Based on a video by Sheep & Stitch.
The purl stitch is the second fundamental stitch in knitting and the second one you'll learn after the knit stitch. Together, knit and purl are the building blocks for every stitch pattern in knitting - stockinette, ribbing, seed stitch, cables, lace. Master both and you can read any pattern.
This walkthrough from Davina at Sheep & Stitch breaks the purl into seven clean steps. The big difference from a knit stitch: yarn stays in FRONT of the needle, the right needle goes in from TOP to BOTTOM (purlwise), and the wrap goes BACK to FRONT. Same yarn, same needles, opposite motions.
Hold needles in standard knitting position. Your cast-on stitches sit on the LEFT needle. The RIGHT needle starts empty - that's where each new stitch will land as you work.
The working yarn comes from the right side of the cast-on row. About 10-15 cast-on stitches gives you enough to practice the row without running out before the rhythm clicks.
This is the single biggest difference between purl and knit. For purl stitches, the working yarn must be in FRONT of your needles - between the needles and you, not behind them.
If your yarn is behind, the resulting stitch is either a knit (wrong) or a tangled mess. Move the yarn forward by passing it between the two needle tips before starting any purl stitch.
Take the right needle and push it into the first stitch on the left needle from TOP to BOTTOM. The needle enters from the front of the stitch and angles down through the stitch, coming out below.
This is also called 'purlwise' insertion. It's the opposite of how you'd insert for a knit stitch (knitwise = bottom to top). With yarn in front and needle entering top-down, your tip should now sit in front of the left needle, crossed over it.
Take the working yarn (still in front) and wrap it around the right needle from BACK to FRONT. The yarn passes over the top of the right needle and comes back to the front, leaving a fresh loop on the right needle.
The wrap direction matters. Going back-to-front creates a normal purl. Going front-to-back creates a twisted stitch that looks wrong on the next row. Always back-to-front for purls.
Use the right needle to catch the new loop and pull it through the stitch on the left needle. The needle dips down through the original stitch, capturing the new yarn loop and bringing it forward.
Keep the new loop on the right needle as you pull through. If it slips off, you've dropped a stitch - stop and pick it up before continuing.
Slide the original stitch off the LEFT needle. The new loop is now on the right needle - your finished purl stitch.
Look at it: a purl stitch creates a small bump (called a 'purl bump') on the side facing you. Knit stitches make a flat V; purls make a bump. That's how you tell them apart later when reading your knitting.
Repeat the same five moves: yarn front, needle in top-to-bottom, wrap back-to-front, pull through, slide off. Work each stitch from the left needle onto the right needle until the row is done.
A row of purls makes 'reverse stockinette' fabric (bumpy texture). Alternate purl rows with knit rows to make 'stockinette' (the flat V on one side, bumps on the back). Once both stitches feel automatic, you can knit anything.
Tip
Knit stitch and purl stitch are two faces of the same coin - the back of a knit looks like a purl, and vice versa. Garter stitch (knit every row) actually shows alternating bumpy purl rows on both sides.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links on this page may be affiliate links - clicking them and buying doesn't change your price, but helps support ShowMeStepByStep.
