Yarn over is a knitting technique that is used for making patterns with holes. Yarn over adds one extra loop of yarn to the line. Thus it creates a gap or small hole in the fabric. This hole is used for making different types of patterns. So yarn over is a good technique to learn.
What Is Yarn Over
In yarn over, yarn is passed over the right-hand knitting needle before taking yarn from the left-hand needle. Thus it is called a yarn over. What it does is, adds an increment to the line. That means, it adds an extra loop on the fabrics producing a hole.
How to Do Yarn Over Between Stitches
Here showing 4 different types of yarn over between stitches. Let’s go.
1. Knit Stitch Yarn Over
Doing a yarn over between stitches is simple. When you reach the knit stitch where you need to make a yarn over, take the working yarn and loop it around the right needle counterclockwise.
What that does is make an increment. It is a yarn over. So, it is a very simple technique to make a pattern with the hole.
Now that you have the yarn over increment, you can put the needle through the next loop of the left-hand needle and continue to do normal stitches until you need to do another yarn over.
2. Doing a Knit Stitch after a Yarn Over
After doing the extra yarn over a loop, you can continue to do the normal knit stitch. But if you are struggling to understand how to do a knit stitch after a yarn over, this section will help you understand that.
After you are done doing the yarn over, take the right needle and put it through the loop of the left needle while holding the yarn over the loop in place with a finger. Now do a loop with the yarn and pull it through the loop just like a normal stitch.
You can do that after the yarn is over as well as before the yarn is over. So, it is the general knit stitch but this time you are just using a finger to hold the yarn over in place while doing it.
3. Doing a Yarn Over in a Purl Stitch
Purl stitch yarn over also works in a similar way. You do your purl stitch until you need to do a yarn over. In the yarn over a section, instead of going counterclockwise, you have to add an extra loop clockwise under the needle.
That’s your yarn over a loop. Now you can do the same purl stitch as you were doing before and continue knitting.
4. Doing a Purl Stitch after a Yarn Over
After doing the yarn over, hold it tight in its place either by pressing on it with your thumb or just by holding the yarn with tension. Now you can move on to doing your next purl.
To do the purl stitch, insert your right needle into the next loop of the left needle. Now, put your thumb on the yarn over so that it doesn’t come loose, and put the yarn around the right needle.
Now bring the right needle back through the loop with the yarn still on it. That will make your purl stitch and hold the yarn over at its place. This way of doing the purl stitch is the same before and after a yarn over.
Guide to Know Yarn Over Patterns
Yarn over patterns is very versatile. You can make literally any pattern and design with yarn over it. Because these yarns makes holes in whatever you are making at that time. You can use these holes as a line to make patterns or art.
You can use yarn over patterns on a scarf to make it look cool. You can use yarn over on your sweater for design. You can use yarn over your sock to add style and you can even add yarn over when knitting a floor mat for different designs.
Different patterns need different levels of skill. Some patterns are more difficult to do than others. So practice is a good factor when it comes to doing yarn overs. Even if you make a mistake in the pattern doesn’t mean you can not fix it. So practice always play a big factor in making a pattern with yarn over.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Is a knitting yarn over different from a purl yarn over?
Ans: Yes, while the basic concept is the same, purely yarn over uses a clockwise loop while knit yarn over uses a counter-clockwise loop. So they are implemented a little differently.
What pattern is possible with yarn over?
Ans: Any pattern with a line drawing or just a simple hole pattern can be done with yarn over. They can be symmetrical or non-symmetrical.
Conclusion
Yarn over is a technique that you should most definitely learn if you do knitting. It can be used with anything in many different ways. Once you learn it you can find patterns with instructions on how to implement them in your work. You can easily follow it and make that pattern in your work.
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