You’ve knit a dozen things in garter stitch or stockinette stitch, and you’ve got the hang of it. Maybe you’re even a little bored with it. That’s why I’ve made a list of stitches that are easy to learn, making them great for a beginner’s repertoire of mastered knitting stitches.
If you’re not yet comfortable with increases and decreases, don’t fret. All of these stitches use a combination of knitting and purling. They’re all easy to learn, but pay careful attention when first doing them, as you may start making mistakes.
Notation
Here’s an explanation of the notation you’ll see in this blog post:
- K1 – Knit 1 stitch
- P1 – Purl 1 stitch
- (edge) – This is an edge stitch. While all the edge stitches are marked as knit, you can do what you would like with them. I usually slip the first edge stitch and knit the last one for a neat look.
- * * – Repeat whatever is within the two asterisks
Seed Stitch/Moss Stitch
This stitch is perfect for winter clothing and accessories, and it is incredibly easy to learn. The pattern of the knit and purl stitches creates a thick and textured look, and it appears very neat even if you are learning it for the first time.
There are some variations in the naming, as some call it the seed stitch and others call it the moss stitch. What some may call a moss stitch others may call a double moss stitch. For simplicities sake, I will refer to this as the seed stitch.
- For symmetry, cast on a multiple of 2 + 1 stitches, plus 1 edge stitch on each side
- 1st row: K1 (edge), * K1, P1 *; repeat from * to * until the last stitch, K1 (edge)
- Repeat the 1st row to form the pattern
And there you have the seed stitch. To test it out, I recommend making a scarf. It would make a great winter accessory, or you could use it as a gift for the holidays.
2/2 Rib Stitch
The 2/2 rib stitch is a very lovely stitch that would work well for a pair of leg-warmers or fingerless gloves. It has a textured feeling, almost like ripples on a pond. The best thing about this stitch is that it’s reversible, so it looks just as good on one side as it does on the other.
- For symmetry, cast on a multiple of 4 + 2 stitches, plus 1 edge stitch on each side
- 1st row: K1 (edge), * K2, P2 *; repeat from * to * until the last stitch, K1 (edge)
- 2nd row: K1 (edge), * P2, K2 *; repeat from * to * until the last stitch, K1 (edge)
- Repeat rows 1 through 2 to form the pattern
To test out the 2/2 rib stitch, I suggest making a pair of leg warmers or fingerless gloves. As with the seed stitch scarf, you could use it as a winter accessory or use it as a holiday gift.
Stockinette Stitch with Garter Ridge
It may look complicated, but this is an incredibly simple stitch. Unlike the other stitches in this list, it doesn’t matter how many stitches you cast on, as it will always be symmetrical.
- 1st row: K1 (edge), * K1 *; repeat from * to * until the last stitch, K1 (edge)
- 2nd row: K1 (edge), * P1 *; repeat from * to * until the last stitch, K1 (edge)
- 3rd row: K1 (edge), * K1 *; repeat from * to * until the last stitch, K1 (edge)
- 4th row: K1 (edge), * K1 *; repeat from * to * until the last stitch, K1 (edge)
- 5th row: K1 (edge), * P1 *; repeat from * to * until the last stitch, K1 (edge)
- 6th row: K1 (edge), * K1 *; repeat from * to * until the last stitch, K1 (edge)
- Repeat rows 1 through 6 to form the pattern.
Since this looks very complicated, here’s a simpler way to do it:
- 1st row: Knit all stitches
- 2nd row: Purl all stitches
- 3rd row: Knit all stitches
- Repeat rows 1 through 3 to form the pattern
The stockinette stitch with garter ridge has a very puffy feeling to it, while still maintaining a light and airy quality to it, making it a wonderful choice for a blanket. It’s also incredibly stretchy, so it would be a great choice for a headband, sleeve, or anything else that may need to stretch a bit in order to fit.
Now you’ve learned 3 stitches that you can add to your knitting repertoire, even if you’re only a beginner. I encourage you to test them out yourself. If you do try any of these, post an image of your knitting work on twitter and tag me in it (@CozyRebekah). I’d love to see what cool knitting projects you come up with while using these stitches.
Cozy Rebekah 