Purl Stitches
Purl stitches are the second fundamental stitch type, worked through the front loop from the opposite side, and combine with knit stitches to form most patterns.
Explanation
The purl stitch is the mirror image of the knit stitch. You insert the needle into the front loop from right to left, in front of the work, wrap the yarn around, and pull it through to the back. The wrong side of a knit stitch actually looks like a purl stitch seen from the front, and vice versa. By alternating knits and purls in different combinations, you get patterns like ribbing, seed stitch, and many textured patterns. Purl stitches are often worked a bit slower than knit stitches until you gain practice.
Also known as: Purl, p
How to work a purl stitch
Bring the yarn to the front of the work. Insert the right needle into the front of the stitch from back to front, wrap the yarn around the right needle, and draw the loop through to the back. Slide the old stitch off the left needle.
Many knitters find purling slower than knitting for the first few weeks. That passes. If it stays genuinely awkward, combination knitting or working in the round — where you can avoid purl rows entirely in stockinette — are worth exploring.
Where you meet it
Purl stitches are half of ribbing, seed stitch and garter stitch, and they create texture in everything from cable backgrounds to structured patterns. In stockinette worked flat, every other row is purled.
Working in the round you can get a long way without purling at all — but you also cannot produce ribbing or textured patterns.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting to bring the yarn forward before the stitch, creating a yarn over.
- Loose stitches at the knit-to-purl transition in ribbing.
- Purling through the back loop, which twists the stitch.
Keywords
- purl stitch
- purling
- basic stitch
Frequently asked questions
Why are my purl rows looser than my knit rows?
Because most people hold the yarn slightly differently when purling. It is extremely common. If awareness alone does not fix it, use a needle a half size smaller for purl rows.
Can I avoid purling by knitting in the round?
For stockinette, yes — you knit every round. But ribbing, seed stitch and most textured patterns require purl stitches regardless of direction.