Yarn over Short Rows

Short rows can be used in a variety of knitting projects. Commonly used for sock heels or shaping sweaters, there are many different methods you can use to create the short rows. In this video, knitting expert Mary Beth Temple explains how to work yarn over short rows.

Yarn over short rows are surprisingly easy to work with a little practice. To begin, Mary Beth works a Right-Side row by knitting to where the short row will be created. She simply turns the work to the Wrong Side. The yarn is in the front, and she is ready to purl. She makes a small yarn over by bringing the yarn over the right needle from back to front and then purls the first stitch.

Mary Beth gives the yarn a slight tug in order to make the yarn over small. She works a similar process on the Wrong Side of the Stockinette stitch fabric, where she is working purl stitches to the point where the short row will be placed. When she’s ready for the short row, she turns the work to the Right Side. The yarn is in back and she works a small yarn over by bring the yarn from front to back over the right needle. She knits the first stitch, once again giving the yarn a slight tug to tighten the yarn over slightly.

To work the yarn over into the fabric on the Right Side of the Stockinette stitch fabric, Mary Beth knits to one stitch before the gap created by the short row. This stitch before the gap is the yarn over. She works a knit two together (k2tog) with the yarn over and the next stitch after the gap to close the gap.

To work the yarn over into the fabric on the Wrong Side of Stockinette stitch fabric, Mary Beth purls to one stitch before the gap created by the short row. This stitch before the game is the yarn over created previously. She works a slip, slip, purl (ssp) with the yarn over and the next stitch after the gap in order to close that gap.

Work the slip, slip, purl using these steps:

• Slip a stitch from the left needle as if to knit to right needle
• Slip a second stitch from the left needle as if to knit to right needle
• Slip both stitches back to left needle and purl the two stitches together through the back loops

Mary Beth notes that the short rows will be placed as written in the particular pattern that you’re following. You may knit or purl a few stitches past the last short row before creating the next one.