The Two Main Ways to Add Stitches Mid-Project

You add stitches while knitting by creating new loops on your needle without casting on beforehand. The two methods you'll use most are yarn overs, which create a visible hole and are often decorative, and increases, which add stitches without a hole and blend into your fabric. Yarn overs work best in lace patterns and eyelet designs. Increases work best when you need extra stitches for shaping—like widening a sleeve or adding stitches for a collar.

The method you choose depends on whether the added stitch should be visible. A yarn over leaves a small hole in your fabric and is meant to be seen. An increase hides the new stitch within the existing fabric. Your pattern will tell you which one to use, usually with abbreviations like "YO" for yarn over or "M1" for make one (a common increase).

Key Takeaways

  • Yarn overs create a visible hole by wrapping yarn around the needle and are used in lace and decorative patterns.
  • Increases like M1 (make one) and KFB (knit front and back) add stitches without creating a hole and are used for shaping.
  • Yarn overs work on any row, but most increases work best on knit rows rather than purl rows.
  • Counting your stitches after adding them prevents mistakes from compounding across multiple rows.

How to Work a Yarn Over

A yarn over is the simplest way to add a stitch. Bring your working yarn to the front of your work (the side facing you), then knit or purl the next stitch as normal. The yarn wrapped around the needle creates a new loop. On the next row, you'll knit or purl that loop like any other stitch.

The position of your yarn before you work the yarn over matters. If you're about to knit, bring the yarn forward between the needles, then move it back over the right needle to knit. If you're about to purl, the yarn is already in front—just purl normally and the yarn will wrap around the needle. Practice this on a small swatch first so the motion becomes automatic.

Yarn overs create a small eyelet hole in your finished fabric. This is intentional and decorative in lace patterns, but if your pattern doesn't call for it, use an increase instead.

How to Work a Make One (M1) Increase

The M1 increase (make one) is the most common way to add a stitch without creating a hole. It works by picking up the horizontal strand of yarn that runs between two stitches and knitting into it. This new stitch blends seamlessly into your fabric.

To work an M1: Insert your left needle from front to back under the horizontal strand between the stitch you just worked and the next stitch on your left needle. Knit into the back of this loop. You now have a new stitch on your right needle. The key is inserting through the back of the loop—if you knit through the front, you'll create a twisted stitch that looks uneven.

M1 increases are invisible when done correctly and are the standard choice for shaping sleeves, necklines, and other fitted areas. They work best on knit rows. On purl rows, you can work an M1, but it's slightly more awkward—some knitters prefer a different increase on purl rows.

How to Work a Knit Front and Back (KFB) Increase

The KFB increase (knit front and back) is simpler than M1 but slightly more visible. You knit into the same stitch twice—once through the front loop and once through the back loop—before dropping it off the needle. This creates two stitches from one.

To work a KFB: Knit the next stitch normally but do not drop it off the left needle. Bring the right needle around to the back of the left needle and knit into the back loop of the same stitch. Now drop the stitch off the left needle. You've created two stitches where there was one.

KFB is faster than M1 and requires no picking up of strands, but it creates a small bump or bar at the base of the new stitch. This is fine for casual projects or when the increase will be hidden in seams. For visible shaping where you want a clean look, M1 is the better choice.

When to Add Stitches and How Many

Your pattern tells you exactly when to add stitches and how many. Look for instructions like "increase 1 stitch at each end of the next row" or "yarn over, knit 2 together" (a common lace decrease-and-increase pair). Increases often happen at the edges of your work for shaping, or scattered throughout for lace patterns.

Add stitches at the point your pattern specifies. If it says to increase at the edge, work the increase within the first few stitches or last few stitches of the row, not at the very edge—edge stitches are usually kept plain for seaming. If your pattern says to increase evenly across a row, divide the total number of increases by the number of stitches and space them roughly equally.

Count your stitches after adding them, especially if you're adding many at once. A quick count prevents errors from snowballing across the next several rows.

Common Mistakes When Adding Stitches

The most common mistake is forgetting to actually add the stitch. A yarn over that isn't wrapped around the needle, or an M1 where you picked up the strand but didn't knit into it, leaves you with the same stitch count. Check your stitch count after every increase row until you're confident.

Another frequent error is twisting the new stitch. When you work an M1, knit into the back of the picked-up loop, not the front. If you knit through the front, the stitch will look twisted and uneven. KFB stitches are less prone to this because you're working into a stitch you can see clearly.

Placing increases unevenly is also common. If your pattern says to increase 6 stitches evenly across 30 stitches, space them roughly 5 stitches apart rather than bunching them together. Uneven spacing creates visible lumps in your finished fabric.

Increases on Purl Rows

M1 and KFB both work on purl rows, but the motion feels different because you're working backwards. For M1 on a purl row, pick up the strand between stitches the same way, but purl into the back of the loop instead of knitting. For KFB on a purl row, purl the stitch, then purl into the back loop of the same stitch before dropping it.

Some knitters find purl-row increases awkward and switch to a different increase method on purl rows. The left-leaning increase (M1L) and right-leaning increase (M1R) are variations of M1 that lean in opposite directions and can be paired for symmetrical shaping. Your pattern will specify which to use if direction matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between M1 and M1L and M1R?

M1L (make one left) and M1R (make one right) are directional versions of the basic M1. M1L leans left and M1R leans right. When you're increasing on both sides of a piece for symmetrical shaping, using M1L on one side and M1R on the other creates a balanced look. Your pattern will tell you which to use.

Can I add stitches in the middle of a row, not just at the edges?

Yes. Lace patterns add stitches throughout rows using yarn overs. Shaping patterns sometimes add stitches in the middle too. Follow your pattern's instructions for placement. If you're improvising, space increases evenly to avoid lumpy fabric.

What if I added stitches but my stitch count is still wrong?

Count again carefully, moving each stitch along the needle as you count. If the count is still off, check whether you accidentally decreased somewhere—a dropped stitch or an unintended decrease can offset your increases. If you're several rows past the error, it's usually faster to frog back (unravel) to the mistake and redo those rows.

Do I need to block my work after adding stitches?

Blocking helps even out increases and makes them less visible, especially M1 increases. It's not required, but it improves the finished look. Wet blocking (soaking and pinning) is gentler than steam blocking for delicate lace with yarn overs.

Why does my yarn over look like a hole instead of a stitch?

That's correct—yarn overs are meant to create holes. If your pattern calls for yarn overs and you don't want visible holes, you've chosen the wrong stitch method. Use an M1 or KFB increase instead for a solid fabric.