes. If your pattern says "increase 1 stitch 6 times across the row," you work the increase (knit front and back or yarn over) six separate times, spaced out as the pattern directs. This is common when shaping sleeves or expanding a sweater body. Count carefully and mark your increase points with stitch markers if the pattern is complex.