The Purl Stitch: Step-By-Step Knitting Instructions

There are only two basic stitches in knitting: the knit stitch and the purl stitch. The right side of a knit stitch looks like a “V,” while the right side of a purl stitch looks like a little bump. Also, the wrong side of a knit stitch is a purl and the wrong side of a purl stitch is a knit. This fact makes the combining of knits and purls endlessly fascinating, but before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s learn to purl!

Purling is a lot like knitting, with a couple of key differences: the working yarn comes from the front side of the needle and the needle enters the front of the stitch from back to front.

Here’s our purl stitch tutorial where we show you how we do it…

Click To See Video Transcript

I’m going to show you how to do a purl stitch. The first thing you want to do when you’re purling is to make sure your working yarn is on the front side of your work, or closest to you, opposed to being on the far side of your work or away from you. So here we have it in the front of our work.

Now, what I’m going to do to purl is going to take this tip of my right needle, and I’m going to insert it into the front leg of this first stitch on my left needle in a towards-me motion. So from back here towards me, through this front leg of this first stitch. Then with my right hand, I’m going to take my working yarn and I’m going to loop it around the tip of that right needle in a counterclockwise motion.

Now, I’m going to gently push the tip of this needle through that stitch on the left needle, bringing the loop with it. And I’ve now created a new stitch, and I’ve let that stitch fall off the left needle. Let me show you again.

Take the tip of the right needle towards you through that front leg on the first stitch of the left needle, with your right hand. Counterclockwise, wrap the tip of the right needle. Gently push the right needle through that first stitch on the left needle, bringing the loop with it. Let that stitch fall off the left needle, and now you have a new stitch on your right needle.

We’ll do this a few more times.

And that’s how you do a purl stitch. It’s as easy as that.

Hold the needle with the stitches on it in your left hand, with the working yarn coming from the right end. The working needle is in your right hand ready to go.

Insert the right needle through the first stitch on the left needle with a toward-you motion.

Use your right hand to bring the working yarn up the front of the right needle, and wrap it counter clockwise around the tip of the right needle.

Push the loop that is on the right needle through the stitch on the left needle in an away-from-you motion.

With a new stitch on the right needle, allow the stitch to fall off the left needle.

To purl the next stitch, make sure the working yarn is coming from the side of the needle that is closer to you (i.e. from the front of the work) and repeat the above steps. Insert the right needle into the next stitch on the left needle.

Wrap the yarn counter clockwise around the right needle. Push the loop on the right needle through the stitch on the left needle and remove the stitch from the left needle.

Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!