Classic Purl Stitch. Stockinette stitch
Beginner Knitting Lessons, Part 6.
The second main knitting stitch is the purl stitch. Knowing how to make two main stitch types – a knit stitch and a purl stitch – will help you in knitting a plenty of simple and beautiful patterns, where only this combination of stitches is used. Now we learn to make a classic purl stitch. As in the classic knit stitch, the loops of a classic purl stitch are located in parallel and the right loop of stitch is located in front. Working a purl stitch is somewhat more difficult as compared to the knit stitch. But you will definitely succeed!
Cast on stitches and knit the first (knit) row with knit stitches as we learned at the previous lesson. Turn your work. Slip the first stitch.
The second (purl) row will be made with purl stitches. Insert the right needle in the middle of the loop on the left needle. Working yarn shall be in front of the needle.
Catch the working yarn with the right needle and wrap it around the needle with a clockwise round motion.
Draw the working yarn through a loop from top downwards while holding the yarn with a left hand thumb.
Draw a new loop.
Slip the old loop off the left needle. Continue until the end of the row.
Knitting a classic purl stitch on a picture:
Turn your work to the front side again. You can see that the first stitch of the row is the knit stitch. To get a “cable” edge, slip it too, as you slipped the first purl stitch, but make it in a different way. Insert the right needle from left to right through the front loop.
Adjust the size of edge stitches by pulling up a working yarn. The result should be a smooth edge, not too loose and without drawing of the lateral edge.
The rule: to get a cable edge, slip into the front loop of first stitch of the row (if it is a knit stitch).
Continue knitting: work knit stitches for the front (uneven) rows and purl stitches for the back (even) rows. Thus you get a stockinette cloth. Other name for the stockinette cloth is plain knitting or jersey.
Pay a detailed attention to the stockinette stitch and garter stitch patterns. As opposite to the garter stitch, the stockinette cloth is not a double-sided knitting. It has both right and wrong sides. The knitting is thinner and not so loose. Plain knitting tends to twisting, especially along the cast edge. To avoid this, trimming is used along the work edge (e.g. the rib) or other casting types. In addition, twisting is reduced after the wet-heat processing (blocking).
