We thought we would go through a few different methods of short rows this week and show some of advantages and disadvantages for each. We will cover:
Basic Short Rows
Wrap & Turn Short Rows
Yarn Over Short Rows
Japanese Short Rows
Each method certainly has its place and like many techniques in knitting, is very much personal choice on what works best for you.
This is a great blog post by TechKnitter that has heaps of short row how-to information.
Basic Short Rows
This is the most basic method of short rows – it gives you the short row effect but it does leave holes in your work which may not be the look you desire. In some cases the short rows are right along an edge that is to be picked up and the holes will be essentially hidden or there are designs that use the holes created by this method of short rows as button holes.
Knit to the turning point in the row.
Keeping the working yarn at the back, turn work.
Purl back across your row.
Gaps created by short rows.
Knit across the entire row, note the ‘gaps’ joining with a small hole.
This method is one of the most well know methods when using short rows.
By knitting the wrap together with the next stitch, you hide the hole which creates a more invisible look.
Knit to the turning point in the row.
Bring your working yarn to the front.
Slip the next stitch on the left needle purlwise.
Bring the working yarn to the back of the work.
Slip the ‘wrapped’ stitch back to the left needle.
With the working yarn at the back.
Turn your work and purl back across the row.
To close the gaps created by your short rows knit to the wrapped stitch.
Insert the right needle knitwise into the front loop of the wrap and the knit stitch.
Knit the wrap and the stitch together.
Nice smooth short rows!
Using a yarn over also gives you a small amount of yarn to help hide the wrap.
This is a reasonably straight forward method that gives a nice seamless look.
Knit to the turning point in the row.
Keeping the working yarn at the back, turn work.
You are now on the purlside of your work with the yarn in front.
Take your working yarn to the back between the needles and back over the right needle to create a backward yarn over.
Purl back across your row.
Note the gaps created by short rows and the grouped backwards yarn overs.
To close the gaps created by your short rows knit to the wrapped stitch.
Then correct the mount of your yarn over by removing it from the left needle and bringing the right leg to the front of the needle.
Knit the yarn over together with the next stitch.
The result is smooth short rows, although can be a little tricky to get sitting neatly.
Japanese short rows were the first shaping technique that I tired. I was making wool soakers to go over my babes cloth nappies and the short rows were essential in creating extra room for the little cloth bottoms.
I like that this technique seems to work well for projects knitted in the round.
Knit to the turning point in the row.
Keeping the working yarn at the back, turn work.
Slip the next stitch on the left needle purlwise and attach a locking stitch marker to the work yarn.
Continue, ignoring the locking stitch marker as it won’t be used until it is time to close the gap.
To close the gaps created by your short rows knit to the first gap.
The stitch marker will be attached to the loop at the back of the stitch on the right needle.
Pull the stitch marker up and slide the loop created onto the left needle, taking care to correctly mount the stitch with the right leg in front.
Knit the loop you created with the marker together with the next stitch.
After this, you’ll be on your way to creating neater short rows!
Tangled Yarns 
very excellent tut -love the explanation SO CLEAR and clear pic and explanation. Thank you!
Thank you for the very thoughtful clear pictures in this tute.