What a yarn over does and when to use it
A yarn over is a deliberate loop you create on your needle by wrapping yarn around it. Unlike most stitches, a yarn over leaves a small hole in your fabric—that hole is intentional and decorative. When you knit a yarn over, you increase your stitch count by one without decreasing elsewhere, so the fabric spreads outward at that point.
Yarn overs appear in lace patterns, eyelet designs, and anywhere a pattern calls for a visible hole. They also work as increases when you need to add stitches without a visible decrease paired with them. The yarn over is one of the easiest increases to execute because it requires no extra hand movements beyond what you already do when you knit.
Key Takeaways
- A yarn over is made by wrapping yarn around your needle between two stitches, creating both a new stitch and a visible hole.
- The method changes slightly depending on what stitch comes before and after the yarn over—the most common is yarn over between two knit stitches.
- Yarn overs are easiest to spot on your needle when ready after you make them because the new loop sits visibly on the needle.
- If you accidentally skip a yarn over or create one in the wrong place, you can usually fix it by dropping back one row and re-knitting that section.
Yarn over between two knit stitches
This is the most common yarn over you will encounter. Start with your working yarn at the back of your work, as it would be before you knit a stitch. Knit one stitch normally. After you pull the new stitch through and before you insert your needle into the next stitch, bring your working yarn to the front of your work between the needles.
Now knit the next stitch as usual. When you do, the yarn that is now in front will wrap around your right needle as you insert it into the stitch. That wrapped yarn becomes a new stitch on your needle. You have created a yarn over. The hole appears because you knitted without decreasing, so the fabric has one more stitch than it did before.
The key moment is the yarn movement between the two knit stitches. Bring it forward deliberately, knit the next stitch, and the yarn over happens automatically. Many knitters find this easier than other increases because there is no extra wrapping or manipulation—the yarn naturally wraps the needle as you knit.
Yarn over before a purl stitch
If your pattern calls for a yarn over followed by a purl stitch, the setup is slightly different. Knit the stitch before the yarn over. Bring your working yarn to the front of your work between the needles, just as you would before purling. Then purl the next stitch.
When you purl with the yarn already in front, it wraps around your needle and creates the yarn over. The yarn stays in front for the purl stitch, so no extra movement is needed. After you purl, the yarn is already positioned correctly for the next stitch in your pattern.
Yarn over after a purl stitch
When a purl stitch comes before the yarn over, you need to move the yarn to the back before knitting. Purl the stitch before the yarn over. Your working yarn will be in front after purling. Bring it to the back of your work between the needles, then knit the next stitch.
As you knit, the yarn wraps around your needle and creates the yarn over. This is the reverse of the yarn over before a purl—you are moving the yarn backward instead of forward, but the principle is the same. The yarn naturally wraps as you work the next stitch.
Spotting and fixing mistakes with yarn overs
A successful yarn over looks like a small loop sitting on your needle with a visible hole below it in the fabric. If you look at your work and see a gap where your pattern shows a yarn over should be, you likely skipped it. If you see an extra hole where there should not be one, you may have created an accidental yarn over.
The easiest fix is to drop back to the row with the mistake and re-knit from that point. Use a smaller needle or a crochet hook to pick up the stitches one row at a time until you reach the mistake, then re-knit the section correctly. This takes only a few minutes and is much faster than frogging (pulling out) several rows.
If you notice the mistake several rows later, you can still fix it by dropping the stitch column down to the error row, correcting it, and picking the stitches back up. This technique is called tinking when you undo stitch by stitch, or frogging when you pull out entire rows. For a single yarn over mistake, tinking down one column is usually the quickest approach.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
The most frequent error is forgetting to move your yarn to the front before the yarn over. If your pattern shows a yarn over between two knit stitches and you knit two stitches in a row without moving the yarn, you have missed the yarn over. Reading your pattern one stitch ahead helps—before you knit, check whether the next stitch is a yarn over, and position your yarn accordingly.
Another common mistake is creating an accidental yarn over when you move your yarn between stitches for other reasons. If you bring yarn to the front to purl and then change your mind and knit instead without moving the yarn back, you create an unintended yarn over. Always move your yarn deliberately and check your pattern before you work each stitch.
Tension can also affect how visible your yarn over is. If you pull very tightly on the stitch after the yarn over, the hole may close up and become hard to see. Keep your tension consistent and slightly relaxed around yarn overs so the hole remains visible and the stitch sits evenly on your needle.
Yarn overs in different stitch patterns
Lace patterns use yarn overs paired with decreases to create openwork designs. The yarn over adds a stitch, and a decrease removes one, so the stitch count stays the same across the row. This allows lace to spread horizontally without growing wider. When you see a pattern that shows a yarn over next to a knit two together or slip-slip-knit decrease, they work together as a unit.
Eyelet patterns use yarn overs in a single column or scattered across a row to create small holes for threading ribbon or for decoration. These do not pair with decreases, so the fabric increases at those points. Eyelets are common in baby clothes, shawls, and garments where a subtle texture change adds visual interest.
Brioche knitting and other specialty techniques use yarn overs in specific ways that differ from basic lace. Always follow your pattern's instructions for how to work yarn overs in combination with other stitches, as the sequence matters for the final look.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a yarn over and an accidental yarn over?
An intentional yarn over is worked deliberately between two stitches as your pattern directs, creating a visible hole. An accidental yarn over happens when you move your yarn between stitches without meaning to, usually because you forgot to reposition it before working the next stitch. Both create a hole and add a stitch, but only the intentional one belongs in your fabric.
Can I fix a yarn over mistake without tinking back?
If the mistake is only one or two rows back, tinking down that column is faster than frogging entire rows. For mistakes further down, you can drop the stitch column, unravel it to the error, fix the mistake, and pick the stitches back up with a smaller needle. This is faster than pulling out multiple rows.
Do yarn overs change how I hold my needles or yarn?
No. Yarn overs use the same needle and yarn grip you already have. The only change is moving your working yarn between the needles at specific moments. Your hand position and tension stay the same—you are just repositioning the yarn before you work the next stitch.
Why does my yarn over look loose compared to the stitches around it?
Yarn overs naturally sit slightly looser than regular stitches because they are created by wrapping yarn around the needle without pulling it tight. This is normal and part of what makes the hole visible. If it looks too loose, you may be pulling too hard on the stitch after the yarn over, which stretches it. Keep tension even and slightly relaxed.
What happens if I purl into a yarn over instead of knitting it?
You can purl into a yarn over just as you would any other stitch. The yarn over itself does not change—it is still a loop on your needle. How you work into it on the next row depends on your pattern. Most patterns specify whether to knit or purl into a yarn over, so follow the pattern instructions.