Learning how to knit the purl stitch is one of the first things every knitter must learn (next to the knit stitch of course!). If you can knit the knit stitch, you are well prepared for learning how to purl.

A Purl stitch is essentially a backward knit stitch, but instead of a v-shaped stitch, we get horizontal “chain” looking stitches. Let’s get started!

Notes:

• This tutorial assumes you know how to cast-on and make a slip knot

   

• To make knit items a bit more straight, you can slip the first stitch of every row that you knit!

Make a slip knot and cast-on as many stitches as you’d like.

(10 or more works best if you want lots of practice!)

From the right side to the left, insert your free needle into the first loop of the first stitch on your active needle.

Free needle: needle with no stitches

Active needle: needle with stitches

Wrap your working yarn clockwise around the inserted needle.

Use inserted needle to pull wrapped yarn through the stitch.

Pull purled stitch off of the active needle.

Repeat steps 1-4 until entire row is done.

If you’d like to get some more practice in, feel free to purl another row! If you keep purling multiple rows, this is called the Garter Stitch!

If you’ve done multiple rows of the purl stitch, you should have something that looks similar to this:

This simple and striped knit pattern is called the Garter Stitch!

Great job!

Now that you’ve learned one of the basic stitches of knitting, you can start making a scarf, a dishcloth, or maybe even a blanket! Whatever you want to make, its up to you!