Types of Stitches

Published by JoAnn on Tagged Types of Stitches

Now that you know the basics of getting the stitches on the needle, you are ready to begin learning the different knitting stitches that are used in most patterns. There are really only two basic stitches to learn, they are called the knit stitch and the purl stitch. Once you know how to make these simple stitches, you can knit any pattern you wish to knit no matter how complicated it seems. It is just a matter of using different combinations of stitches from this point forward.

The Knit Stitch

This is the first stitch that people learn to make. There are three steps to making this stitch. Holding the needle with the cast on stitches in your left hand, insert the right hand needle into the front of the first stitch on the left hand needle. (Your right hand needle should cross behind your left hand needle.) Take the yarn from the ball and put it around the point of the right hand needle. (It is simpler if you use your index finger to guide the yarn over the needle.) Next you use the tip of the right hand needle to draw a loop of yarn through the stitch, forming the new stitch on the right hand needle. Now that the stitch is formed, slip the loop from the left hand needle onto the right hand needle. Continue with these steps until all of the stitches have been worked off the left hand needle onto the right hand needle. This is your first “row”. To knit row 2, you can repeat the above steps.

The Purl Stitch

The purl stitch is the reverse of the knit stitch. The front of the row is the knit stitch and the back of the row is called the purl stitch. to make a purl stitch, hold your needle and work in your left hand. Insert the right hand needle into the front of the first stitch on the left hand needle. (The right hand needle should cross in front of the left hand needle.) Take the yarn from the ball and using your index finger as a guide, loop the yarn over the point of the right hand needle. Slowly draw the right hand needle and yarn through the stitch forming a new stitch on the right hand needle. Slip the loop from the original stitch from the left hand needle. You have just formed a new stitch and begun row 2 of your work. Repeat until all of the stitches have been moved to the right hand needle.