The Purl Stitch - Add Texture and Variety to Your Knitting
Welcome to Day 4 of our Knitting 101 Class! Yesterday, we mastered the knit stitch, the foundation of many knitting projects. Today, we’re adding a new dimension to your knitting with the Purl Stitch. This simple stitch will introduce texture and variety to your projects, making your knitting even more versatile. Let’s get started!
Other Lessons In This Series
Lesson 7: Practice Projects
What is the Purl Stitch?
The purl stitch is the counterpart to the knit stitch. While the knit stitch creates a smooth, textured fabric on the right side, the purl stitch creates a bumpy texture on the right side. When combined with the knit stitch, the purl stitch forms the basis for many patterns, including the classic stockinette stitch.
Materials You’ll Need
Yarn: Continue with your medium-weight yarn (worsted weight).
Needles: Use the same size 8 (5mm) needles you used for casting on.
Step-by-Step Guide to the Purl Stitch
Position Your Needles:
Hold the needle with the live or cast-on stitches in your left hand with the yarn held to the front of the work.
Hold the empty needle in your right hand, ready to work the stitches.
Making the Purl Stitch:
Step 1:
Insert the right needle from back to front into the first stitch on the left needle.
Step 2:
Bring the working yarn (the yarn attached to the ball) around the right needle, moving it counter clockwise.
Step 3:
Use the right needle to pull the yarn through the stitch on the left needle, creating a new loop on the right needle.
Step 4:
Slide the old stitch off the left needle, leaving the new stitch on the right needle.
Continuation:
Repeat Steps 1-4 until you have worked across the required number of stitches.
Tips for Success
Consistent Tension: Keep your yarn tension even to ensure your stitches are neither too tight nor too loose.
Practice Makes Perfect: The purl stitch can feel a bit awkward at first, but with practice, it will become second nature.
Count Your Stitches: Always count your stitches at the end of each row to ensure you have the correct number.
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Your First Project: Expanding Your Simple Scarf
Now that you know the purl stitch, let’s add it to your practice project. Continue knitting your scarf, alternating rows of knit stitches and purl stitches to create textured stripes in your fabric. Here’s how to proceed:
Knit a Row: Using the knit stitch, knit across the row as you did before.
Purl a Row: Turn your work and purl across the row. Remember, bring your yarn to the front of your work, insert the needle from back to front, wrap the yarn clockwise, pull through, and slip the stitch off.
Knit 2 Rows: Using the knit stitch, knit across the next 2 rows as you did before. Remember to bring the yarn to the back of your work for knit rows.
Repeat Pattern: Continue knitting one row, purling the next, then knitting 2 more rows for 20 rows total. (You will have 5 horizontal stripes in your fabric.) The smooth fabric created by the combination of the purl row and the knit row is known as stockinette stitch.
Set-Up Next Section: to make a smooth transition into the next section of your scarf repeat steps 1 and 2 one more time. Now you're ready to add the next section of your scarf.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you’ve added the purl stitch to your knitting repertoire! This simple stitch will open up a world of possibilities for your projects. Tomorrow, we’ll explore combining the knit and purl stitches to create beautiful patterns.
Stay tuned for Day 5: Combining Stitches – Explore Simple Patterns and Techniques.
Happy knitting, and see you tomorrow!
Shaina 🧶💕
PS: Feel free to share your progress in the comments or ask any questions you might have. Let’s make knitting fun and easy together!
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