Knitting vs. Purling
Knitting and purling provide the foundation of knitting stitches. Many elaborate knitting patterns are formed mostly of a mix of knitting and purling stitches. There are subtle but important differences between knitting and purling techniques that will help you to successfully complete almost any knitting project you desire.
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Knit Stitch
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The knit stitch is the most common technique to learn. It is important to remember to always work the stitches from the left needle onto the right needle. Begin by holding the needle with the cast-on stitches on in your left hand and the other needle in your right hand. Place the right-hand needle into the first stitch on the left-hand needle from front to back so that the right-hand needle is behind the left-hand needle. Wrap your yarn under and around the right-hand needle to create a loop. Pull the loop through the stitch on the left-hand needle with your right-hand needle, ensuring that the loop is in front of the work. Complete the knit stitch by slipping the first knit stitch over and off the top of the left-hand needle, making sure that the new stitch is securely on the right-hand needle.
Purl Stitch
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Purling is described as a knitting stitch done backwards, or in reverse. Hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left hand and the other needle in your right hand. Insert the right-hand needle into the first stitch on the left-hand needle from back to front, keeping your yarn in front of the work. Wrap the yarn on top of and around the right-hand needle to form a loop. Carefully bring the right-hand needle under the left-hand needle and pull the loop through the stitch with the right-hand needle onto the left. Make sure that the new purl stitch on the right-hand needle is kept firmly in place before slipping the first stitch over and off the top of the left-hand needle.
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Knowing the Difference
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Beginner knitters often confuse knit and purl stitches, as both techniques involve pulling loops through loops. The difference is that the loop is pulled through the back of the stitch in a knit stitch and through the front in a purl stitch. The approach to each technique differs, as when doing a knit stitch the loose yarn is held in back of the work, but for a purl stitch the loose yarn is held in front of the work. Knit stitches are smooth and have a "V" shape while purl stitches look like a bump.
Combining Knitting and Purling
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It is common for knitters to combine knit and purl stitches together to create different patterns. A stockinette stitch -- when one side of the knitted fabric is smooth and the other side is bumpy -- can be achieved by knitting one row and purling the next. When switching from a knit stitch to a purl stitch in the middle of a row, bring your yarn to the front between the needles; when switching from a purl to a knit stitch, bring your yarn from the front to the back between the needles. Not moving your yarn when changing techniques will create an extra loop.
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References
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