Basic Fabrics

Using the two basic stitches - knit and purl - you can practise making some easy fabrics that occur frequently in knitting. In fact it will be a lot easier to understand complicated pattern stitches if you realise that a knit stitch and a purl stitch are one and the same thing but formed on opposite sides of the fabric. In both cases you are pulling a new stitch (loop) through an old one. In the case of a knit stitch you drop the old loop off the needle away from you to the back of the work. In the case of a purl stitch you drop the old loop off the needle towards you to the front of the work.

1 st row (right side):

1. Knit the first stitch.

2. Bring the yarn forward to the front of the work between the needles and purl the next stitch.

3. Take the yarn to the back of the work between the needles and knit the next stitch.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all stitches are transferred to the right-hand needle.

Garter Stitch
This stitch is often referred to as `plain knitting' because every row is knitted. This produces a reversible fabric with raised horizontal ridges on both sides of the work. It is thicker and looser than stocking stitch. One of the advantages of garter stitch is that it does not curl so it can be used on its own, or for bands and borders. The same effect is achieved by purling every row, although this is slower to work.

Stocking Stitch (st std)
Stocking Stitch is the most widely knitted fabric. It comprises
alternate knit and purl rows. With the knit side as right side it makes a flat, smooth fabric that tends to curl at the edges and needs finishing with bands, borders or hems where it is not joined to another piece with a seam. As it is a plain fabric, evenness in knitting is important because any irregularities will be highlighted.

Reverse Stocking Stitch (rev st st)
This is the same as stocking stitch but with the purl side of the fabric used as the right side. At a distance it may look like garter stitch, but the ridges in reverse stocking stitch are much closer together and not so distinct. This fabric is often used as a background to cabled fabrics, thus making the cables more pronounced.

Single Rig (k1, p1) This is formed by alternatively knitting a stitch, then purling a stitch to give unbroken vertical lines on each side of the work. It makes a very elastic fabric that is mainly used for borders such as welts, neckbands and cuffs. When used as an edging, rib is generally worked on a smaller size needle than the main body