Knit and purl are the only two stitches you need to learn
Every knitted garment, blanket, and scarf is made from two stitches: the knit stitch and the purl stitch. They look different on the fabric, but they are the same motion done from opposite sides of the needle. Once you can do both without thinking, you can read a pattern and make almost anything. Most people learn knit first because it feels more natural, then add purl once their hands know the rhythm.
The difference between them matters only for how the finished fabric looks. A knit stitch creates a smooth, V-shaped bump on the front. A purl stitch creates a horizontal bump that looks like a little head. Patterns combine them to make texture, color, and shape. But the physical motion is nearly identical — you are just working from a different angle.
Key Takeaways
- The knit stitch is done by inserting your needle from left to right through the loop, wrapping yarn around, and pulling it through to create a new loop.
- The purl stitch uses the same hand motion but you insert the needle from right to left, so the yarn sits in front of your working needle instead of behind it.
- Knit stitches create smooth V-shapes on the front of your fabric; purl stitches create bumps, and alternating them creates different textures and patterns.
- Your tension — how tightly you hold the yarn — matters more than speed; loose, even stitches are easier to fix than tight, uneven ones.
How to do the knit stitch step by step
Hold your needles so the working yarn (the yarn attached to the ball) hangs from the right needle. Insert your right needle through the loop on the left needle from left to right, so the right needle goes in front and comes out the back. The needles should form an X shape.
Wrap the working yarn around the right needle, going under and around it in a clockwise motion. Pull the right needle back through the loop on the left needle, bringing the new loop with it. Slip the old loop off the left needle. You now have one knit stitch on the right needle. Repeat this motion for every stitch on the left needle until all stitches have moved to the right needle. Then switch the needles in your hands and repeat the row.
The most common mistake is pulling the yarn too tight after you wrap it. Your new stitch should slide easily on the needle. If it is hard to insert your needle into the next stitch, your tension is too tight. Loosen your grip on the yarn slightly and try again.
How to do the purl stitch step by step
Hold your needles the same way, but this time the working yarn should hang in front of your needles, not behind them. Insert your right needle through the loop on the left needle from right to left — the opposite direction from knit. The right needle goes in the back and comes out the front. Again, the needles form an X.
Wrap the working yarn around the right needle, going over and around it. Pull the right needle back through the loop, bringing the new loop with it. Slip the old loop off the left needle. You have made one purl stitch. The motion feels awkward at first because your hand is in an unfamiliar position, but it becomes automatic with repetition.
The yarn position is the only real difference between knit and purl. If you forget which is which, remember: knit yarn goes in the back, purl yarn goes in the front. Everything else — the needle angle, the wrap, the pull-through — follows from that one choice.
Why tension matters more than speed
New knitters often rush to make stitches quickly, but uneven tension creates fabric that looks lumpy and pulls in odd directions. A slow, even stitch is far better than a fast, sloppy one. Your goal is to wrap the yarn the same way every time and pull it through with the same amount of force.
If some stitches are loose and others tight, the loose ones will eventually unravel or snag, and the tight ones will be hard to work into on the next row. Aim for stitches that slide smoothly on the needle but do not fall off. You should be able to insert your needle into the next stitch without forcing it. If you are struggling, stop and loosen your grip on the yarn.
Reading patterns: what knit and purl symbols mean
Knitting patterns use abbreviations and symbols to tell you which stitch to make in each position. The most common abbreviations are K for knit and P for purl. A pattern might say "K2, P1, K2, P1" which means knit two stitches, purl one, knit two, purl one, then repeat that sequence across the row.
Some patterns use a grid where each square represents one stitch. A blank or V-shaped square means knit; a bumpy or X-shaped square means purl. Reading the grid from right to left on the first row, then left to right on the second row, tells you exactly which stitch to make at each position. This is how patterns create texture and pictures in the fabric.
Do not worry about memorizing symbols. Every pattern includes a key that explains what each symbol means. Keep the pattern in front of you and check it whenever you are unsure.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
The most common mistake is accidentally creating an extra stitch by wrapping the yarn twice or not slipping the old loop off the needle. If you suddenly have more stitches than you started with, count your stitches at the end of each row. If the count is wrong, you can usually find the extra stitch by looking for a place where the yarn wraps around the needle without a stitch underneath it. Drop that wrap and continue.
Another frequent error is dropping a stitch — letting a loop slip off the needle entirely. If you notice it right away, you can pick it back up with a crochet hook or even a spare needle. Insert the hook through the dropped loop from front to back, catch the horizontal strand of yarn above it, and pull it through. Repeat this for each row the stitch has dropped, then place it back on your needle.
If you knit a whole row and realize you made a mistake several rows back, you have two choices: unravel back to the mistake and reknit, or leave it and keep going. Most knitters leave small mistakes in practice pieces and only unravel if the mistake is visible or affects the fit of the garment.
Combining knit and purl to create texture
Once you can do both stitches, you can create different textures by combining them. Garter stitch is knit every stitch, every row — it creates horizontal bumps and lies flat. Stockinette stitch is knit one row, purl one row, repeated — it creates smooth V-shapes on the front and bumps on the back. Ribbing alternates knit and purl stitches in the same row, creating vertical lines that stretch and recover, which is why it is used on cuffs and hems.
Patterns combine these textures to add visual interest and control how the fabric behaves. A sweater might use ribbing at the cuffs to keep them snug, stockinette for the body, and garter stitch for the hem. Learning to read a pattern and switch between stitches is the next step after you feel comfortable with the basic motions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between knit and purl if they are the same stitch?
They are the same hand motion done from opposite sides of the needle. The knit stitch is worked with the yarn in the back; the purl stitch is worked with the yarn in the front. This changes which side of the loop you insert your needle into, which creates a different look on the finished fabric.
How tight should my stitches be?
Stitches should slide easily on the needle but not fall off on their own. You should be able to insert your needle into the next stitch without forcing it. If you have to push hard or if stitches are hard to see, your tension is too tight. Loosen your grip on the yarn slightly and try again.
Can I fix a dropped stitch?
Yes. Use a crochet hook to pick up the dropped loop and pull the horizontal strand of yarn above it through the loop. Repeat this for each row the stitch has dropped, then place it back on your needle. If the stitch dropped many rows ago, you may need to unravel back to that point instead.
Do I have to learn purl before I start a project?
No. You can make a whole scarf or blanket using only the knit stitch (garter stitch). Once you are comfortable with knit, add purl to your practice. Many knitters learn purl on a second project rather than trying to learn both at once.
Why does my fabric look uneven?
Uneven tension is the most common cause. If some stitches are loose and others tight, the fabric will look lumpy. Focus on wrapping the yarn the same way and pulling it through with the same force every time. Slowing down usually helps more than speeding up.