Yarn over
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In knitting, a yarn over is technique in which the yarn is passed over the right-hand knitting needle.
There are several types of yarn-over, depending on how many times the yarn is wrapped around the knitting needle and on the direction (chirality) with which the yarn is wrapped. Normally, the yarn is wrapped with a right-handed chirality, i.e., counterclockwise when looking at the right-hand needle point-on. Wrapping the yarn the other way (i.e., left-handedly) will result in a plaited stitch if the stitch is knit on the following row.
Wrapping the yarn multiple times produces very long loop, which can yield interesting visual effects. For example, a row of such long stitches makes an interesting horizontal stripe. Alternatively, the knitting of the long loop can be deferred until a later row (e.g., 5 rows later); in this case, the loop need not be knit vertically, but can be knit diagonally, e.g., to form the lower leaves of a flower.
Yarn-overs are a neat way to slip stitches without having to pass the yarn in front or back. Instead one makes a tucked stitch, in which the yarn over and the slipped stitch are knitted on the next row. In effect, the yarn passes over the slipped stitch, rather than in front or back; it's "tucked away". This is the basis for brioche knitting.
Yarn-overs are very common in lace knitting, since they are the main method for producing stable holes in the fabric. Yarn-overs are also a common technique for increasing the number of stitches.
[edit] Reference
- June Hemmons Hiatt (1988) The Principles of Knitting, Simon and Schuster, pp. 73-76. ISBN 0-671-55233-3
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