Knit stitches and purl stitches can be combined in different ways to create a variety of stitch patterns.
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Stockinette Stitch
Stockinette is the most common stitch pattern—it’s probably what you think of when you imagine knit fabric. The stockinette stitch is made by knitting one row, then purling the next. On the knit side of stockinette stitch (which is usually used as the front side), stockinette is smooth and looks like a series of lined-up V’s.
Making Scarves with Stockinette Stitch
The stockinette stitch is prone to curling along the vertical edges of the fabric. If you were to knit an entire scarf in stockinette, it would roll up into a long tube. To counteract this curling, work a flat stitch pattern, such as garter stitch, around the border of the scarf.
- After you cast on, knit rows 1–5 entirely in garter stitch.
- In row 6, knit three stitches in garter stitch, then knit to the desired width of the scarf in stockinette stitch, and finish the row with three more stitches in garter. This creates a border of garter around the stockinette stitch.
- Repeat this pattern—three garter, stockinette, three garter—for each row to the desired length.
- Knit five more rows in garter stitch.
- Bind off.
Ribbing
Rib stitches create textured vertical stripes. Ribbing is very elastic and also lies flat. It’s an excellent stitch for scarves as well as for garment elements such as the cuffs of mittens or sweaters. To make the rib stitch, you need to alternate knit and purl stitches within one row. A 1×1 rib stitch has columns of alternating knit and purl stitches. A 2×2 stitch has two knit stitches alternated with two purl stitches.
How to Knit the Rib Stitch
Rib stitch is made by aligning the V’s and bumps produced by knit and purl stitch in vertical columns. To do so, purl the stitches in one row that you knitted in the previous row, and knit the stitches that you purled in the previous row.
To knit a rib stitch, first cast on a number of stitches that is a multiple of the number of stitches in a knit-purl sequence. For a 1×1 rib stitch, that means a multiple of 2. For a 2×2 rib stitch, that means a multiple of 4. Then, after casting on, if you were knitting a 2×2 rib stitch you would:
- Knit two stitches.
- Bring your yarn between the tips of the needles to the front of your work.
- Purl two stitches.
- Bring your yarn between the tips of the needles to the back of your work.
- Knit two stitches.
- Continue this pattern to the end of the row.
On the back, knit the stitches you purled in the last row, and purl the stitches you knit. If you knit the last two stitches of the previous row, you would purl the first two stitches of the next row, and then keep alternating: two knits, two purls, and so on.
When to Knit and When to Purl
While making rib stitch, it’s easy to lose track of when to knit and when to purl. If you lose track, though, you can examine the stitches to figure out whether you’re supposed to knit or purl:
- Look at the stitch closest to the point of the left needle.
- Imagine that that stitch is wearing either a V-neck or a turtleneck sweater.
- If the sweater is a V-neck, you need to knit. If the sweater is a turtleneck, you need to purl.
Seed Stitch
Seed stitch creates a thick, textured fabric. The stitch pattern starts out like a 1×1 rib, with alternating knit and purl stitches on the first row. On the back, though, knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches—knit when you see a turtleneck; purl when you see a V-neck.
