The most common ways to add stitches mid-row

Increasing stitches means creating new loops on your needle while you knit, and you will need to do this whenever a pattern gets wider — for sleeves, shaping, or lace. The two methods you will use most often are the yarn over and the knit front and back (KFB). A yarn over is the fastest: you straightforward bring your yarn to the front of your work, knit the next stitch normally, and the loop you created becomes a new stitch. Knit front and back is more invisible: you knit into the front of a stitch, then knit into the back of the same stitch before dropping it off the needle, turning one stitch into two.

Which method you choose depends on whether the increase should be visible. Yarn overs create a small hole and are often used intentionally in lace patterns. Knit front and back leaves almost no trace and works best when you want the fabric to look seamless. Your pattern will tell you which one to use and where to place it.

Key Takeaways

  • Yarn over and knit front and back are the two increases you will use in almost every pattern that involves shaping.
  • Yarn overs create a visible hole and are standard in lace; knit front and back is nearly invisible and works for shaping sleeves and waistlines.
  • Increases placed one or two stitches from the edge create a neat selvage and make seaming easier later.
  • Paired increases — one on each side of a centerline — keep your fabric balanced and symmetrical.
  • Reading your pattern's abbreviations (YO, KFB, M1, etc.) tells you exactly which increase method to use and where.

Yarn over: the fastest increase with a visible hole

A yarn over (written as YO in patterns) works by wrapping your working yarn around the needle to create a new stitch. On a knit row, bring the yarn to the front of your work between the needles, then knit the next stitch as normal. The loop around the needle becomes your increase. On a purl row, take the yarn over the needle from front to back, then purl the next stitch.

Yarn overs are fast because they require no extra hand movements beyond the normal knit or purl. They are also intentional — the small hole they create is often part of the design, especially in lace patterns where multiple yarn overs in a row form decorative eyelet holes. If your pattern calls for yarn overs, the designer has already decided where they should go and how many rows apart they should be.

The main drawback is that yarn overs create a visible hole, so they are not the right choice if you want a solid, seamless increase. For shaping a sleeve or neckline where you want the increase to blend in, knit front and back is usually better.

Knit front and back: the invisible increase

Knit front and back (KFB) turns one stitch into two by working into the same stitch twice before dropping it off the needle. Insert your right needle through the front loop of the stitch and knit it normally, but do not drop the stitch off the left needle yet. Bring your right needle around to the back of the left needle, insert it through the back loop of that same stitch, and knit again. Now drop the original stitch off the left needle. You have created two stitches from one.

This increase is nearly invisible because both new stitches come from the same original loop, so there is no hole. It works well for shaping sleeves, increasing for bust or hip ease, and any place where you want the fabric to look continuous. The trade-off is that it takes a few extra seconds per increase, and on a row with many increases it can slow you down.

One small note: knit front and back can sometimes create a slight twist in the stitch below it, especially if you pull the yarn tight. If this bothers you, the make one (M1) increase is another invisible option that works by picking up the horizontal strand between two stitches and knitting into it — but your pattern will specify which method to use.

Where to place increases for a neat edge

Increases look best when they are placed one or two stitches in from the edge of your work, not right at the selvage. This creates a small border of solid stitches that makes seaming much easier later and gives the edge a finished look. If your pattern says "increase 1 stitch each side every 4 rows," it usually means: knit to 2 stitches before the end, increase, knit 2. On the other side, knit 2, increase, knit to the end.

Placing increases one stitch in from the edge (instead of two) is also common and creates an even neater line. The exact placement depends on your pattern and the look you want, but the principle is the same: leave a small margin of plain stitches on either side.

Paired increases for balanced shaping

When you are shaping a garment — widening a sleeve, adding ease to a sweater body, or shaping a raglan — you usually increase on both sides at the same time. These are called paired increases, and they keep your fabric symmetrical. If you increase only on one side, the piece will slant.

Paired increases work best when they mirror each other. On the right side, you might knit front and back one stitch in from the edge. On the left side, you do the same thing. Both increases happen on the same row, so the shaping is balanced. Some patterns use different increases on each side — for example, a left-leaning increase on the right edge and a right-leaning increase on the left edge — to create a decorative effect, but your pattern will show you exactly what to do.

Reading your pattern's increase instructions

Patterns use abbreviations to tell you which increase to use. YO means yarn over. KFB means knit front and back. M1 or M1L and M1R mean make one (left-leaning or right-leaning). Some patterns also use inc, which is a general term for increase and usually means knit front and back unless the pattern specifies otherwise. Your pattern's abbreviation key will define what each one means in that particular design.

The pattern will also tell you when to increase: "increase 1 stitch each side every 4 rows" means you increase on both edges, and you do it again 4 rows later, and again 4 rows after that, until the pattern tells you to stop. Counting rows can be tricky, so many knitters mark their increases with stitch markers or a row counter to keep track.

Common mistakes when increasing

The most common mistake is increasing in the wrong place — usually too close to the edge or too far from it. This makes the selvage look ragged and seaming harder. The fix is straightforward: read your pattern carefully and count stitches from the edge before you increase.

Another mistake is forgetting to increase on one side when you are supposed to do paired increases. This creates lopsided shaping. A quick way to catch this is to count your total stitches every few rows. If you are supposed to have 120 stitches and you only have 118, you missed an increase somewhere.

Finally, some knitters pull the yarn too tight after a yarn over, which can distort the hole or make the stitch below it look twisted. Yarn overs should be loose enough that the hole is clear and even. If your yarn overs look bunched, try relaxing your tension slightly on the row after you make them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a yarn over and knit front and back?

A yarn over creates a visible hole by wrapping yarn around the needle; it is fast and used in lace. Knit front and back works into the same stitch twice and creates no hole; it is nearly invisible and used for shaping. Your pattern tells you which one to use.

Can I use yarn over for shaping a sleeve?

Technically yes, but most patterns do not. Yarn overs create holes that are visible in solid fabric, so they look odd on a sleeve unless the pattern is designed to show them. Knit front and back or make one are the standard choices for invisible shaping.

How do I know if I increased the right number of stitches?

Count your stitches on the needle after you finish a row with increases. If your pattern says you should have 120 stitches and you have 120, you are correct. If the number is off, recount to make sure, then look back at the row to find where you missed or added an extra increase.

What does "increase 1 stitch each side" mean?

It means increase once on the right edge and once on the left edge of the same row, for a total of 2 new stitches. This is called a paired increase and keeps shaping balanced. Your pattern will tell you how often to repeat this (every 4 rows, every 6 rows, etc.).

Why does my yarn over look bunched or twisted?

You are probably pulling the yarn too tight after creating the yarn over. Yarn overs should be loose and open. Try relaxing your tension on the next row and see if the hole looks clearer. If the stitch below the yarn over looks twisted, that usually means the yarn over itself was made correctly but the tension on the following row was too tight.