Wrap & Turn vs German Short-Rows: What’s the Difference?

Once considered an advanced technique, the use of short-rows has become commonplace in modern knitting patterns to create smooth shaping. A short-row involves turning your knitting before your reach the end of the row or round and working back in the other direction. To prevent a hole at the turning point, many techniques have been devised to unite the short-rows with the full-width rows. The most common of these techniques are wrap & turn (w&t) and German short-rows (GSR).

Let’s look at the difference between these two techniques and talk about why you might choose to use one instead of the other.

Common Uses of Short-Rows

These may include:

• Creating a sloped shoulder line on a sweater
• Shaping the neckline of a top-down circular-yoke pullover by making the back longer than the front
• Creating a curved hemline
• Adding length to the front of a pullover to prevent riding up and to accommodate a full bust
• Shaping the heel of a sock

Designer Mari Tobita used wrap & turn short-rows to shape the funnel neck and shoulder slope at the same time in her Pocket Pullover (pattern link below). Photo by Gale Zucker

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Wrap & Turn (w&t)

The full-width rows are worked in green, and the short rows are worked in orange. The instructions for this example are: Short-row 1 (RS): Knit to last 5 sts, w&t. Short-row 2 (WS) Purl to last 2 sts, k2.