Yarn Over vs Yarn Under – Which one are you?

Have you ever looked at someone crocheting and thought – ‘they do that weird?’  But you can’t figure out why?  Or looked at the work someone does and the stitches look different to yours?  I’m not talking about left-handers here!  Some of this could be due to using the yarn under technique rather than the yarn over technique.

For those who read my tip in 2018 when I first talked about this, you may remember I mentioned that I had only ever used the yarn over technique, while my mother had only ever used the yarn under technique.  This was a surprise as she had taught me to crochet at a young age!  And it did go a long way to explaining why I had difficulty helping her with certain stitches.  But once I worked that out, it was easy to help her.

Is there a correct way?  No!  Like many things in crochet there is no one correct way. However, the yarn over is what I would call the more ‘common way’.  As each method will produce different results, understanding which method you use will help you understand why your finished projects look different to other people or even the designer!

What do we mean by Yarn Over vs Yarn Under?

Yarn Over – When you push your hook through the stitch to ‘grab the yarn’ the hook sits in front of the yarn and you push your hook under the yarn then loop the yarn over the hook from the back to the front, and pull it back through the stitch.

Yarn Under – When you push your hook through the stitch to ‘grab the yarn’ the hook goes over the top of the yarn then pull the yarn back through the stitch.  You never really wrap the yarn over at all.

Does it really matter?

By using yarn under versus yarn over four differences arise.

1. The stitches made with the yarn under technique tend to result in the two legs at the base of the stitch being crossed instead of being parallel like they are with the yarn over technique. This means that the stitch definition is greater with the yarn over technique.
2. The stitches made with the yarn under technique are shorter, making it very difficult to achieve the gauge for the patterns you are following. This means ultimately your projects will come out smaller.
3. The stitches made with the yarn under technique are tighter, meaning the resulting fabric will be stiffer with less drape.
4. It has also been reported that using the yarn under technique causes greater strain on your hands and wrists as the movement is less circular.

Are there advantages using the Yarn Under instead of yarn Over?

While the yarn over technique is preferred and considered the ‘norm’, the yarn under technique is considered more beneficial in two situations:

1. Amigurumi – due to the tightness and stiffness of the stitches, this technique results in less stuffing showing or ‘poking through’ the stitches.
2. Tapestry crochet – when you are at the point of changing colours (the last yarn over) perform a yarn under instead – the tighter stitch movement means the design slants less and the colour transition is sharper.

Know what you are Doing!

The most important aspect with your crochet is being aware of which method you use and why!

If you haven’t been aware of which method you were using, take a look at what you do and consider if changing it will help you overcome some of the obstacles you have encountered.

But most importantly, be consistent with the technique in your project!