A yarn over is a deliberate loop you create by moving your working yarn to the front of your needles, then knitting the next stitch normally

When you knit a yarn over, you're adding a stitch without increasing the total number of stitches on your needles — the extra loop becomes a new stitch, and the yarn that was already on your needle gets worked into the next row. The result is a small, intentional hole in your fabric. Yarn overs are the foundation of lace knitting, eyelet patterns, and decorative openwork.

The mechanics are straightforward: move your yarn forward, knit the next stitch, and the loop you created becomes part of your fabric. The hole appears because you've added a stitch without decreasing one elsewhere in that row. Different stitch combinations before and after the yarn over create different visual effects — some holes are tiny and delicate, others are bold and obvious.

Key Takeaways

  • A yarn over is made by bringing your working yarn to the front of your needles, then knitting the next stitch as normal.
  • The yarn over creates a small hole in your knitting and adds one stitch to your row.
  • To prevent accidental increases, pair yarn overs with decreases (like K2tog or SSK) elsewhere in the same row.
  • The position of your yarn before you knit determines whether your yarn over is visible and how it sits in the finished fabric.
  • Yarn overs are essential for lace patterns, eyelets, and any knitting that includes intentional openwork.

The basic yarn over after a knit stitch

This is the most common yarn over you'll encounter. After you knit a stitch, your working yarn is at the back of your needles. Bring it forward between the needles to the front of your work, then knit the next stitch normally. When you insert your right needle into the next stitch and pull yarn through, that forward loop you created becomes a new stitch on your right needle.

The hole forms because you've added a stitch without removing one. On the next row, when you knit or purl that yarn over stitch, you'll see the small opening in your fabric. The yarn over itself looks like a tiny loop sitting on top of your knitting.

Yarn over after a purl stitch

After you purl a stitch, your working yarn is already at the front of your needles. To make a yarn over, bring the yarn to the back of your work (over the top of the right needle), then purl the next stitch. The yarn moving from front to back over your needle creates the loop.

This yarn over works the same way as the knit version — it adds a stitch and creates a hole — but the hand motion is different because your yarn starts in a different position. If you're working a pattern that alternates knit and purl rows, you'll use both versions.

Pairing yarn overs with decreases to keep your stitch count steady

A yarn over adds a stitch. If you do yarn overs across an entire row without decreasing anywhere, you'll end up with more stitches than you started with, and your knitting will get wider. Most patterns that use yarn overs pair them with decreases — usually a knit two together (K2tog) or a slip-slip-knit (SSK) — to keep the total stitch count the same.

In a straightforward eyelet pattern, you might knit two stitches, yarn over, then knit two together. The yarn over adds a stitch; the K2tog removes one. Your stitch count stays the same, but you've created a hole. The pattern instructions will tell you where to place the decrease relative to the yarn over. Some patterns space them far apart; others put them right next to each other.

Reading yarn over abbreviations in patterns

Most knitting patterns use YO as the abbreviation for yarn over. You'll see it written as "YO" in the stitch sequence. Some patterns also write out "yarn over" in full, especially in older or hand-written patterns.

When a pattern says "K1, YO, K2tog," it means: knit one stitch, make a yarn over, then knit two stitches together. The order matters because it determines where the hole sits relative to the decrease. If the pattern says "K2tog, YO, K1," the decrease comes before the yarn over, and the visual effect is slightly different.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

The most frequent mistake is forgetting to move your yarn to the correct position before the yarn over. If you're supposed to yarn over after a knit stitch and your yarn is still at the back, you won't create a loop — you'll just knit the next stitch normally and miss the yarn over entirely. Before you yarn over, always check where your yarn is sitting.

Another common error is accidentally creating a yarn over when you didn't mean to. This happens when you move your yarn forward to purl a stitch, then move it back to knit the next stitch without actually purling anything in between. That forward-and-back motion creates an unintended loop. To avoid this, be deliberate about yarn position: move it only when the pattern tells you to.

If you're working lace and your yarn overs look uneven or loose, the issue is usually tension. Yarn overs naturally create looser stitches than regular knitting. Some knitters tighten the stitch after a yarn over by pulling the working yarn slightly as they knit the next row. This is a matter of personal preference and doesn't affect the structure of the fabric.

Yarn overs in different stitch patterns

In lace patterns, yarn overs are the main event. They're paired with decreases in specific arrangements to create flowers, leaves, diamonds, and other shapes. The pattern chart will show you exactly where each yarn over goes. Lace patterns can look intimidating, but they're usually just yarn overs and decreases repeated in a logical sequence.

In eyelet patterns, yarn overs are spaced out to create a row of small, evenly-spaced holes — often used for threading ribbon or drawstrings through a garment. An eyelet is usually just a yarn over paired with a decrease, repeated across the row with a few plain stitches in between.

Decorative openwork uses yarn overs more sparingly, placing them strategically to add visual interest without making the fabric too open. A single yarn over surrounded by regular stitches creates a subtle detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a yarn over and accidentally dropping a stitch?

A yarn over is intentional — you create a loop by moving your yarn, then knit into it. A dropped stitch is an accident where a stitch falls off your needle and unravels downward. A yarn over adds a stitch to your row; a dropped stitch removes one. If you see a hole in your knitting and you didn't plan a yarn over there, you've likely dropped a stitch and will need to pick it up with a crochet hook.

Can I do a yarn over at the very beginning or end of a row?

Yarn overs at the edge of your knitting can look messy because the loop sits right at the selvage. Most patterns avoid this. If a pattern does call for a yarn over at the edge, work it the same way you would in the middle of the row — the edge stitch will just be looser than the others. Some knitters slip the first stitch of the row to tighten the edge.

Do I need to do anything special when I knit a yarn over on the next row?

No. When you reach a yarn over stitch on the next row, treat it like any other stitch — knit it, purl it, or work it into a decrease, depending on what the pattern says. The yarn over itself is already complete; you're just working the stitch that resulted from it.

Why does my yarn over look twisted or uneven?

Yarn overs are naturally looser than regular stitches, so they may look different in size. If your yarn over is twisted, check that you created the loop in the right direction. After a knit stitch, the yarn should move forward between the needles; after a purl stitch, it should move backward over the needle. If the loop is wrapped the wrong way, it will sit twisted on your needle.

What if I accidentally do a yarn over when the pattern doesn't call for one?

You'll end up with an extra stitch in that row. If you catch it right away, drop back to that stitch with a crochet hook and unravel it, then pick the stitch back up. If you don't notice until later, you can either frog (unravel) back to that row or accept the extra stitch and adjust your decreases in a later row to compensate. Most knitters frog rather than try to fix it mid-project.