How to Crochet Yarn Over vs Yarn Under – Correct Way Made Easy

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This crochet tutorial will teach you how to crochet yarn over versus yarn under using Photos and a Video. Learn the correct way to crochet.

When I learned how to crochet, I taught myself using some crochet books and Youtube. I learned quickly, but not the correct way. It wasn’t until years later when someone pointed out to me that I was yarning under instead of yarning over when crocheting.

I was shocked. I really thought I was doing it right. And at that point, I actually had gotten very fast in crocheting the incorrect way.

After testing out the correct way – yarn over – I noticed a huge difference in several different areas. Not only did my hand and wrist stop hurting, but I also had better tension throughout my projects.

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In case you are curious about the above crochet hook, I am using and loving the Furls Crochet Hooks – especially the Odyssey crochet hooks. They are made out of metal and have more weight in the front which makes it easier and faster to crochet. I wrote an entire review on these beautiful hooks.

WHY Yarn Over is Correct and Yarn Under is Incorrect

When you crochet and you yarn over, you actually use more yarn than when you yarn under. Now, one might say, that is better because they can save on yarn and money. But actually it creates several problems.

First, you create tighter crochet projects with much tighter tensions and you might have trouble following a crochet pattern’s gauge. That problem comes with another issue. Your will feel pain in wrist will be in pain quicker and you will not be able to crochet as long as you might like.

Next, some crochet patterns, such as Tunisian Crochet, can be extremely challenging and almost impossible to crochet when yarning under.

To make these problems with “yarn under” more clear, let me show you some examples using photos as well as a video. I will show you in detail how to crochet each one and explain why they look so different after. You will finally understand why “yarn over” is the correct way to crochet.

In case you need some more inspiration or are curious about other crochet stitch patterns I have tutorials for, please check out these:

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1. Straight Edges in Rows
2. Perfect Seam
3. Smooth Edges
4. Alternative Turning Chain

The Most Important Part of all: HOW to Crochet Yarn Over vs Yarn Under

Yarn Over vs Yarn Under using Single Crochet

First, check out the 2 different swatches below. Both were made with the same number of rows and stitches per row using single crochet and the same hook size. Sounds like both should look the same, right? Well, they don’t, because the left one is made with “yarn over” and the right one is crocheted with “yarn under” which uses less yarn, has increased tensions and also looks different because the single crochet stitches are twisted.

Now, let me teach you how to correctly yarn over using single crochet. You simply insert your hook into a stitch and wrap your yarn around the hook such that it lays over the hook like the picture shows below.

When you crochet single crochet stitches with yarn over, you will notice that the stitches line up nicely and you create a lot of little V’s that are not twisted.

Now, in order to yarn under, you insert your hook into a stitch and pull the yarn through the stitch without wrapping it around the hook. Because you do not wrap, you use less yarn and increase your tension.

When you crochet and yarn under, you twist the yarn when pulling it through the stitches. The V’s are not nicely aligned anymore, but rather twisted and tilted. Your entire crochet project will also be smaller than it should be. The only reason, someone would crochet this way, is when they actually want to achieve this kind of look. But be aware of the consequences it might have on your wrist and the overall size of the finished project.

Yarn Over vs Yarn Under using Tunisian Simple Crochet

For Tunisian Crochet, it actually seems to be even more important to do Yarn Over instead of Yarn Under. The swatches below actually have the same amount of stitches per row (not same number of rows though) and you can clearly see the difference in tension between the 2 swatches. The left one was created with Yarn Over and the right one with Yarn Under. The video tutorial below shows you exactly how they are made.

Looking at the swatch that was made with Yarn Over, one can clearly see that the top row is aline nicely and straight. No stitches are twisted. And in fact, crocheting Tunisian Crochet with Yarn Over is very easy and smooth and allows you to work quickly. Not that this is the point of using yarn over, but it is very important to mention. You will have a lot more joy crocheting Tunisian using Yarn Over, for sure. Your wrist will thank you too.

The swatch below shows Tunisian (simple) crochet made with the yarn under when crocheting the stitches. I can tell you it was hard to do. The yarn slips off often and the Tunisian hook is super hard to move as the tension is so tight, especially because you are keeping the stitches on your hook when you are going one way first, before going back and finishing the stitches. In the video below, you can clearly see that I had trouble showing you how to crochet Tunisian with the yarn under the hook. I would never recommend using yarn under for Tunisian, even if they would not call “yarn over” as the correct way. Try it out and see it for yourself.

There are clearly other swatches or projects that prove that yarn over is the correct way to crochet. One way would be going in rounds instead of rows. When I crochet amigurumi for example, you want to make sure it looks correct, so yarn over is the way to crochet that. However, if you have trouble with keeping a tight tension, some crocheters prefer to use Yarn Under for those types of patterns. Try it and see what works better for you. Furthermore, some stitches will just look not look right when you crochet with yarn under the hook.

If you had any trouble with the above photo tutorial, I highly recommend you check out my below video tutorial to learn how to crochet with the yarn over vs under the hook. It is very detailed and shows every step. I will first explain and show you the difference between the 2 types before showing you the actual technique. So be patient and you will be glad you did.

The Break-Through Moment: Yarn Over vs Yarn Under Video Tutorial

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