# Knit vs Purl: What Is the Difference Between the Two Stitches?

https://rowandround.app/guides/knitting/difference-between-knit-and-purl-stitches · Knitting; published 2026-11-01, updated 2026-11-01 · Kallos Labs

> Knit and purl are the same stitch worked from opposite sides of the fabric. A knit shows a V, a purl shows a bump. Yarn sits at the back to knit and at the front to purl.

Knit and purl are the same stitch worked from opposite sides of the fabric. A knit stitch shows a small V, and a purl stitch shows a small bump. You hold the yarn at the back of the work to knit and at the front to purl. Put them together in different orders and you get garter, stockinette and ribbing. For more on this topic, see all our [knitting guides](https://rowandround.app/guides/knitting).

## Are knit and purl really different stitches?

Not quite. As Lion Brand puts it, [the knit stitch and the purl stitch are the same stitch](https://www.lionbrand.com/community/blog/a-good-read-identifying-your-stitches/), just done from opposite sides of the fabric. A knit stitch puts the bump of the stitch at the back of your work. A purl stitch brings that bump to the front.

That is why the two look so different. On the side facing you, a knit stitch shows a smooth V at its base, and a purl stitch shows a raised bump. Turn the fabric over and every knit becomes a purl, and every purl becomes a knit.

## Where does the yarn go for each stitch?

The yarn sits at the back for a knit and at the front for a purl. Vogue Knitting says it plainly: [when knitting a stitch, the yarn is always held at the back of the work, and when purling, it is at the front](https://www.vogueknitting.com/pattern-help/how-to/techniques-abbreviations/basic-knitting-stitches/).

The one habit that trips up beginners is switching between the two in the same row. Move the yarn between the two needles, not over them. [Tin Can Knits warns](https://blog.tincanknits.com/2013/06/14/basicstitches/) that skipping this can create an extra stitch, and Vogue Knitting adds that your piece may start to look like a triangle.

## How can you tell them apart on your work?

Look at the stitch you are about to work. A V means knit it, and a bump means purl it. It is the quickest check, and it works on stockinette, ribbing and most mixed patterns.

Lion Brand adds a useful rule: work each stitch [as it appears on the next row you will work](https://www.lionbrand.com/community/blog/a-good-read-identifying-your-stitches/), not how you worked it on the previous row. In 1x1 ribbing you knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches as they appear. In seed stitch it flips: you knit the purl stitches and purl the knit stitches.

Reading your stitches this way also helps you find your place in a repeat and spot a mistake a few rows back, before it grows.

## What do knit and purl make together?

Knit and purl make every basic fabric, depending on the order you work them. Here are the four you will meet first.

| Fabric | Worked flat | Worked in the round | Look and feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garter | Knit every row | Knit one round, purl one round | Bumpy, stretchy, reversible, lies flat |
| Stockinette | Knit on the RS, purl on the WS | Knit every round | Smooth V's on the RS, bumps on the WS, curls |
| Reverse stockinette | Purl on the RS, knit on the WS | Purl every round | Bumpy side facing out, rustic |
| 1x1 ribbing | Knit one, purl one, in every row | Knit one, purl one, in every round | Stretchy, pulls in, reversible |

Garter is the easy one. It is [flat, reversible and ridged](https://www.vogueknitting.com/pattern-help/how-to/techniques-abbreviations/basic-knitting-stitches/) and does not roll at the edges. Stockinette is the smooth V fabric most people picture when they think of knitting. Tin Can Knits notes it has a strong tendency to curl: [the side edges curl toward the wrong side, and the cast-on and bind-off edges curl toward the right side](https://blog.tincanknits.com/2013/06/14/basicstitches/). A garter or ribbing border keeps it flat.

Ribbing mixes knits and purls in the same row, which is why it pulls in and suits cuffs and necklines. Not sure which to work next? Read the stitch in front of you.

Once you can work both stitches, shaping comes next. Many decreases, like [knit two together (k2tog)](https://rowandround.app/guides/knitting/how-to-knit-two-together-k2tog), are built from a plain knit.

## How do RS and WS fit in?

Patterns call the face of the fabric that will show the right side (RS), and the inside face the wrong side (WS). Berroco explains that on stockinette, [the V shapes on the right side are the knit stitches, and the curvy bumps on the wrong side are purl stitches](https://blog.berroco.com/2013/03/05/ask-amanda-which-side-of-my-knitting-is-the-right-side/).

So a pattern that says "Row 1 (RS): knit. Row 2 (WS): purl" is stockinette. Garter is the odd one out: both sides look the same, so you cannot tell them apart by eye. Berroco suggests marking the right side with a safety pin so you always know which kind of row you are on.

## Try it

Cast on 20 stitches and work a small swatch to feel the difference.

1. Knit 6 rows. You have garter. Notice the ridges on both sides.
2. Next, knit one row, purl one row, and repeat for 6 rows. You have stockinette. Check the V's on the RS and the bumps on the WS.
3. Finish with a few rows of knit one, purl one across, to see ribbing.

Keeping count is the hard part. After a while, a purl row and a knit row feel alike. In Row & Round, the [highlighter bar](https://rowandround.app/features/highlighter-bar) sits on the row you are working in your PDF pattern, and the [row counter](https://rowandround.app/features/row-counter) moves it to the next row with one tap on +1. The app is coming soon to iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, by Kallos Labs.

## Bottom line

Knit and purl are one stitch seen from two sides: a V when you knit, a bump when you purl. Yarn goes to the back for a knit and to the front for a purl. What you make depends on the order, so learn to read the V and the bump and the rest of a pattern gets much easier to follow.

## Questions

### Is a purl stitch just a backwards knit stitch?

In effect, yes. Knit and purl are the same stitch worked from opposite sides of the fabric, so a knit on one side shows as a purl on the other.

### Why does my stockinette curl?

Knit and purl rows pull in opposite directions. The side edges roll toward the wrong side, and the cast-on and bind-off edges roll toward the right side. A garter or ribbing border helps keep it flat.

### How do I knit stockinette in the round?

Knit every round. You always work with the right side facing you, so you never need a purl round for stockinette.

### How can I tell a knit from a purl on the needle?

Look at the stitch you are about to work. A V means knit it and a bump means purl it, which is how ribbing reads. Work each stitch as it appears on the row in front of you.


## Sources

- [Lion Brand: A Good Read, Recognizing the Knit and Purl Stitches](https://www.lionbrand.com/community/blog/a-good-read-identifying-your-stitches/)
- [Vogue Knitting: Basic Knitting Stitches](https://www.vogueknitting.com/pattern-help/how-to/techniques-abbreviations/basic-knitting-stitches/)
- [Tin Can Knits: Garter Stitch, Stockinette Stitch, and Ribbing](https://blog.tincanknits.com/2013/06/14/basicstitches/)
- [Berroco: Ask Amanda, Which side of my knitting is the right side?](https://blog.berroco.com/2013/03/05/ask-amanda-which-side-of-my-knitting-is-the-right-side/)