Beginners Purl stitch

Purl knitting and Forget-Me-Nots

If you have mastered garter (knit) stitch, then time to learn to purl.  Once you have these two stitches under your belt, then you can begin to do pretty much anything.

Purl does seem awkward at first and I think many knitters don't look forward to their purl rows.  But, when you've got it, the world's your oyster.  (purl, oyster, good eh?)

Big thing to remember is that where you worked with your length of yarn at the back of the work when you were doing knit stitch, it stays at the front for purl.

Here is a video by the wonderful Judy Graham who just takes it slow and shows you how to do it.  Cast on some stitches, do a couple of rows of garter (knit) stitch, then try this.

Mary Thomas says that Purl stitch can also be known as Seam Stitch, Black Stitch (because of the way it's represented on charts), Ridge Stitch, Pearl Stitch, Back Stitch, Rib Stitch, Left Stitch, Raised Stitch, Rough Stitch, Wrong Stitch. 

Any pattern you are likely to come across these days will call it Purl.