How to Wrap and Turn in Knitting: The Technique That Prevents Holes

What wrapping and turning does in your knitting

Wrapping and turning is a technique that lets you knit back and forth across only part of your row, then rejoin the full width without leaving a hole. Instead of working all stitches in every row, you work a certain number, turn your work around, and come back the other direction—but before you turn, you wrap the yarn around the next stitch to close the gap where you changed direction.

This creates what knitters call a short row. Short rows are used to add shaping—like making one side of a sweater longer than the other, adding curves to socks, or creating a sloped neckline. Without wrapping, you would see a visible hole or ladder where the unworked stitches sit.

The wrap itself is small and nearly invisible when you pick it up later. Learning to wrap and turn takes practice, but once you understand the motion, it becomes automatic.

Key Takeaways

Wrapping and turning creates short rows that shape your knitting without leaving holes at the turning point.
You wrap the yarn around the next unworked stitch before you turn, then work back across the row you just came from.
When you reach the wrapped stitch again on a later row, you pick up the wrap and knit it together with the stitch to close the gap.
The wrap sits on the wrong side of your work until you pick it up, so it stays hidden in the finished piece.
Practice wrapping on a swatch before using short rows in a real project, because the motion is different from regular knitting.

How to wrap a stitch on a knit row

You are working across a row in knit stitch. You reach the point where you want to turn—let's say you have worked 10 stitches and want to turn before the 11th. Stop before you knit that 11th stitch.

Bring your yarn to the front of your work (toward you). Slip the next unworked stitch from your left needle to your right needle without knitting it. Now bring your yarn to the back of your work (away from you). This motion wraps the yarn around that slipped stitch. Slip the stitch back to your left needle. You have now wrapped the stitch.

Turn your work around so the other side faces you. You are now ready to work back across the row. The wrapped stitch stays on your left needle and you do not knit it yet—you will deal with it later when you reach it again.

How to wrap a stitch on a purl row

The motion is the same idea but in reverse. You are working across a purl row and reach the turning point. Stop before you purl the next stitch.

Bring your yarn to the back of your work (away from you). Slip the next unworked stitch from your left needle to your right needle without purling it. Bring your yarn to the front of your work (toward you). This wraps the yarn around the slipped stitch. Slip the stitch back to your left needle.

Turn your work around. You are ready to purl back across the row. Again, the wrapped stitch stays on your left needle until you reach it on a later row.

Picking up the wrap on a knit row

Several rows later, you are working across a knit row and you reach the stitch you wrapped earlier. You will see a small loop of yarn sitting below that stitch on the wrong side of your work—that is your wrap.

Insert your right needle under the wrap from front to back, then through the stitch itself. Knit them together as one stitch. This closes the gap and hides the wrap inside the fabric.

If you are working in stockinette stitch (knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows), you will usually pick up wraps on the knit rows. The wrap sits where it is straightforward to see and reach.

Picking up the wrap on a purl row

You are working across a purl row and reach a stitch you wrapped on a previous purl row. The wrap sits below the stitch on the wrong side.

Insert your right needle under the wrap from back to front, then through the stitch. Purl them together as one stitch. The wrap closes into the fabric and disappears.

The direction you insert your needle (back to front instead of front to back) matters because you are working from the opposite side of the fabric. If you insert the wrong way, the wrap will twist and look uneven.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common error is forgetting to wrap before you turn. You turn your work, work back across, and only later realize you never wrapped. The result is a hole. If this happens, you can sometimes go back and pick up the gap with a crochet hook, but it is easier to wrap in the first place.

Another mistake is wrapping too tightly. If you pull the yarn hard when you wrap, the stitch becomes distorted and the wrap is hard to pick up later. Keep the wrap loose and relaxed—it should feel like a normal stitch.

Some knitters wrap the wrong stitch by accident. Count carefully before you wrap. The stitch you wrap is the first stitch you are not going to knit on this row—not the last stitch you did knit.

When you pick up the wrap later, make sure you are picking up the actual wrap and not just the stitch itself. The wrap is a separate loop of yarn that sits below the stitch. If you knit only the stitch and leave the wrap behind, you will still have a hole.

Practice wrapping on a test swatch

Before you use wrapping and turning in a real project, knit a small swatch and practice the motion. Cast on 20 stitches and knit a few rows in stockinette stitch. Then work a short row: knit 15 stitches, wrap the 16th stitch, turn, and purl back. Knit another row across all stitches, picking up the wrap when you reach it.

Repeat this a few times. You will start to feel the rhythm of the wrap and turn. Once you can wrap without thinking about it, you are ready to use it in a sweater, sock, or shawl.

Many knitters find that wrapping feels awkward the first few times. This is normal. The motion is different from regular knitting because you are slipping a stitch instead of working it. After five or six short rows, most knitters stop thinking about it and just do it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I forget to pick up the wrap?

You will see a small hole or gap where the wrap should have been picked up. In stockinette stitch, it looks like a missing stitch. You can sometimes fix it after the fact with a crochet hook, but it is easier to pick up the wrap as you work. If you notice the mistake while the piece is still on your needles, you can tink back (unknit) to that point and pick up the wrap correctly.

Can I use wrapping and turning with other stitch patterns besides stockinette?

Yes, but the technique works best in stockinette because the wraps are easiest to see and pick up. In textured stitches like ribbing or cables, the wraps can be harder to locate. If you are using short rows in a textured pattern, mark the wrapped stitches with stitch markers so you do not lose track of them.

Do I have to wrap, or can I just turn without wrapping?

You can turn without wrapping, but you will see a hole. Some knitters use other methods to close the gap, like the German short rows technique or the yarn-over method. Wrapping and turning is the most common method because it is straightforward and the result is nearly invisible when done correctly.

What if my wrap is too loose and falls off?

Keep the wrap snug but not tight. If it keeps slipping, you may be wrapping too loosely or the yarn may be too thin for your needles. Try wrapping again and keeping slight tension on the yarn as you slip the stitch back to the left needle. The wrap should sit securely around the base of the stitch.

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