PYOK Increase (Purl, Yarn Over, Knit)

The PYOK (Purl, Yarn Over, Knit) Increase is a double increase that is commonly used in cable and lace patterns. It’s often used in projects with textured stitch patterns, as the increase will easily blend into the purl stitches and knit stitches on either side of the increase. In this video, Mary Beth Temple demonstrates how to work this increase.

A double increase takes one stitch and turns it into three stitches. This increase helps the increase stitches blend into the fabric. Mary Beth is working this increase on a checkerboard fabric, where she is switching from knits to purls and purls to knits every few stitches.

Mary Beth works the increase following these steps:

• Purl stitch, leaving the stitch on the left needle
• Yarn Over, bringing the yarn over the needle to the back of the work
• Knit stitch, dropping the stitch off the left needle

The PYOK Increase has been created and there are now three stitches where there was previously a single stitch. Mary Beth demonstrates this increase once more when she comes to an area where the stitch pattern is switching from purl stitches to knit stitches.