How to Knit

Lesson Eight: How to Work the Purl Stitch

How to Work the Purl Stitch

Purling is simply working a knit stitch in reverse, so the bump faces you and the V is on the back. That may not make sense now, but it will after you have worked a few rows of alternating knit and purl stitch and you see how each side of the fabric looks.

How to do it:

Basic Principle:

With the working yarn in front, you will be using two needles to create a series of loops, which are the foundation for the stretchy properties of knit fabric.

Rules of Formation

Whether you’re working in Continental or American style, the purl stitch has the same rules of formation:

Working yarn (the yarn you’re making new stitches with) goes in front of the needles
Working needle (in dominant hand) is inserted into the first stitch on the non-working needle from tip end to back end through front leg of stitch
Working yarn goes from the tip end of the non-working needle to the back end, top to bottom between the needles
Finished stitch should have the leg of the stitch that’s closest to your dominant hand in front of the working needle

Here’s a reminder of what the stitches should look like:

Example of what stitches should look like on the needles — The stitches on the left side of this swatch have the right leg in front, which is what right-handed people’s stitches should look like. The six stitches on the right have the left leg in front, which is what left-handed people’s stitches should look like.

Purl in Continental or European Style

Purl in American or English Style

Continental Purl Stitch

Jump to American-Style Tutorial

In Continental (or European) style, the working yarn is held in your non-dominant hand. Holding it in such a way as to achieve correct tension is key. Please see Holding the Yarn.

Step One:

Hold working yarn* in front of needles. Unless this is your first stitch on the row, the yarn will be coming from the working needle (the one in your dominant hand you are working onto) and going to your non-dominant hand, which is how you maintain tension. Keep it taut.
***Working yarn** means the yarn you are creating new stitches with, as opposed to the tail end at the beginning of your cast on row. If you have wrapped your hand properly for Continental-style knitting, it will be going in front of the non-working needle from the last stitch on your working needle to your wrapped hand OR from the first stitch on the non-working needle (if this is a new row).

Continental Purl Stitch step two — Step Two:

Keeping the working yarn in front of your work, insert the working needle into the front leg of the first stitch on the non-working needle from the tip end to the back end (toward the other stitches in the row). (Righties: Your working needle will be going from right to left. Lefties: Your working needle will be going from left to right.)
Working needle should be in front of the non-working needle.

Step Three:

Use non-dominant hand index finger to move the working yarn down between the needles from the tip end of the non-working needle toward the back end and from top to bottom. (Righties: From right to left; Lefties: From left to right.) Keep taut.

Step Four:

Keep needles at right angles to each other. Use the tip of the working needle to draw the working yarn through the stitch away from you toward the far side of work.

Continental Purl Stitch step five — Step Five:

Use your working needle to draw the original stitch off the non-working needle, keeping a finger from the non-dominant hand on the other stitches to prevent them coming off too.

Continental Purl Stitch step six — Step Six:

You have now created a new purl stitch.

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American Purl Stitch

Jump to Continental-Style Tutorial

In American (or English) style, the working yarn is held in the dominant hand. To create proper tension, pull on the yarn after wrapping. Please see Holding the Yarn.