Explaining the difference between a knit stitch vs a purl stitch – including a diagram
Are you wondering what the difference between a knit stitch vs a purl stitch is? What’s the key difference between knitting the two, and is there an easy way to keep track of them? Well, this tutorial will show you the (maybe unexpected) answers and so much more.
What is the difference between knit and purl?
A knit stitch is the most important stitch for the right side of a project, and a purl stitch is the most popular stitch for the wrong side. Together they form a mirror-inverted pair. You knit them in the exact opposite way. As a result, they will appear exactly the same on the other side. And that’s why stockinette stitch seems to show only one type of stitch on the right side and exclusively another kind of stitch on the wrong side – despite alternating between knit and purl rows.
A knit stitch is formed by pulling yarn through a loop from back to front. The resulting stitch looks a bit like the letter “V”. On the needles, you achieve this by inserting your needle from left to right with the yarn held in the back. I am showing this flat and off the needles because, speaking from experience, things often look much more complicated while knitting than they really are.
A purl stitch, on the other hand, is formed by pulling yarn through a loop from front to back. The resulting stitch appears to have a little bump at its base. You will achieve this on the needles by keeping the yarn in front and inserting the working needle into the next stitch from right to left. As I said, a purl stitch is the exact opposite of a knit stitch.
If you turn any knit stitch around, you will see that it will have a bump at its base as well. It’s just on the other side. And the same applies to any purl stitch, where you will be able to see a little V below it on the other side.
Now, you might wonder why you wrap the yarn around the needle counterclockwise in each case. Didn’t I say they are mirror-inverted images and shouldn’t you, hence, wrap the yarn clockwise for a purl stitch? No. That’s because the stitches sit on the needle at an angle compared to their final position in the knitting.
If you were to wrap the yarn clockwise for a purl stitch, the result would be a stitch where the leading leg of the stitch would be on the left instead of the right. So far, that’s no problem. If you were to remove your knitting needles at this point, you would end up with the same loop in either case (maybe it would twist slightly differently because of the spin stored in the yarn itself).
But when you knit into that stitch in the next round and stick to your standard technique, meaning you enter it from left to right for a knit stitch, then you will twist that loop around and this will show you in your fabric.
Note: There’s a knitting style called combination knitting that uses this effect, as many people find purling by wrapping (or picking) the yarn clockwise easier. In the next round, they will knit that stitch through the back loop to untwist it again.
Knit vs purl diagram
I created a little diagram for you so you can keep track of these differences a bit more easily.
How to tell a knit stitch apart from a purl stitch
Now that we have settled the basics, we can use the knowledge to actually read your knitting. Just to recap: A knit stitch creates a V, and a purl stitch creates a little bump. So when you are knitting a 2×2 rib stitch, you can look at the appearance of each next stitch instead of counting the repeat.
Just take a close look at the next stitch, and you will clearly see if it has a bump at its base or not. If it has, you purl it, and if there’s a little V visible, then you knit it.
And this principle works for any other knitting stitch pattern as well – no matter if it’s a moss stitch or the waffle stitch. In each of these cases, you can read your knitting and then knit the next stitch according to its appearance and the instructions in the pattern (for more complex repeats that span across multiple rows, you may have to look at a row or two further down).
You can also use this knowledge to count rows. Each little knit stitch forms a V. So if you want to know how many rows of stockinette stitch you have already knitted, you simply have to count the number of Vs stacked upon each other.
This works for any other knitting stitch pattern in a similar way. For example, if you want to know how many purl rows you knitted, then you simply count the purl bumps stacked upon each other. You do have to be a bit careful, though. There are two kinds of bumps: One that looks a bit like a dome and the other a bit like a cup. And you have to focus on the dome-shaped bumps to count the rows.
I have a full tutorial on how to count rows here on my blog for further details. But I promise, you, it’s really not a lot harder than finding little Vs and bumps.
Combining knit and purl stitch
So far, I have only talked about the differences. But in reality, it might be the wrong approach to think in knit vs purl stitch. They are not truly opposites. Rather, they complete each other and form the backbone of all knitting stitch patterns.
But the concept goes much further. If you would kindly take a look at my list of knitting increases, then you will quickly notice that for every increase on the right side, there is a corresponding decrease for the wrong side.
And the same applies to decreases – just take a look at my list of purl deceased. And for you, as a beginner, there are two very important takeaways here:
- Instead of knitting something on the right side, you can also purl something on the wrong side and it will look the exact same way. For example, if you find p2tog tbl too difficult, you could always decrease one row later with k2tog tbl.
- All these knit and purl decreases, while often much more difficult to knit, will leave a V or a bump behind. So, you will be able to count and read them in pretty much the same way.
So, in essence, understanding the difference between a knit and a purl stitch and what unites them is not only your first step to becoming a master knitter. It is, I would hold, also the last step. If you truly understand that single little piece of knowledge, almost all other techniques and stitches are an afterthought. It will also help you to convert any pattern in the round to flat knitting.
Anyway, that’s the difference between knit vs purl stitches. Feel free to comment below if you have any other questions.
If I seen anyone knit (?) It’s not me? I think I got my knits and purls mixed up. I have learn on my own, from do it yourself teaching books. And one or two classes in knitting. But still I think I’m knitting and purling the wrong way. But my knits come out as “v”. And my purls come out as a rounded off horizontal bar. But still I get a funny feeling I’m still not right. It looks like it but still it’s wrong. Well? It’s back to classes. I haven’t given up yet.
From my very brief experience with knitting, there are several way to do everything and watching someone else is very different from looking at your own.
I think that if you’re knitting “v”s and purling “bar”s then you’re doing it right 🙂
I’ve never really understood the difference between knit and purl. Can you explain it in a little more detail?
Amazing post! Exactly the kind of information that i’ve been hunting for.
Agree 100% with Aimee’s assessment of this post! One of the best explanations of the knit and purl stitches I’ve read, bc not only do you explain things very clearly and very well, you have specific diagrams and pictures to precisely supplement what you’re saying. A lot of other knitting blogs/YT channels/classes miss that important piece, IMO.
Are you by chance a teacher? If you’re not, you definitely have the teaching gift! I am certified to teach any and all sciences for 6th-12th grades, but my focus is physics. Had to stop teaching about 15 years ago tho, due to my health. I miss my kids!
Thank you for the very clear explanations!!
Btw, in the diagram above of the differences and similarities of knits and purls, do you have the “insert right to left” and “insert left to right” backwards? No matter how I think about it, it seems like it should be the other way around.
Thank you!!!
no, definitely not. a knit stitch is right to left.
Your video is from right to left, but the image looks like it’s from left to right
hm..i am sorry. I still dont see it. I mean..another way to say it would be from front to back.
Your text about knit stitches says “you achieve this by inserting your needle from left to right with the yarn held in the back.” Your picture shows the needle slanting from left to right. However, the text under the picture say to “insert right to left.” The purl stitch picture shows the needle clearly pointing to the left, i.e. inserted right *to* left, yet the text says the opposite. I’m not sure where the confusion here is, but your text says left to right, the picture shows left to right (both of which are clearly correct), but the picture caption and your reply here say right to left! Is this some sort of gaslighting!! 😉
that’s just my left/right weakness in full force there. I corrected it (the pictures showed it correctly, tho)
Thanks, Norman.
I’m dyslexic, so left-right is tricky for me too! I checked several times before hitting send. 😉
I have been knitting for years, and I love your content, as there is always something to learn. I came to this page because I recently started combination knitting (at least when knitting flat), and I was curious if you had any thoughts. Even though you only mention it here, I did learn the right way to count purl rows, so thanks! (always something to learn from Norman).
Even though many see it as a challenge, I think one of the real pluses of combo knitting is the mounting of the stitches, when knitting knits behind purls and purls behind knits, as in stockinette, ribbing, or a simple knit-purl pattern. The stitches you are going to knit have the leading leg in back, on the same side of the needle as the yarn. Purls have the leading leg in the front with the yarn in front. As a result, the stitches are much easier to enter and pull through. In traditional knitting, you have to fight a bit to open the stitch for a knit, and this can stretch that stitch. Many ignore that stretching, because it just gets carried all the way down the row, but I wondered if you had tried it and looked into it with your giant yarn and needle set!
Combo ribbing is also much tighter. In 1×1 combo ribbing, the yarn never makes a full wrap around the needle. This addresses the issue you have raised with the transition from knit to purl that takes a little extra yarn, but I didn’t know if it caused other issues. I knitted a test swatch, and found that the 1×1 was super tight (almost looked like double knitting), but 2×2 and up still seemed a bit uneven at the transition stitches, though that could just be me.
Thanks again.
i agree with u
My stockinette stitches do not look even when knitting in rows. The right bar of the ‘V’ is completely different to the left bar. It is not mirrored. I have tried everything to avoid this, but I wasn’t successful at all. I am knitting with bamboo needles, tried combined knitting, tried needle size smaller for the purls…Do you have a solution for my problem? Unfortunately I cannot post the foto on this platform.
Regards, Barbara
you are (probably) using a yarn with a very high twist. If you take a look at the stockinette stitch page here on my blog, I explain the problem a bit more (with pictures). All you can do is change yarn or live with it.
Thank you very much. Meanwhile I made a swatch of 100% Peruvian Wool. It looks pretty good. So I will live with this yarn and this project.
This is exactly the tutorial I needed! I just found your website! I’m elated! Thank you. You’ve solved three mysteries for me. I am going to follow your how to knit a sweater even though I’ve made a few, I think it will be informative. I’m the type that tries anything but now I’m realizing I’d like to learn more formally. Thank you! Hope you are enjoying spring! Best!
Great tutorials that as an adventurous beginner I really appreciate.
I have a small problem with combining flat and round knitting of 1×1 rib (which I’d imagine is common in projects) when knitting split hem (seem very IN right now) and then body in round and the rib looks VERY different from neat in round to quite messy and uneven in flat knitting.
Is there a way to neaten? I have tried combination knitting, real focus on purl stitch tension but nothing seem to work to beat those neat columns of round knits….
Please help!
there is a post here on my blog on knitting neater ribbings and it’s also available as a youtube tutorial. Maybe look that up.
I am so so confused by this nomenclature right now. I am learning to knit from YouTube right now. I only know one stitch, one I learned to be the knit stitch. I am making a scarf with only this, and it is creating a pattern that is supposed to be the garter stitch. My moving needle goes back my working yarn is in the back but I can’t not move the yarn like you it falls off for me, (sry I know it’s not yours that’s what I started with, I found your channel later).
So what is going on?
Please help I’m super confused 😵💫
There is english knitting and continental knitting. if you tension your yarn in the left hand (as I do) this is called continental knitting. those are two ways to get to the same result.
think of it as taking the car or the bike to get to a restaurant.
Does this mean, that English purl stitch equals continental knit stitch?
no…it means they are the same. No matter if you take the bike or the car to drive to your friend, you ARRIVE. The result is the same, the way and the tools you used to get there can be different.
Okay. I understand what you were saying, but still my problem prevailed: I am knitting yet I am purling?!
I rewatched your video:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zLSaApeG-vY&t=339s
… and I was like okay so I am making knit stitches according to Norman too but I am still purling? Wtf???
…
So after I cooled my head down a bit I found the source of my confusion, that apparently this stick is a two faced little bugger. So I apperently knit all my stitches yet create purl stitches… mind boggling for me…
God. Hope this gets less confusing after a time.
You are looking at it the wrong way. A purl stitch is nothing else but trying to create a knit stitch from the wrong side.
Yes, if you are working flat, and knit across all rows, then you are creating the appearance of purl stitches when seen from the right side.
if you knit in the round and knit across all rows, you would create stockinette stitch (flat surface)
Hi, Norman! Thank you for this article.
So in garter stitch, there are bumps on either side of the fabric because we’re actually purling after a row of knitting… except we do it by knitting because we shift the needle back to the left hand. And stockinette is actually like all knitting (or all purling), but we do it by alternating knit and purl rows as shifting the needle is doing the “mirroring”.
Your explanation of stitch anatomy is really helping me be more comfortable with knitting as an absolute beginner. (Thank God for your work!!!) I hope writing a book is in your horizon; I’m sure it would be a definitive book on knitting.