Short Rows is a knitting technique, commonly used for shaping and curving knit sections (sock heels, gussets, bust shaping, shoulder shaping, etc) or for creating different shapes (triangles, circles, half circles, etc) without increasing or decreasing stitches. It is also known as Partial Rows or Turning Rows.

There are several Short Row techniques, such as Wrap & Turn, Yarn Over, Japanese, German… Although they are done differently, the concept is the same and you can easily convert one method to the other if that’s what you prefer.

In my Knit Elephant Pillow pattern I used German Short Rows to make the curved trunk as this method works best for Garter Stitch and for circular knitting.

How to work German Short Rows:

Knit to the turning point & turn; slip the first stitch purl-wise with yarn in front; pull the working yarn over the needle to the back, creating a double stitch. Later, when you knit or purl through the double stitch, treat it as a single stitch.

Here is my demonstrations of German short rows in Garter stitch, featuring Josefina & Jeffery Elephant Pillow pattern.

And this video shows how I turn on knit & purl sides to create double stitches in Stocking stitch. The slip stitch is always done with yarn in front, on RS or WS.