How to Yarn Over in Knitting (YO): Decorative Increases Made Easy

The small holes in this lace pattern (knit from the book Classic Knitted Cotton Edges by Hewitt & Daley) are created using paired yarn overs and decreases.

Increasing in your knitting with a yarn over (YO) is one of the simplest and most decorative increase techniques you can learn. Whether you’re knitting lace for the first time or intentionally adding small, light and airy holes to your fabric, the yarn over is a versatile technique that appears in countless knitting patterns.

It’s also worth knowing that the yarn over is one of the most commonly worked stitches by accident, especially for beginners. If you’ve ever wondered “Why are there holes in my knitting?” or “Why is my stitch count wrong?”, there’s a good chance an unintentional yarn over is the reason. Learning how to recognise and work yarn overs correctly will instantly resolve this issue, because you'll know how to avoid it!

Want to learn more about the most essential increase techniques in knitting?

Click here to read the full Beginner’s Guide to Increasing in Knitting — complete with all the info you need to knit with confidence!

What Is a Yarn Over (YO)?

A yarn over is a type of increase in knitting created by wrapping the working yarn. This action forms a new stitch and creates a small decorative hole, similar to an eyelet.

Unlike many increases, which lean left or right, the yarn over is a neutral increase. It doesn’t slant in either direction, making it ideal for lace patterns and decorative shaping where symmetry matters.

How to Do a Yarn Over when Knitting

Before you begin, here’s an important tip:

Move your stitches slightly away from the tip of your left-hand needle. The yarn over itself is created using only the working yarn and the right-hand needle, so keeping your stitches secure will help prevent accidental dropped stitches while practising.

1. Start with your working yarn at the back of your work, as if you’re about to knit.

2. Bring the working yarn under and then over the right-hand needle. This motion creates the yarn over.

3. Gently hold that strand of yarn in place so it doesn’t slide up the needle.

4. Knit the next stitch from the left-hand needle as usual.

5. You’ll now see a new loop sitting between stitches, this is your yarn over.

6. When you reach this loop on the next round (if knitting in the round) or on the wrong side (if knitting flat), work it as a normal stitch. This is what creates the eyelet.

   
   

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If you’d like to practise working yarn overs in a simple, beginner-friendly way, try my easy knitting pattern The Felted Heart Ornament. It’s a quick, low-pressure project for building confidence with yarn over increases. An added bonus? You get to try felting too!

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How to Do a Yarn Over when Purling

Yarn overs can also be worked on purl rows. The principle is the same, but the yarn starts in a different position.

1. Begin with the working yarn at the front of your work, as if to purl.

2. Bring the yarn over and then back under the right-hand needle.

3. Hold the yarn over in place so it doesn’t slide about.

4. Purl the next stitch as normal.

5. The yarn over will now be visible between stitches.

6. When you encounter it on the following row or round, work it as instructed (knit or purl). This step is essential for the eyelet to form correctly.

When Yarn Overs are Used

Yarn overs appear in knitting patterns for several reasons, including:

• Lace knitting, often paired with a decrease like K2TOG to keep the stitch count correct

• Decorative increases where visible holes are part of the design

• Buttonholes, especially for small or delicate buttons

Because yarn overs add stitches, they are always balanced elsewhere in a pattern if intended to be purely decorative.

Where to go next:

• How to Start Knitting for Total Beginners: The Ultimate Guide

• How to Decrease in Knitting: An Essential Beginner’s Guide

• Knit vs. Purl Stitches: An Easy Beginner’s Guide (with Tips & Fixes)