The purl stitch makes the tops of the stitches in the previous row go to the front of the work, just the opposite of what the knit stitch does. To practice the stitch patterns on this page, start by casting on twenty stitches on your needle to begin a practice piece, called a swatch.

To make a purl stitch, the yarn is held in front of the knitting. Put the tip of the right needle into the stitch on the left needle in the top and front of the stitch pointing down, wrap the yarn around the needle, and pull the loop up through the stitch. Slip the old stitch off the left needle, and you've made a purl stitch. Repeat this across the row and look at your work. You should see a row of bumps facing you that looks just like the back of a knitted row. The purled row makes the bumps turn towards you instead.

Now purl all the stitches for a few more rows and see the result. It looks like garter stitch and for the same reason. Every time you turn the needle to purl a new row, the bumps end up on the opposite side from the previous row. By itself, this isn't an improvement over the knit stitch. It is when you combine knit and purl stitches that you see stitch patterns of more interest.

Tip: Look closely at a purl stitch and see that the yarn goes over the needle in the same path as a knit stitch. It is the top of stitch below the needle that is turned differently. If you accidentally drop a purled stitch off your needle, be sure that it isn't twisted when you replace it. The yarn should go over the needle, not cross underneath it.

Stockinette Stitch and Rib Stitch

Stockinette Stitch

The picture above shows two stitch patterns which depend on the combination of knit and purl stitches. The one on the left is stockinette stitch. The one on the right is a 1 x 1 rib stitch. Stockinette stitch is made by alternating a knit row with a purl row. Try knitting a row above your last purled row and see how the bumps fall on the same side of the work. Do several more rows, alternating a purl row with a knit row. You should end up with a piece that looks like the picture above for the left sample.

The smoother side is generally used as the right or front side of the work. The rougher pebbly side with the bumps is usually the wrong or back side. When a pattern speaks of the right side, it is referring to the side that is usually seen in the finished project, such as the outside of a sweater. The side which is hidden in use, like the inside of the sweater next to your body, is the wrong side. Which side you use as the right side depends on its use in the pattern. That rougher side is known as reverse stockinette stitch, and it is commonly used as a background for cables and other raised patterns.

Tip: The word "knit" is often used in the general sense of "work in a given pattern" rather than "make a knit stitch." For example, a project instruction may say "knit in stockinette stitch until the piece is 15 inches long from the beginning." This means to alternate a row of knit stitch with a row of purl stitch until the piece is 15 inches long. If you actually knitted every stitch in every row, you would have a piece worked in garter stitch. Read the instructions through carefully, comparing them to any pictures given for the project, so that you understand what is called for in the instructions.

Tip: If you learn what each kind of stitch looks like, you'll be able to check your work more easily when you try a new stitch pattern. As a bonus, in the event that there is an error in your project instructions (it is rare, but misprints happen), you may be able to figure out what stitches should be made to make the project as shown in a picture of it.

Tip: When you have to stop knitting, try not to stop in the middle of a row. The work may be stretched to leave a noticeable irregularity in the stitches there, and the work is more vulnerable to dropped stitches if someone or something (like your frisky kitty looking for a new toy!) disturbs it. Finish the row and push the stitches away from the tip of the needle.

Tip: If you can't remember which row to do next when you start knitting again, hold the needle in your left hand and look at the row beneath it and try to match the stitches there with the pattern instructions. For example, suppose you are working in stockinette stitch and can't remember whether the next row is a knit row or a purl row. If the row beneath the needle is on the smooth side, you would make a knit row because you want the bumps to be on the pebbly side facing away from you. If the row beneath the needle is on the pebbly side, you make a purl row so the bumps are on the pebbly side facing towards you. For patterns with a mix of knit and purl stitches in each row, try counting the knit and purl stitches and see which row instruction matches the sequence of these numbers.

The 1 x 1 Rib Stitch

The 1 x 1 rib stitch is made on an even number of stitches by knitting a stitch and then purling a stitch across the row. Start a row of rib stitch by knitting a stitch, then pull the yarn between the needles to the front. Purl a stitch and then pull the yarn between the needles to the back. Continue like this across the row, alternating a knit stitch with a purl stitch. Remember to move your yarn to the correct side of the piece before making the next stitch. Since you started with a knit stitch on an even number of stitches (your practice swatch was started with twenty stitches), you should end with a purl stitch.

Turn the work around and look at the stitches. It should look like it starts with a knit stitch and ends with a purl stitch. Do the next row in the same sequence, starting with a knit stitch, alternate purl and knit stitches across the row ending with a purl stitch. Continue for several more rows. It should look like the picture above for the right sample. The knit stitches form columns which draw together to "hide" the purl stitches between them. This forms a flat but elastic fabric which is used at the edges of many knitted garments to hold them snugly against the person's body.

Tip: The 2 x 2 rib stitch is made by knitting two stitches, then purling two stitches across the row. It makes columns of two knit stitches which pull together to partly hide the two purl stitches between them. It is looser than the 1 x 1 rib stitch and is also popular for garment edges. It should be worked on a multiple of four stitches.

You can make an amazing number of different patterns with different combinations of knit stitch and purl stitch. Most books on knitting give examples you can study. If you encounter an unfamiliar pattern in the instructions for a new project, make a test swatch casting on enough stitches for at least two repeats of the pattern. Be sure you understand the instructions before going on with the project.

Tip: When you buy yarn for a project, buy enough extra to make the necessary test swatches. You can unravel swatches for many smooth yarns to reuse the yarn in your project, but you might damage novelty yarns with furry or fuzzy fibers or other additions along the yarn. If the yarn is expensive, buy an inexpensive acrylic yarn in the same weight to practice with before using the expensive yarn for your project.

We have one more topic before you will be ready for our second project. Please click on the link to go to Checking the Gauge.