A purl stitch is the exact opposite of a knit stitch. Whereas the knit stitch produces a V on the front of your work and a little bump on the back, the purl stitch creates a V on the back and a little bump on the front. By combining the purl and knit stitch, you can make different stitch patterns in your knitted fabric and vastly expand your knitting repertoire. To make a row of purl stitches:
- Your yarn should hang in front of your left needle. Slip the right needle from right to left into the loop closest to the point of the left needle. Your needles will form an X, with the right needle in front
- Wrap the yarn (which is hanging in front of your right needle) counterclockwise around the point of the right needle
- While applying gentle tension to the ball end of the yarn, slip the right needle and the yarn looped around it back out of the stitch that you originally brought your needle in through. Then push your right needle back up so your needles form an X with the right needle in back.
- Pull the left needle backward and slip it out of the old stitch, leaving the new stitch on the right needle
- Repeat steps 1–4 until there are no more stitches on the left needle.
- When you have transferred all the stitches to the right needle, turn your work (see Knit Stitch).
