2) Learn to Purl for Stockinette Stitch

Pre-requisite Skills:

cast on (CO) and bind off (BO)

knit (k)

New Skills:

purl stitch (p)

identify right (RS) and wrong sides (WS) of fabric

measuring gauge

Introduction:

This cloth pattern will help you practice the most common texture used in knitting, Stockinette. On the front of the cloth you’ll knit and create a row of Vs, but when you turn the needles to knit across the back you’ll purl. A purl stitch is the back of a knit stitch, so by purling across the back you’ll end up with all knit stitch Vs on the front and all purl stitch bumps on the back!

Once you’ve mastered the knit and purl stitches, you can put them together into fun and beautiful patterns, which we will explore in the next several cloths.

This cloth is designed to have a garter stitch border around a stockinette centre, which will help the cloth lay flat. Stockinette stitch likes to curl on itself.

Making a square like this cloth is the first step in big projects. We call it a swatch, and it helps knitters test to make sure they are using tpracticehe right size needles for the yarn to get the size needed for a large finished garment.

After you knit a swatch, you measure the number of stitches in a 5x5 cm (or 10 x 10 cm) square. This measurement gives you the gauge. For facecloths and dishcloths the gauge doesn’t matter because a difference in size doesn’t affect if the cloth fits or functions. For fitted garments, like socks and gloves, or big projects like sweaters, having the right gauge is very important.

For practise, after you’ve knit this cloth count the number of knit stitches in 5cm (2.5") across a row and how many knit stitches there are in a 5 cm (2.5") segment of a column.

My gauge for this cloth is 21 sts x 14 rows/5cm. What is yours?

Checking Gauge by VeryPink Knits

How to Measure Gauge | Knitting by Howcast

Remember it’s alright if our gauges don’t match for these cloths!

If you’re curious, knit this cloth twice more using the same yarn but with 5mm (US/UK 7) needles and 3.5 mm (US 4, UK 10) needles. Examine how the size of the swatch changes, the effect on the gauge, and qualitative differences in the fabric.

The linked video shows the differences in the fabric that needle and yarn size can have on a gauge. It provides more information than you need to know at this point, but it is interesting and a good example of the principles of gauge.

Introduction to Gauge in Knitting // Technique Tuesday by Roxanne Richardson,

Skills and Terms:

Purl stitch: Purling is the backside of a knit stitch and also fundamental for knitting. It creates a small horizontal bump.

Stockinette Stitch: the most common texture used in knitting. On the right side of the fabric you’ll see only Vs from the knit stitch and the wrong side will be all purl bumps. Stockinette stitch is used for measuring your gauge.

Right Side (RS): The outside, front, or “nice” side of your knitting. This is the part that is meant to be seen, like the outside of a sweater or hat.

In #001—Garter Stitch Facecloth there was no right or wrong side of the fabric because the garter stitch is identical on the front and back of the fabric.

Right & Wrong side (RS & WS): Knitting Lessons for Beginners by Studio Knit

Common Beginning Knitter Mistakes: Right vs Wrong Side by Rows and Stitches

Wrong Side (WS): The inside, back, or “messy” side of your knitting. This part of the project is not meant to be seen and often looks very different from the front or right side of the fabric.

Gauge: the number of stitches and rows per 5cm (2”) or 10cm (4”).