You have to know how to purl knit in order to learn every other stitch (other than the knit garter stitch) and work any patterns. Our step by step tutorial will guide you through learning how to purl knit.
By learning the purl stitch, you will be able to knit many more pieces and learn even more stitches.
Keep reading to learn how to knit the purl stitch!
After learning the knit stitch, the most basic stitch for knitting, the purl stitch is an absolute must. You have to know how to purl in order to learn every other stitch (other than the knit garter stitch) and work any patterns.
What Is The Purl Stitch?
The purl stitch is one of the most basic and key stitches a beginning knitter must learn. It is considered knitting from back to front.
An important thing to remember is to keep track of the number of stitches on your needle, as it can be easy to accidentally increase or decrease when learning.
The stitches of knit and purl are what create a knitted pieces distinctive pattern and texture.
Learning how to purl knit does feel awkward at first, but just keep practicing and you will get it!
A good idea to practice learning the purl stitch is to alternate a row of knit stitch and a row of purl stitch, for several rows.
This creates another basic stitch that is ideal to learn soon, the stockinette stitch. For a tutorial on the stockinette stitch, click here.
Or you can just keep practicing row after row of purl stitch to create a purl garter stitch, which is also very handy to learn.
These two stitches are the key to all knitting patterns! One of the reasons why people find learning knitting to be more enjoyable than crochet is due to this!
Knitting Skill Level
Difficulty: Beginner
How to Purl Knit
As with knit stitch, your working (empty) needle is in the right hand and the left-hand needle has the cast on stitches. Keeping the yarn in the front of the work and working the yarn with your right hand.
Step 1: Begin by inserting the right-hand needle from the back to the front into the first stitch on the left-hand needle. At this point the right-hand needle should be at the front of the left-hand needle and the yarn should have moved to the front of the work.
Step 2: Wrap the yarn COUNTERCLOCKWISE around the needle, with your right hand.
Step 3: Pull the right-hand needle through the stitch on the left-hand needle, which should form a loop on the right-hand needle.
Step 4: Pull the stitch off of the left-hand needle, completing the purl stitch.
To end the purl stitch, you cast off just as you would with the knit stitch.
How to Increase Purl Stitch
Step 1: Begin by inserting the right-hand needle from the back to the front into the first stitch on the left-hand needle. At this point the right-hand needle should be at the front of the left-hand needle. The yarn should have moved to the front of the work.
Step 2: Wrap the yarn COUNTERCLOCKWISE around the needle, with your right hand.
Step 3: Pull the right-hand needle through the stitch on the left-hand needle, which should form a loop on the right-hand needle.
Step 4: Don’t pull the stitch off of the left-hand needle. Twist the right-hand needle to the front of the stitch again. Insert the right-hand needle from the back to the front into that same stitch on the left-hand needle.
Step 5: Wrap the yarn counterclockwise again around the needle, with your right hand.
Step 6: Pull the stitch off of the left-hand needle, completing the purl stitch and the increase at the same time.
There you have it! How to create one of the most important beginner stitches in knitting, the purl stitch!
Now that you know how to purl knit, it’s time for a great pattern to practice on. Check out our pattern for a purl stitch scarf here!
Need more help? Take a look at this video tutorial of how to purl knit here!