Rib stitch knitting for beginners

How to knit the rib stitch pattern and all its many alternatives. A step by step tutorial for knitting beginners.

Hems, necklines, cuffs, scarfs – there is probably no knitting pattern that is so versatile as the rib stitch. But how do you knit it?

In this tutorial, I’m going to show you exactly how to knit the most basic rib stitch and all the amazing alternatives and variations of this pattern.

Ribs create a great stretchy fabric that can be used every time you need an elastic section. It’s also a great way to fit a piece of fabric to a waistline or the sleeves of an arm. If you ever plan to knit socks or a pullover, you will definitely need to know how to rib, but the pattern can definitely be used to create unique projects by itself.

All ribbing patterns have one thing in common: They alternate purl and knit stitches one way or another (so make sure you know how to knit these first) and are almost all reversible – so perfect for scarfs, etc.

So, let’s show you how it’s done, eh?

ⓘ In knitting patterns, you’ll often find rib or ribbing instead of rib stitch. There is no dedicated abbreviation.

1×1 rib stitch

The most simple and common version is the 1×1 rib stitch. You can create a nice, moderately stretchy fabric that still has quite some grip. The individual ribs won’t be all that visible, though, and sometimes it almost looks a bit like stockinette stitch.

To knit it, you repeat one purl stitch and one knit stitch over and over again. You, do have to take care when you do your cast on, though. The pattern will be slightly different with an even and an odd number of stitches.

Here’s my full guide to the 1×1 rib stitch with step by step instructions for beginners.

1×1 Rib stitch with ODDnumber of stitches

• Row 1: Knit 1, Purl 1 across the row
• Row 2: Purl 1, Knit 1 across

Repeat rows 1+2 until you reached the desired length.

Click here to scroll down to the step by step instructions with pictures

1×1 rib with Even number of stitches

• Row 1: K1, P1

This is a one-row repeat.

ⓘ There’s an easier way to memorize this. You basically have to knit every stitch as they appear. In the first two or three rows, this might still be a bit difficult and you should really pay attention there. But afterward, the knit stitches will form the actual ribs, so knit those. The purl stitches will form the dips in between, so always purl these.

Another way to explain this: The knit stitches will look like a “V”, while the purl stitches have a little sling around their base.

2×2 rib stitch

A stretchier version of the rib stitch which shows the pattern much better is the 2×2 rib stitch. It’s basically the same stitch, but you alternate 2 knit stitches with 2 purl stitches. Even though you can also knit this pattern with any number of stitches, I recommend you to cast on multiples of 4 to end up with a fabric that looks the same from every side. This pattern is quite a bit more stretchy than the 1×1 version.

Here’s the repeat:

Row 1: K2, P2 across the row

Repeat row 1 over and over again.

If you were to cast on any number of stitches that are not dividable by 4, then you will have to knit the stitches as they appear. Due to the nature of the repeat, you will end up with half-finished ribbings one edge on each side, with an odd number of stitches. If you want to sew things together, you would then end up with two knit ribbings forming a big 4 stitch ribbing.

So, in a nutshell, try sticking to casting on multiples of 4 – especially if you are knitting in the round (see below).

Rib stitch in the round

You can knit the rib stitch in the round the same way you knit all the other ribbing patterns. There’s just one thing you need to be aware – even for the 1×1 rib stitch – you need to always cast on an even number of stitches. Or to be more precise, always multiples of your repeat.

Why? Because if your row starts with, say, 3 knit stitches, you want it to end with 3 purl stitches. Otherwise, you will end up with one odd rib (that’s either 6 knit stitches wide or a little dip that’s shorter than the others).

Repeat: *P1,K1* or *P2, K2* or *P3,K3* etc

Twisted Rib stitch

Are you looking for a ribbing that is less stretchy and a bit more rigid? Then the twisted rib stitch is what you are looking for. It’s basically knitted the same way as the standard rib but all stitches are knitted through the back loop. That way, you twist the loop of each stitch and tighten up the fabric a bit. As a side-effect, the ribs are also a bit more 3-dimensional, which looks especially neat in scarfs. Here’s the repeat:

Row 1: *knit 1 through the back loop, purl one through the back loop*

If you got an odd number of stitches on your needles, then you’d have to start row 2 with a purl stitch, otherwise, repeat that one row over and over again. The twisted ribbing is a bit slower to knit, though. So, do keep that in mind.

Broken rib stitch

A very nice variation is the so-called broken rib stitch. You might end up accidentally knitting this one if you don’t pay attention to your work (and rather the tv or your mobile phone). It’s basically a regular rib stitch that is “broken” by a knit row. That way, you create a fabric that is somewhere in between the 1×1 and the 2×2 ribbing in terms of stretchiness.

It’s also not reversible. BUT the wrong side looks a bit like crochet stitches and I like it even better. Here’s how to knit:

Cast on an even number of stitches:

• Row 1: Knit
• Row 2: *K1, P1* across

Repeat row 1+2

Zig Zag Rib stitch

A fun and very beautiful alternative to the classic ribbing is the so-called Zig Zag Rib. I personally really love the 3-dimensionality of this pattern, even though it is sadly not reversible.

It’s also a tiny bit more difficult to knit. Here’s the repeat:

Cast on multiples of 3 stitches and then add one more. (so, 22, 25,28, 31, etc)

• Row 1: P1, *knit the second stitch on the left needle through the back loop without dropping it, knit the first stitch, drop them both, P1*
• Row 2: K1, *purl the second stitch on the left needle without dropping it, purl the first stitch, drop them both, k1*

Repeat row 1+2

For a more detailed step by step tutorial, read my zig zag stitch post.

I do have to admit that knitting the second stitch through the back loop and then fiddling the needle into the first one to knit is a bit tricky. It takes some practice and even then it’s a bit annoying. But there is no denying the zig zag rib stitch is beautiful!

Brioche Stitch Ribbing

Technically speaking, the Brioche stitch is not a ribbing variant. But as this pattern also creates beautiful and very voluminous ribs, it should still be mentioned here as a nice alternative, especially as you can knit it with two colors.

Cast on an even number of stitches

• Row 1: K1, *yarn over, slip 1 purlwise, K1. Repeat from * to the end of the row, K1
• Row 2: K1, *yo, sl1p, knit 2 together*, K1

Repeat only row 2

You’ll find a detailed Brioche stitch tutorial here.

Rib stitch selvedge alternative

The typical rib stitch creates a garter stitch edge. This will look beautiful with the broken rib stitch or the zig zag ribbing, but for the standard 1×1 or 2×2 ribbings, I feel it’s somewhat distracting.

The easiest and probably most elegant rib stitch selvedge is knitting a slip stitch edge. Here’s how to knit it:

• Step 1: Cast on 1 more stitch on either side of your repeat
• Step 2: Slip the first stitch and knit the last stitch

How to bind off Rib stitch

Most ribbings are incredibly stretchy. That’s why you knit hems, etc. with this beautiful pattern. But there is one problem: When you bind off your stitches, you often end up binding off all that extra elasticity with it. That’s why you should take extra care. Here are a couple of alternatives and when to use them:

#1: Longtail cast off

The standard longtail cast off works quite well with rib stitch. It also looks extra neat as you can cast off all stitches as they appear. Just remember to bind of quite a bit looser than you usually would and you’ll be fine. Especially for the twisted variants or a 1×1 ribbing, this might actually be the best cast off.

There is one caveat: If the ribbing appears at a place in the garment where you will stretch it to the max (socks, etc.), the long tail cast off will not be stretchy enough in most cases.

#2: Yarn over bind off

This is a lovely bind off for rib stitches that are super stretchy and you really want your edge to be just as stretchy. It’s a bit more complicated as it’s a different technique for purl and knit stitches, but it’s actually quite easy to remember.

• Step 1: Knit the first stitch
• Step 2: YO purlwise and then purl one (assuming it’s a purl stitch)
• Step 3: Pick up the YO and the purl stitch with your left needle and slip them across the first stitch and then drop them
• Step 4: Reverse YO, K1 (assuming it’s a knit stitch)
• Step 4: Pick up the backward YO and the knit stitch, slip them across the first stitch and drop them

Repeat until you cast off every stitch.

The only difficulty about this bind off is the reverse yarn over for all knit stitches. It’s maybe a bit unaccustomed to do so, but it’s actually the only way to pick up the stitches from your right needle for the slip off.

#3: Stretchy bind off through the back loop

A stretchy bind off I personally feel is best for 2×2 ribbings is casting off through the back loop. Instead of knitting two and then slipping the first over the second, you bind off like this:

• Step 1: K2, then slip those stitches on the left needle and knit them through the back loop
• Step 2: K1, slip both stitches on the left needle as if to knit and knit them through the back loop

Repeat the second stitch until you cast off all stitches.

Helpful tips

#1 Try out smaller needles

Consider knitting the rib stitches on smaller needles than you would usually do. This will make the ribs look more solid and the fabric snugger. Most patterns will actually tell you to do so anyway, but if you are creating your own project, consider toying around with the needle sizes a bit.

If you knit ribs with too big needles, they sometimes look a bit flimsy and crooked. This effect is even more pronounced with handspun wool and other rather irregular yarns.

#2 Always knit a swatch

Some knitters knit really tight, others create a stretchy fabric like it was their second nature. And here’s the “problem”. With the rib stitch, the natural stretchiness of your knitting will be exponentially bigger. So, if you are a very loose knitter, you might end up with hems that slide off. Personally, I sometimes knit them too tight. Either way, knitting a little swatch to test out the gauge is better and faster than frogging, eh?

#3 Check those stitches frequently

When ribbing, you are constantly switching between purl and knit stitches. Maybe it’s just me, but I frequently make a mistake, which will be quite visible in the end. So, check your knitted fabric for those wrong stitches frequently and reverse knit if possible. Also, whenever you end up a row with a stitch it shouldn’t end with (typically a purl stitch) then you skipped a stitch somewhere. Check again.

#4 Remember to move your yarn from back to front

This is probably more a problem for English knitters, but do remember to bring the yard to the front for your purl stitches. Else you might be creating accidental yarn overs, and we won’t want that 😉

So, that’s it. This was my ultimate guide to rib stitch knitting. Hope I was able to teach you something and make sure to ask your questions in the comments below.