Knitting Stitches

Knitting is a very wonderful craft for one to get into. It can allow one to express themselves, creating products that can bring style into other peoples lives. But in order fully embark on what knitting has to offer, one must master knitting stitches. Simply defined, knitting stitches are the specific movements a person must make to create the knit, (which is simply the way the yarn is looped.) This article will discuss some of the most common knitting stitches a person will encounter throughout the course of their knitting.

Knit Stitch

The knit stitch is the most common of the knitting stitches used. The creation of the knit stitch is done through a series of movements in which the right needle loops through the loops of the left side. This process creates a second loop which gets threaded by the right needle. As far as the yarn, with the knit stitch it remains in the back of the project.

Purl Stitch

The Purl stitch is another popular knitting stitch. The process for the Purl stitch is similar to the knit stitch with one major difference the yarn is expected to be in front of the knitting project. It is this front-and-back type of thing that makes the Knit Stitch and the Purl stitch often used in conjunction with one another. In fact, many people think that knitting stitches only involve the Knit stitch and the Purl stitch, but this is not true as there are other knitting stitches out there.

Cable Stitch

The cable stitch involves making new stitches from a series of existing stitches. The instrument that is used is a cable needle. The cable stitch is a good knitting stitch for individuals interested in knitting complicated designs or patterns.

YON Stitch

The YON stitch, (which stands for Yarn Over Needle), involves one placing the yarn over the needle, (just as the namesake indicates). The YON stitch can be done with any of the other stitches, since it is basically just an extra step. This is another knitting stitch that does well with creating special designs in a project.

Garter and Stockinette

Garter and Stockineette stitches can best be described as row-based. Garter stitches create stitches in each row of the project, while Stockineete stitches result in first a knit in a particular row, followed by a Purl stitch.

Rib Stitch

Rib Stitches are another row-based knitting stitch except that unlike Garter and Stockineete stitches, Rib stitches create projects that are stretchable.

Customized Stitches

The knitting stitches you read about above are the basic types of knitting stitches you will encounter. However, this is not to say that new stitches cant be created from the existing ones. Really, complex designs that appear to have knitting stitches that no one has even heard of tend to just be a complex conglomeration of existing knitting stitches.

Now, you have discovered all there is to know about the types of knitting stitches used in the world of knitting. Learn these knitting stitches well, because it is through these stitches that you will be able to create your next knitting project.