How to Switch Between Knitting and Purling

Switching between a knit stitch and a purl stitch, if done improperly, can result in the yarn getting twisted around the needle, leaving the appearance of an extra stitch. It is possible to work in this way, but it's also unnecessarily difficult. These instructions will show you how to work in a knit one, purl one pattern.

What is purling?

Purling is just like the most basic knitting stitch (also called the stockinette stitch), with only one difference. While knitting requires you to insert the working needle upwards behind the stationary needle, purling requires you to insert the working needle down in front of the stationary needle. Then, after you wrap the yarn around, you pull it through the loop and onto the working needle exactly as you would with the stockinette stitch.

Instructions

Start by knitting one stitch normally. After that, notice that the yarn comes out of the back of the stitch. When you're purling, the yarn needs to be in the front. This is because when you purl, the working needle will be in the front. Simply pull the yarn between the needles so that it's situated in the front. With the yarn positioned like this, it won't get wrapped around the needle a second time.

Now you can purl one stitch. Afterwards, the yarn naturally comes out of the front of the stitch. However, when you knit, the working needle is inserted behind the other needle. Just like you did before, move the yarn between the needles so it's in the back, and you're ready to knit again.

Why would I want to switch between knitting and purling?

Knitting and purling are the most basic stitches you can learn. When combined with one another, they can create a wide range of patterns and textures. For example, you can do one-by-one ribbing (a repeated pattern of knit one, purl one; this is what you learned in the Instructions section) or two-by-two ribbing (a repeated pattern of knit two, purl two). Ribbing creates vertical stripes, and is commonly used on sleeve cuffs and collars, but it can be used anywhere to create a more interesting texture.

There are numerous other stitch patterns you can use to make your knitting projects much more interesting. For some examples, try reading the article 3 Knitting Stitch Patterns to Spice Up Your Scarves. (Of course, the stitch patterns discussed therein can be used on any project, not just scarves.)