Knit Stockinette Stitch

Stockinette stitch is one of the most basic knitting stitches, and a skill every beginner knitter should learn as it's a building block for most complex patterns. Before diving into this article, the reader should know how to make knit and purl stitches, as well as how to Cast On and Cast Off. Let's get started!

Steps

  1. Keep in mind that the basic formula for stockinette is knitting all knit stitches on one side and all purl stitches on the opposite side. This article will explain the basic process for beginning stockinette stitch.

Flat

  1. Cast on to straight needles.
  2. Knit all the stitches in your first row (right side).
  3. Purl all the stitches in your next row (wrong side).
  4. Repeat steps two and three until your piece is its desired length. Compare the right side to the intro image of the article, to make sure you are knitting correctly.
    • Note: You can also begin with a purl row and then a knit row. As long as one side is all purl stitches and the other is all knit stitches, it will turn out as stockinette stitches.
  5. Cast off.

In the Round

  1. Cast on to double pointed needles or circular needles.
  2. Knit all the stitches, every row. You can also purl every stitch, every row, but most patterns will ask you to knit. Since you are knitting circularly, you are always working on just one side of the piece while knitting in the round.
  3. Continue to desired length.
  4. Cast off.



Tips

  • If you examine a cloth t-shirt or other piece of clothing closely you will likely see stockinette stitch. Magic! It's even easier to see with a machine knitted sweater.
  • For items knit in the round, stockinette gives a soft curling cuff. You can also choose to add a ribbed cuff if you want to give the edge of a hat, gloves, or socks a nice elastic property.
  • The wrong side of stockinette stitch is characterized by its bumpy texture, while the right side is smooth and made up of little "V's". It is usually used on the inside of garments, but makes a funky stitch for the outside as well.

Warnings

  • On it's own, stockinette knit flatly is prone to curling at the edges, so this is not a good choice for flat projects like scarves or dish cloths as the sole stitch. You will probably want to add a border of a few stitches, such as garter stitch. The curling can also be prevented by slipping the first stitch of every row––just moving it to the other needle without knitting.

Things You'll Need

  • Yarn
  • Knitting needles

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

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