How to Transfer Knitting Stitches to Another Needle
To move live knitting stitches to another needle without working them, slip each loop purlwise, keeping the receiving needle inside it before letting it leave the old needle. Do not wrap the yarn or make a new stitch. Count the loops before and after the transfer.
A needle change in a pattern can mean something different: work the next row or round with the new needle size. Moving existing loops does not count as a row, and it does not change the gauge of fabric you have already knitted.
Choose the method below for your situation. Before you start, note your place in the pattern and where the working yarn is attached. Keep live loops away from unprotected needle tips while you arrange your tools.
Which transfer method do you need?
| Your situation | What to do | Does it count as a row? |
|---|---|---|
| Move loops to a spare needle | Slip them without wrapping yarn | No |
| Hold sleeve, thumb or other stitches | Thread them onto spare yarn | No |
| Change needle size as directed | Work the next row or round onto the new needle | Yes |
| Switch from circular needles to DPNs | Slip loops, or work them onto DPNs | Only if you work new stitches |
| Use magic loop for a small circumference | Arrange two groups on a long circular cable | Arranging loops: no. Working both halves: one round. |
How to slip stitches to another needle
These steps describe moving stitches from the left needle to the right in the usual Western stitch mount. Purlwise means inserting the receiving tip as if to purl, then moving the existing loop without wrapping yarn. Red Heart’s Knitting Made Easy guide (PDF) uses this as the default for a slipped stitch unless the pattern says otherwise.
- Count the stitches to be moved. Slide a few toward the old needle’s tip, leaving the rest safely on its shaft or cable.
- Insert the receiving tip into the first loop as if to purl. Keep the working yarn clear; do not wrap it.
- Slide that loop off the old tip and onto the receiving needle. The loop should be supported throughout.
- Repeat one loop at a time. Recount, then secure any exposed tips if the stitches will be put aside.
If you work in the opposite direction or use a different stitch mount, preserve the orientation of your loops as you move them. You do not need to turn the whole project simply to move stitches back to another needle. Check the stitch order and which end you will work from before continuing. A pattern may deliberately ask for a knitwise slip, so follow that instruction when it applies.
Putting stitches on spare yarn
Spare yarn is useful when a sleeve or thumb needs to wait while you work another part of the project. Choose smooth yarn in a contrasting color and a blunt tapestry needle that can pass through the loops without stretching them.
- Cut a separate length of holding yarn with enough room for all the stitches and generous tails. Do not cut the yarn you are knitting with unless your pattern directs it.
- Thread the tapestry needle. Pass it through each live loop in turn, preserving the loop’s orientation, then slide the loop off the knitting needle.
- Count the held stitches. Secure the holding yarn’s ends so the loops cannot slip off, leaving room rather than cinching the fabric.
- When you return to them, put the loops back onto a knitting needle before removing the holding yarn. Check the count and mount again.
The stitches remain live; you have not bound them off. Our guide to stitch holder substitutes covers other options if spare yarn is awkward for your project.
Changing needle size
When a pattern says to change to larger or smaller needles, use the new size to work the next row or round from the old needle. Continue the specified stitch pattern, including any increases, decreases or color changes. Do not replace that row with a plain row just to simplify the needle change.
For flat knitting, the new needle becomes your working needle. Once the row is complete, all the stitches are on it. Use the matching new-size needle for the following row. With circular knitting, work around onto the new circular needle, keeping track of the beginning of the round.
You can sometimes slip existing loops onto a different-size needle, provided they fit without being forced. That is a transfer, not a substitute for working the pattern’s next row. Tight loops made on a small needle may resist a much larger shaft; forcing them can stretch the loops or split the yarn.
Needle diameter affects the stitches you make afterward. It does not resize fabric already completed, and the result also depends on your yarn and tension. If you are choosing a size rather than following a specified change, check a gauge swatch before relying on the finished measurements.
Switching from circular needles to double-pointed needles
DPNs are useful when decreases leave too few stitches to fit comfortably around a circular needle. Use the diameter your pattern requires. The stitches can rest on three or four needles, with another empty needle for working; three holding needles are not the only setup.
Plan the groups before moving anything. Follow the pattern’s needle arrangement when given. Otherwise, distribute stitches reasonably evenly, allowing for a remainder and keeping useful pattern groups together. Preserve the beginning-of-round marker and markers that identify stitch sections.
To transfer without adding a round: slip the first group onto one DPN, the next onto another, and continue until the circular needle is empty. Support the free ends, check your count, then resume from the correct beginning of the round.
To transfer while working: work the next group from the circular needle onto a DPN, following the pattern. Use a fresh DPN for each group. This makes a new round, so record it in your row count. Purl Soho’s DPN tutorial shows both needle arrangements and the change from a circular needle.
Arranging stitches for magic loop
Magic loop uses one long, flexible circular needle for a small circumference. If your current cable cannot form comfortable loops, work onto a suitable longer circular needle of the required diameter first. Our guide to circular needles that are too long explains the options.
- Move the stitches onto the cable. Divide them into two groups and draw a cable loop out between the groups without pulling through a stitch.
- Arrange the tips to point right, with the working yarn coming from the back group. Slide the front group onto the left tip.
- Pull the back tip free while its stitches stay on the cable. Use that tip to work the front group according to your pattern.
- Turn and reposition the groups to work the second half. Working both halves completes one round; arranging them alone does not.
For a visual demonstration, see Purl Soho’s magic-loop tutorial and video. Keep your beginning of the round identifiable if you move the split between groups.
Check these before knitting again
- Stitch count: if it changed during a loop-only transfer, stop. Check for a dropped loop or two loops moved together. There should be no increases or decreases from slipping alone.
- Loop orientation: compare with an untouched stitch. A reversed mount can lead to a twisted stitch if you work it without adjusting.
- Working yarn: make sure you know which stitch it comes from. Do not knit from the far end by accident or leave an unintended strand across the work.
- Pattern position: restore the markers you need and note whether you only moved loops or actually worked a row.
If a stitch falls off, secure the loose loop before it unravels farther. A small crochet hook can help you catch it, but rebuilding a dropped stitch depends on the stitch pattern. Do not pull tightly on the working yarn to try to make the missing loop disappear.
Tools you may already have
A spare needle, smooth holding yarn, tapestry needle and tip protectors cover many transfers. Buy new needles only if the diameter and length suit the project. Needle length and needle size are different measurements: a 4-inch needle can come in several diameters, and a long circular cable does not tell you the tip diameter.
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The Knit Picks 4-inch Sunstruck DPN set is an option for small-circumference projects requiring 2–3.5 mm needles (US 0–4). The listed set contains six needles in each of seven sizes. It will not cover a pattern requiring a larger diameter. Check the selected size, available stitch space and your pattern before ordering; the set is not necessary merely to move stitches.
Common questions
Does transferring stitches count as a row?
Slipping existing loops to a needle or holding yarn does not. Working new knit or purl stitches while transferring them does. Record the row or round only when you have worked it.
Can I hold stitches without a stitch holder?
Yes. Smooth spare yarn or a suitable spare needle can hold live stitches. Secure the ends and leave the loops loose enough to put back on a needle later.
What if the stitches are too tight to move?
Bring a few loops toward the old needle’s tip and move them individually. Check that the receiving diameter is suitable, and do not force a larger shaft through tight loops. If the pattern calls for a size change, work onto the new needle as directed.
Related: Choosing stitch markers can help you keep track of pattern sections and the beginning of a round during needle changes.
