How to Knit Yarn Over Short-Rows

---

Less popularly used than wrap & turn or German short-rows, the yarn over short-row is another method for anchoring short-rows to the surrounding knitting and eliminating the gap that occurs when the row is turned. While it requires a little bit of fiddling to resolve the yarn overs, the yarn over short-row method produces excellent results.

Above: Working a yarn over short-row

In this article I’ll take you step by step through the making of yarn over short-rows. I’ll also show you how to make those yarn overs lie neatly on the wrong side of the work for a smooth finish.

Yarn Over Short-rows in Knitting Patterns

You’ll usually find yarn over abbreviated in patterns as yo. When working yarn over short-rows, we actually work a backward yarn over, which is abbreviated as byo. The instructions for yarn over short-rows will look something like this:

• Short-row 1 (RS) Work in pattern to last 5 sts, turn.
• Short-row 2 (WS) Byo, work in pattern to last 5 sts, turn.
• Short-row 3 Byo, work in pattern to 5 sts before yo, turn.
• Short-row 4 Byo, work in pattern to 5 sts before yo, turn.
• Next row (RS) *Work in pattern to yo, k2tog (yo with following st); rep from * to end.
• Next row (WS) *Work in pattern to yo, p2tog tbl (yo with following st); rep from * to end.

Step by Step Instructions

These are the instructions I’m going to work for our example. I’ve worked my swatch in stockinette stitch so you can easily see what’s going on, but yarn over short-rows are effective with just about any stitch pattern.

1. Knit across the row until 5 stitches remain on your left needle, then turn the work so the wrong side is facing you (Photo 1).
2. Work a backwards yarn over by bringing the working yarn to the back between the needle tips, then over the right needle to the front (Photo 2).
3. Using your finger to hold the yarn over in place, purl the next stitch (Photo 3).
4. The yarn over sits to the right of the first stitch of the new row (Photo 4).

5. Purl across the row until 5 stitches remain on your left needle (Photo 5).
6. Turn the work so the right side is facing you (Photo 6).
7. Work a backwards yarn over by bringing the working yarn to the back between the needle tips, then over the right needle to the front (Photo 7).
8. Knit the next stitch. The yarn over sits to the right of the first stitch of the new row (Photo 8).

9. Knit across the row until 5 stitches remain before the yarn over (Photo 9). There will be a large gap immediately after the yarn over. Now repeat Steps 1-3. Purl across the row until 5 stitches remain before the yarn over. You’ll again see a large gap immediately after the yarn over. Repeat Steps 6-8.
   • You’ve worked Rows 1-4, for 2 sets of short-rows. A set of short-rows is a pair: one right side row and one wrong side row.
10. To resolve the yarn overs, knit across the row until you reach the first yarn over (Photo 10). We want the yarn over to lie against the wrong side of the work, and neither the yarn over nor the stitch it’s joined to should be twisted. In order to do this, we need to correct the mount of the yarn over. As you can see, the upper leg of the yarn over is in back.
11. Insert the right needle into the yarn over as if to purl it through the back loop. Then slip the yarn over back to the left needle. The stitch mount has been corrected so the upper leg of the yarn over is in front (Photo 11).
12. Knit the yarn over together with the next stitch (Photo 12). Continue knitting to the end of the row, correcting the mount of each yarn over and knitting it together with the following stitch.

13. Purl across the row until you reach the first yarn over (Photo 13). Again, we want the yarn over to lie against the wrong side of the work, and neither the yarn over nor the stitch it’s joined to should be twisted. In this case, the yarn over is mounted correctly, with the top leg in back, but we need to change the mount of the next purl stitch.
14. Slip the yarn over to the right needle (Photo 14).
15. Slip the next stitch as if to knit, then slip it back to the left needle. The stitch mount has been changed so the right leg of the stitch is in back. Slip the yarn over back to the left needle (Photo 15).
16. Purl the yarn over and the next stitch together through the back loops (Photo 16). Continue to the end of the row, changing the mount of each stitch following a yarn over and purling it together with the yarn over through the back loops.

Results of Yarn Over Short-rows

I worked two more rows before binding off this sample.

The short-rows are inconspicuous on the right side of the work. On the wrong side you can see how the wrap joins the short-rows to the surrounding knitting. We’ve created a smooth curve, with the center of the piece 4 rows longer than the sides. While I’ve bound off this sample, you could continue knitting or join it to another piece with a Three-Needle Bind-off.

Comparing Methods

Analytical knitters may have noticed that the yarn over short-row method is very similar to the wrap & turn method. With wrap & turn short-rows, the yarn which connects the short-rows to the surrounding knitting is wrapped around the stitch to which it will be joined. With the yarn over method, that same loop of yarn is wrapped around the needle as a yarn over instead of being wrapped around a stitch. When the short-rows are complete, and the wraps or yarn overs are resolved, the path travelled by the yarn is exactly the same. If you find this fascinating, come sit by me.

Is there another short-row method you’d like to see in detail? Let us know in the comments!

Sandi Rosner
Technical Content Editor, Yarn

---

These patterns use short-rows to great effect. Will one of them be your next project?