Yarn Over (YO) Short Rows – Knitting Short Rows Without Wraps

knitting short rows example

How to work yarnover short rows. Purl side. 

1. Knit to the point where you need to turn on the other side (to purl side in this case).
2. Working yarn on purl side is in front. Make Yarn Over (YO).
3. Purl next coming stitch as usual holding yarnover you just made.
4. Continue purling until you need to turn again to the other side. 
 
With yarn over you created closely sitting stitch to the main stitch. Yarn over will help to close the gap later. 

 

yarn over short rows purl side

Yarn Over Short Rows in the round  YouTube Tutorial

Yarn Over Short Row on the Knit (Right) Side.

  1. Purl until you need to turn to the knit side. 
  2. Make a turn. 
  3. Working yarn in the front. Make Yarn Over. 
  4. Knit next stitch as regular stitch holding YO on the right needle.
Yarnover short rows knit side

Close short row gaps. 

Knit side.

  1. Knit until you get to the last stitch and a yarnover before gap.
  2. Knit the stitch before yarnover. Now there is only 1 yarnover stitch left. 
  3. Knit 2 stitches together (K2Tog – Yarnover and the next stitch). Gap is closed.
close short row gaps

Purl Side. 

  1. Purl until you get to the last stitch and a yarnover before gap.
  2. Purl the stitch before yarnover. Now there is only 1 yarnover stitch left. 
  3. Slip yarnover, Slip next stitch, Put back onto left hand needle changing loop leg position. (Left leg in the back)
  4.  Purl 2 together through the back loop. P2Tog tbl.
work off short rows purl side

Yarn Over Short Rows in the Round

Knitting in the round  only the last short row stitch will be different

  1. Knit to the last stitch before the gap.
  2. Slip stitch purl-wise.
  3. Put back on the left needle changing loop leg position.
  4. Knit 2 together through the back loop. It will be regular knit stitch together with yarnover. 

It will be slightly tight, because yarnover stitch is very small. 

 

 

Yarn Over Short Rows vs German Short Rows

Technically, there is only one difference between yarnover short row and German short row. German short rows are accomplished by pulling stitch and making double stitch.

First, make a turn. Slip the stitch, pull the working yarn upwards and to the back. This move will create double stitch.

It is an easy to substitution. 

Instead making yarn over – make double stitch.

From my experience, German short rows are less fiddly. The end result looks the same in both ways. It is up to you which one to choose. 

yo short row method

Sharing is caring!

Was this article helpful?
YesNo