Knitting Stitch Patterns – The free Library

A library of popular knitting stitch patterns and how to knit them. Click on the links to access the step-by-step instructions and video tutorials. If you still need to brush up your knitting skills, then I recommend you to work through my free knitting school as well. Also, as there are so many different knitting stitches, you might consider investing in one of the many excellent stitch pattern books.

a garter stitch pattern in green cotton yarn

Garter Stitch

The most basic knitting stitch perfect for beginners. Fluffy and stretchy, perfect for scarfs.

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Close up of a stockinette stitch knitting pattern

Stockinette Stitch

A timeless classic for sweaters. The perfect pattern to show off luxurious yarns.

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double stockinette stitch pattern

Double Stockinette Stitch

The reversible and non-curling sister of the classic stocking stitch.

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a 1x1 rib stitch knitting pattern swatch

1×1 rib stitch

The mother of all cuffs and hems: Stretchy, easy to knit for beginners and very versatile.

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the 2x2 rib stitch knitting pattern as shown on a full sized swatch

2×2 rib stitch

A very popular knitting stitch pattern for hems, cuffs, and socks – with a lot of negative ease

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Rib Stitch Variations

An overview of the most common rib stitch variations. 2×2, ziz-zag, twisted rib, etc

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close-up of the seed stitch knitting pattern

Seed stitch

A very simple knit/purl variation suitable for beginners, and a great pattern for shawls

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A close-up of a swatch knitted in the Irish moss knitting pattern

Moss stitch

A popular and easy 4-row repeat pattern with a lot of texture. Perfect for sweaters and dishcloths

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The double moss stitch knitting pattern in green cotton. It's an easy 4 row repeat

Double Moss Stitch

Stretchier, but just as charming as the Irish Moss Stitch – perfect for scarfs, hats and washcloths.

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A brioche stitch knitting sample pattern

Brioche Stitch

Incredibly fluffy & perfect for scarfs. An easy 1-row repeat but a bit of yarn eater.

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the half brioche knitting stitch pattern

Half Brioche Stitch

A variation of the classic stitch that has two sides and is not reversible

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the fishermans rib stitch knitting pattern - close up shot where you can see all details

Fisherman’s rib stitch

Same pattern as brioche but different technique – try it out!

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a knitted swatch with the classic cable stitch knitting pattern

Cable Stitch

The elaborate sister of the rib stitch: Knit complicated-looking patterns with a cable needle – even if you are a beginner.

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A swatch with a horseshoe cable stitch pattern also known as double cable stitch

Horseshoe Cable Stitch

A fun variation of the classic cable stitch: Horsehoe cables look wonderful on the front of a sweater or a headband.

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The honeycomb cable stitch pattern

Honeycomb Cable Stitch

A cable stitch variation very popular on Aran Sweaters. A lot of structures and a lot of cable fun.

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the bobble stitch knitting pattern

Bobble stitch

An fabulous way to add structure to any knitting pattern + 5 different ways to knit.

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The garter stitch bobble stitch knitting pattern

5 Stitch Garter Bobbles

The fun knitting variation of the classic bobble stitch

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two-colored bobble stitch knitting pattern

2-colored bobble stitch

Another fun variation to bring some color(s) into your pattern.

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macro shot of the broken rib stitch knitting pattern

Broken rib stitch

A very basic knit-purl combination with quite a lot of texture.

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the waffle stitch knitting pattern as seen from the right side in purple yarn

Waffle Stitch

A simple 4-row repeat that results in a squish well-structured fabric.

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the star stitch knitting pattern

Star Stitch

An intricate pattern that needs a bit of practice, but looks almost like crochet.

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Zig Zag Stitch

Another variation of the rib stitch. Sadly not reversible but a lot of texture and a fun knit

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the brick stitch knitting pattern in two colors

Brick Stitch

A classic mosaic pattern in two colors. Lots of fun!

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Entrelac pattern

A very ingenious method to knit squares in multiple colors for a basketweave effect

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knitting an icord with green cotton yarn on double-pointed needles

How to knit an I-Cord

An easy way to produce knitted straps and drawstrings with double-pointed needles and some fun variations.

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comparing different selvage knitting techniques

The 10 best edge stitches

A detailed list of the best selvage techniques in knitting.

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someone showing how to knit the latvian braid

Latvian braid

A fun and easy way to knit a horizontal cable in two colors.

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As you can see, there are many, many different types of knitting stitches. And some of them even have different names – depending on the region. For example, Stockinette stitch is known as stocking stitch in Australia. And some people call seed stitch moss stitch and vice versa.
If you are looking for easy knitting stitches, then I would stick to knit/purl combinations like ribbings, basketweave, etc. These are typically much easier for beginners – not only because they don’t involve complicated stitches but also because gauge can be a problem, and you might have to block your finished projects for them to truly shine!
On top of them, you should definitely keep in my that not all of the options listed here are reversible knitting stitches. This means, if you knit a scarf, there would be one good and one less so neat side.