There are several ways to do short rows and I’ve probably tried most of them—wrap and turn, Japanese, yarn over, make 1—and the one that I prefer has changed over the years. For the past several though, I’ve been a wrap and turn girl. Why? It just seems to be the simplest method for me and never produces a hole.
If you have a different preferred method by all means continue using it! If it looks good and it works for you then that’s all you need.
Wrap & Turn on a knit row
If your pattern says “knit 10, w&t” you would knit 10 sts and then perform the w&t on the 11th stitch as follows:
You’ve now wrapped your stitch (in our example it is stitch number 11) and the working yarn is in the correct place for you to begin working the next row.
Wrap & Turn on a purl row
If your pattern says “purl 10, w&t” you would purl 10 sts and then perform the w&t on the 11th stitch as follows:
You’ve now wrapped your stitch (in our example it is stitch number 11) and the working yarn is in the correct place for you to begin knitting the next row.
IMPORTANT: You DO NOT pick up wraps if you’re working in garter stitch.
Picking up a wrap on a knit row
Picking up a wrap on a purl row
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I’m knitting a pattern from yarnspirations.com , a Bernat Cocoon Cardigan. It has a shawl collar form by short rows: Rib 88 stitches, wrap and turn. Rib to 2 sts before previously wrapped st. Wrap and turn. Repeat last row 13 times more — 60 sts remain.
My wrap and turns are not creating decreases. I’ve done a few rows and still have 88 sts. What am I doing wrong?
You’ll always still have 88 sts but the columns on the right will have more length to them than the columns on the left. That’s what your pattern is doing.
Thanks for this tutorial, I keep messing up short rows because they are always described differently.
Having the pics really helps, and you explain it so well.
you’re welcome! i’m so glad the tutorial helped 🙂 they’re not really that hard!
Quick question- doing short rows which I understand but confused with the following:
K to last 4 (4,6,8) stitches, W+T
P to last 4 (4,6,8) stitches before marker, W+T
K to last 8 (8,10,12) stitches before marker , W+T
P to last 8 (8,10,12) stitches before marker, W+T
K to last 10 (10, 12, 14) stitches before marker, W+T
P to last 10 (10, 12, 14) stitches before marker, W+T
K to last – (-, 12, 14, 16) stitches before marker, W+T
P to last – (-, 12, 14, 16) stitches before marker, W+T
I’m doing the first size, so does the – symbol mean knit right to marker?
Thanks
Do you mean the dash in the last 2 rows?
If so, a dash means it doesn’t apply for your size at all. So you do 6 short rows in total.
Does that help?
Oh okay,that makes sense……thanks
sure thing! good luck – and we’ll be here if you get stuck again 🙂
That’s great! I can move on to the next row now.
BTW I’m from Hong Kong. This is the first time I buy a French pattern and I’m so lucky to find this website.
Thanks again for your great help!!!
You’re welcome! I hope this helps you!
Keep me in the loop on your progress. Are you on instragram? Or join the Knotions Group on fb and tag us there. I’d love to see how it’s turning out!
Thank you very much for your explanation. Your way of writing is clear and easy to follow. It really helps a lot. I’ve tried these steps in one row and get a triangle on both edges. It looks a little bit weird and I’m not sure if it’s correct. I’ve bought this pattern online and tried to asked the author but no reply from them yet.
This is the hooded sweater pattern I working on :
https://www.bergeredefrance.co.uk/le-wooling-issue-1-12-hooded-sweater-in-pdf-format.html#review-form-button
As the pattern is in PDF format so I copy the beginning of the hood pattern here.
HOOD:
Using 4.0 mm needles and both yarns wound tog,
cast on 103-107-111-113 sts.
Work in 1/1 Rib for 4 cm (1½ in) [12 rows].
Change to 4.5 mm needles and work in St st as
foll:
* 4 sts, turn work,
1 sl st, 3 sts, turn,
8 sts, turn,
1 sl st, 7 sts, turn,
13 sts, turn,
1 sl st, 12 sts, turn,
18 sts, turn,
1 sl st, 17 sts, turn,
23 sts, turn,
1 sl st, 22 sts, turn,
work even for 1 row on all sts, turn *,
then repeat once more from * to *.
Cont on all sts and cast off at each end as foll:
6 years: starting on 1st row, then every 4th row
1 st 3 times; every 2nd row 1 st 3 times , 2 sts once.
Thanks!
Ok I think you’re creating the little triangles that will make up the space created by the front’s neckline. The repeat once more is having you do the same thing on the other side too. I think it might be an issue of translation of a pattern that started in French so it’s a little odd in English (plus I don’t know where you’re located but it’s in British English). I suspect I’d do the same thing in reverse!
FYI each time you do the things in *’s you should only be creating a triangle on one side.
Hi, I’m knitting the hood of the sweater and confused with the following instructions :
4 sts, turn work,
1 sl st, 3 sts, turn,
8 sts, turn,
1 sl st, 7 sts, turn,
work even for 1 row on all sts, turn
Are the above steps applied for one row only ? and on both edges of the row ?
Is this a short row pattern ?
This is an odd way of writing the instructions. I would write it like this:
Next row: 4 sts, turn work.
Next row: 1 sl st, 3 sts, turn
Next row: 8 sts, turn.
Next row: 1 sl st, 7 sts, turn.
Next row: Work even for 1 row on all sts, turn.
So you’re adding a little triangle of extra knitted fabric just to the right side of the work. I don’t know where this is on the hood so I’m not sure why it’s there.
To answer your other question, they *are* a type of short row. I’m not sure why it’s not using some type of short row technique to help avoid holes at the turns. Without more context it’s hard for me to say. If you’re getting holes, I’d try wrapping the final st on the rows that have 4 sts and 8 sts. So I’d do:
4 sts, w&t
8 sts, w&t
Again, I’m not sure where this is located. My advice is if your edge is on the right (so you’re getting to the edge when you do “1 sl st, 3 sts” and “1 st st, 7 sts”).
Does this help at all?
One more thing I’d do – on the last row where I said “Next row: Work even for 1 row on all sts, turn” I’d add “picking up the wraps as you come to them” UNLESS you’re working in garter stitch. If it’s garter stitch DON’T pick up the wrap. If you do, it’ll make you see it.
Hi,
I’m really impressed with the way you are helping people in this thread. I just started knitting Strandwanderer by Lea Viktoria. The basic pattern is garter. I have never done wrap and turn before. She gives explicit instructions:
“With the yarn in front slip the stitch as if to purl, turn the work and wrap the yarn around the slipped stitch, slip the stitch purlwise on the right needle, make sure the yarn is in the back now and follow the instructions as usual.”
I followed these instructions, but just wasn’t sure whether I was doing it correctly. Then I watched a bunch of tutorials (including yours). All of the tutorials don’t turn the work until after the stitch has been slipped, wrapped, and slipped back. Her instructions don’t do that. The work is turned after the first slip. Maybe, it’s just a different way to achieve the same result? I’m looking for some reassurance that her way is ok.
Thanks for your help.
as long as the yarn is in the correct position (and it sounds like it is) you should be fine! the important thing is – DO NOT pick up the wrap in garter stitch!
if it looks good and you’re not getting holes i’d say you’re doing it right 🙂
Thank you!
You’re welcome!
I’d love to see a pic when you’re done 🙂
Hi great post. I’m knitting a raglan sweater and have come to the shaping of the neckline be my pattern. The directions are to start the short rows then it says knit to the end of the row and wrap and turn. I’m confused if I should knit the last stitch or just knit up to it. The pattern is from purl soho.
How many short rows total?
What are the rest of the instructions for that section?
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2016/05/31/lightweight-raglan-pullover/ here is the link there are 13 short rows I’m also confused on if I should pick up the wraps after every row or wait until row 13. What do you think?
Thanks for the link!
Based on what I’m reading, you’re making each short row increasingly shorter, so you won’t come across them until row 13. This instruction on Row 13 also said that:
Working the wrapped stitches with their wraps as you come to them.
So, Rows 1-12, work decreases and wraps.
Row 13, knit (including decs) and pick up wraps.
Does that make sense?
Yes thank you ! I’m so thankful you answered so quickly:))))) I’m excited about finishing this project
Hi, I’m working on a hat pattern with circular needles that’s really confusing me. It’s my first time doing short rows. The brim is worked in 2×2 ribbing then 6 short rows with w&t at the end. The 7th row is: ‘Work in ribbing to end of rnd, knitting the wraps together with the wrapped sts’ and the 8th is the same but purling the wraps.
I don’t understand what it means by ‘to the end of round’. Is it supposed to be to the last wrapped stitch of row 6 or the original end of round (does that make sense? I mean the first stitch of the pattern with the stitch marker).
Sorry if my explanation is confusing.
Here’s the link to the Ravelry pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sirle
I believe they mean the original end of round. You probably had a stitch marker there.
Alright, thank you so much! 😀
You’re welcome and good luck! Remember – it’s only knitting. If it’s not right you can frog and redo 🙂