How to Knit Stockinette Stitch
Stockinette stitch will probably be included in almost every knitting pattern you'll ever knit. It's gorgeous and so easy to knit!
Stockinette stitch is one of the first stitches that you'll learn when you're first learning how to knit, right after garter stitch. It's the most "universal" stitch in knitting, and you will use it to some extent in pretty much every pattern you will ever knit. Mastering this stitch is great for practicing the purl stitch, too.
All you need to know in order to learn how to knit stockinette stitch is how to cast on, how to bind off, and the knit and purl stitches. In stockinette, all of the stitches are aligned in the same direction, unlike garter stitch, where they face different directions depending on the row it's in. You can spot stockinette because the V sides of all of your stitches will be on the right side of your knitting, while the purl bump sides will be on the wrong side of your fabric.
So many wonderful knitting patterns require the stockinette stitch, so learn how to do it today. Once you have mastered this basic stitch, you will be amazed at how many patterns you are able to complete. Whether you want to make a knit hat, cardigan, baby blanket, or anything in between, build a strong foundation by learning stockinette.
Materials List
- Yarn
- Knitting Needles
Instructions
-
Cast on the number of stitches needed for your pattern.
-
Row 1: Knit across all of your stitches. This will be your right side row.
Turn your work like you would turn the page of a book. -
Row 2: Purl across all of your stitches. This will be your wrong side row.
-
Repeat these rows until you've reached the desired size of your pattern.
Bind off and weave in your ends.
A Note on Stockinette Curling
One of the most frustrating things about stockinette is how it curls. This happens because of the push and pull of the different sides of the knit and purl stitches. The V sides of knit and purl stitches are wider and shorter, and the purl sides are taller and more narrow. This creates a pull that will make your stockinette curl inwards on the edges and curl upwards on the top and bottom.
This is less of a problem with garter stitch and other types of knitting stitches because the directions of the stitches vary more, balancing out the push-and-pull. Luckily we have an entire article about tricks for preventing stockinette stitch curling. Check it out here:
How to Stop Stockinette Curling
Read NextHow to Knit the Snowdrop Lace Stitch
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Sara R
Aug 19, 2016
As a beginner knitter, I found this really helpful! I was just experimenting one day and I accidentally did the stockinette stitch and thought it looked nice. Now I know what I was doing!
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