Where instructed, turn your knitting to the other side. If you are on a right side [RS] row, turn to the wrong side [WS]. If you are on a wrong side row [WS], turn to the right side [RS]. Then, work back over the stitches just worked.
Alternatively sometimes an instruction is given to turn your work at the end of a row. This seems redundant to me, but if you run into it in a non-Jill Wolcott Knits® pattern, that is probably all they are telling you to do.
After turning, the primary thing to consider is where your yarn should be: Always have your yarn in the position needed to work the next stitch (or first stitch). Do not create an extra stitch by wrapping the yarn over the needle.
Turn as part of a short row instruction
What happens at the turn depends on the method of short rows being worked.
German Short Rows (GSR): At the point of turning, do the following:
Knit or purl the last stitch as instructed. Turn to work the next row. Yarn forward (regardless of where the yarn was/is). Slip the last stitch worked to the right needle. Pull the yarn over the right needle and into position to work the next stitch. This pulled stitch is not worked until the following GSR row (see Gtog).
wrap and turn or slip-wrap-slip (s-w-s)
This involves slipping a stitch bringing the yarn either forward or back to wrap the slipped stitch, then moving the slip stitch back. It is a personal preference whether the knitting is turned before or after the wrap.
Japanese short row
At the point of turning, put a marker onto the yarn coming from the last stitch, turn to the other side, and with the marker next to the last stitch worked, work back.
YO short row
At the point of turning, turn, YO, then work back. The YO is worked together with the next stitch (the stitch past it) on a subsequent row.
Other turns
As in Ashland, this is done before a YO worked on a previous row. The aim in this turn is to create unattached short rows that will create the flounces.
This is the symbol I use for a simple turn like done in Ashland (this is two symbols, depending on the direction of the turn).
Learn more about knitting Short Rows and short row techniques here.
Pattern Specific Variations to Turning
Sometimes, I include technique variations that are for specific patterns. I always include directions for specific techniques in the pattern itself, so be sure to also read any patterns you’re working on closely.
Turn Variation for Ashland
Turn knitting to begin working the stitches just worked in the opposite direction. There are no wraps or pulling up in this version of short rows.
