The wrong side is the back of your fabric, and you can spot it by looking for loose loops and bumpy texture

The wrong side (often called the "back" or "reverse") is straightforward whichever side of your knitted fabric faces away from you when you wear it. On most stitches, the wrong side looks noticeably different from the right side—it has a bumpier, less finished appearance with visible loops running horizontally across it. The right side, by contrast, looks smooth and neat, with V-shaped stitches lined up in neat columns.

Knowing which side is which matters because patterns often tell you to work differently on right-side rows versus wrong-side rows. If you mix them up, your decreases will slant the wrong direction, your colorwork will be reversed, and your finished piece won't look the way the pattern intended. The good news is that once you knit a few rows, the difference becomes obvious—you don't need any special skill to spot it.

Key Takeaways

  • The wrong side typically shows bumpy horizontal loops, while the right side shows neat V-shaped stitches in columns.
  • Stockinette stitch (the most common stitch) has a smooth right side and a bumpy, textured wrong side that look completely different.
  • Mark your right side with a safety pin or stitch marker on the first row so you don't have to guess later.
  • When a pattern says "RS" (right side) or "WS" (wrong side), it is telling you which direction your fabric should face as you work that row.
  • Some stitches like garter stitch look the same on both sides, so the "wrong side" is just whichever side you decide to hide.

How stockinette stitch looks on each side

Stockinette stitch is the most common knit pattern, and it shows the clearest difference between right and wrong sides. On the right side, you see the familiar V-shaped bumps—each one is the top of a knit stitch. On the wrong side, you see horizontal bumps that look like little purl bumps running across the fabric. This happens because when you knit one row and purl the next (which is how stockinette is made), the side facing away from you shows the back of those stitches.

If you hold a piece of stockinette up to the light, the right side will look smooth and almost shiny, while the wrong side will look dull and textured. Run your finger across both sides—the right side feels smoother, and the wrong side feels rougher. This tactile difference is one of the fastest ways to tell them apart without even looking closely.

How to mark your right side so you don't lose track

The easiest way to avoid confusion is to mark your right side on the very first row. Use a safety pin, a stitch marker, or even a piece of yarn tied to the edge of your fabric on the right side. This marker stays with your work as you knit, so you always know which direction you are facing.

If you forget to mark it and get confused later, look at your cast-on edge. The cast-on usually sits on the wrong side of your finished piece (unless you used a provisional cast-on or a special technique). If you can see your cast-on edge clearly, you are probably looking at the wrong side. Once you have knitted several inches, the difference becomes unmistakable, so you can mark it then and move forward with confidence.

Other stitches and how they look different

Garter stitch (knitting every row) looks identical on both sides—it is bumpy all over. For garter stitch, there is no "wrong" side in the traditional sense; you straightforward choose which side you prefer to show and treat that as your right side. Mark it anyway so you stay consistent throughout your project.

Ribbed stitches (alternating knit and purl columns) also look similar on both sides, though one side may look slightly neater depending on your tension. Reverse stockinette (purling every row instead of knitting) is the opposite of regular stockinette—the bumpy side becomes your right side if that is what the pattern calls for. Always check your pattern to see which side it wants you to treat as the right side, because the pattern designer chose that side for a reason.

What happens if you work the wrong side as the right side

If you accidentally work a wrong-side row when the pattern calls for a right-side row, your decreases and increases will slant in the opposite direction. A right-leaning decrease (like k2tog) will lean left instead, and your colorwork or stitch patterns will be mirror-reversed. You might not notice for a few rows, but once you see the finished piece, the mistake becomes obvious.

The fix depends on how far you have gone. If you catch it within a row or two, you can unravel back to the mistake and redo those rows. If you have knitted several inches, you have two choices: accept the reversed section as part of your design, or frog (unravel) back to the beginning and start over. Most knitters choose to frog rather than live with a visibly reversed section in the middle of their work.

How to double-check which side you are on mid-project

If you put your work down and come back to it later, hold it up and look at the side facing you. If you see neat V-shaped stitches in columns, you are looking at the right side, and the next row you knit will be a wrong-side row. If you see bumpy horizontal texture, you are looking at the wrong side, and the next row will be a right-side row. This is the opposite of what many new knitters expect, but it makes sense once you think about it: you knit the row that is facing away from you, so the side facing you is the side you just finished.

Your pattern will tell you which side to work next. If it says "Row 3 (RS)," you need to turn your work so the right side faces you, then knit that row away from you. If it says "Row 4 (WS)," the wrong side should be facing you. Once you have marked your right side with a safety pin, you never have to guess again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the wrong side always look bumpy?

Not always. Garter stitch and ribbed stitches look bumpy on both sides. Reverse stockinette (purling every row) is intentionally bumpy on the right side. Check your pattern to see which side it specifies as the right side, because the pattern designer chose that side for the finished look they wanted.

What if I can't tell the difference between my right and wrong sides?

Mark your right side with a safety pin or stitch marker on the first row. This is the most reliable method and takes only a few seconds. If you have already knitted several rows, look at your cast-on edge—it usually sits on the wrong side. Once you have marked it, you never have to guess again.

Can I use the wrong side as my right side if I like how it looks?

Yes, but tell yourself that is your right side and mark it. The names "right" and "wrong" are just conventions—what matters is that you stay consistent throughout your project and follow your pattern's instructions for which side to work on each row.

Why does my pattern keep saying RS and WS?

RS means right side and WS means wrong side. The pattern uses these abbreviations to tell you which direction your fabric should face as you work each row. This matters because decreases, increases, and colorwork all look different depending on which side you are working from.

What if I worked a whole row on the wrong side by mistake?

If you catch it right away, unravel that row and redo it with the correct side facing you. If you have already knitted several more rows, the mistake is usually too far back to fix without unraveling a lot of work. Most knitters accept small mistakes and move forward, but if the mistake is visible in the finished piece, you may want to frog back and redo it.