Yarn Over vs Yarn Under in Single Crochet.

For the comparison here, insert under both top loops of each base stitch. You are not switching to a front loop, back loop or post stitch.

A yarn over brings the working yarn over the hook from back to front: the hook moves beneath the working strand to catch it. For a yarn under, move the hook over the working strand and catch it from above, so the yarn lies under the hook before the draw-through. Keep the yarn supply, active loop and hook in view while making that change.

The labels alone can be ambiguous in a short pattern note. A single crochet has a first wrap to draw up a loop and a second wrap to complete the stitch. Check which movement the designer intends to change.

Use smooth yarn and a hook that lets you see and move the loops comfortably. Chain eight and work one ordinary single crochet in the second chain from the hook and each remaining chain. You should have seven stitches.

Chain one and turn. The turning chain does not count. Work seven single crochets under both top loops, using a yarn over to draw up the loop and another yarn over to complete each stitch.

Keep this sample as the ordinary yarn-over/yarn-over version. Label it if you are making another sample with the same yarn.

Make a separate seven-stitch base in the same way. Chain one and turn.

1. Insert the hook beneath both top loops of the first stitch.
2. Move the hook over the working strand and catch it from above, leaving the yarn under the hook rather than over its shaft.
3. Draw that strand through the base stitch. You have two working loops on the hook.
4. Make an ordinary yarn over and draw through both loops to complete the stitch.

Repeat across the seven bases. This combination is yarn-under/yarn-over. It changes the first wrap only.

You still use one base and produce one top for each single crochet. Count seven stitches rather than relying on the change in surface appearance.

On another separately labelled seven-stitch base, change both wrapping movements:

1. Insert beneath both top loops, then move the hook over the working strand and catch it from above for a yarn under.
2. Draw up the loop, leaving two working loops on the hook.
3. Use the same hook-over-the-strand movement to catch a second yarn under, then draw it through both loops.

This is yarn-under/yarn-under for this comparison. It is not interchangeable with a note that changes only the first wrap.

If you find yourself pulling hard, pause and enlarge the working loops enough for the hook to pass. Tighter does not automatically mean better control.

Label the wrap sequence on each sample. Compare the stitch tops, the front and back faces, the width and the height. Use the same finishing method before making any final gauge comparison.

Crossed-looking stitch bodies are often discussed in amigurumi, especially when stitches are worked in unturned rounds. A small turned-row sample may show a different arrangement. Do not promise a particular X or V appearance in every construction.

This wrap variation is also different from crossing two tall stitches over one another by changing their order of placement. Both may be described informally as crossed stitches, which is why a definition matters.

Changing wraps halfway through a fitted project can change the fabric even when the stitch total stays the same. Before substituting a method, compare a sample with the pattern's gauge and intended texture.

A wrap change does not by itself establish that a stuffed item has the right fabric or construction. The amigurumi lesson explains shaping and assembly separately. For a measured comparison, use the gauge guide and write down the exact wrap sequence beside each result.