How to Work Stockinette Stitch

Hi everyone. I'm Jen Lucas for The Knitting Circle. In this video let's take a look at working stockinette stitch in rows. When you think of a knitted fabric most people are thinking of stockinette stitch. It's a fabric that's created by working knit stitches on the right side and purl stitches on the wrong side when you're working in rows. It creates a beautiful, smooth fabric and it's the basis for hundreds and hundreds of stitch patterns and something that you really need to know how to do so that you can get started on your next knitting project. So let's go ahead and take a look at working stockinette stitch in rows. When working stockinette stitch we're going to be knitting on the right side and purling on the wrong side because we're working in rows and here I have a swatch just so you can see what this looks like. So for traditional regular stockinette stitch this would be the right side because we have knit on the right side. And then we have purled on the wrong side. Stockinette stich does have a tendency to curl, so that's something that you're going to want to be aware of. Most of your knitting patterns will account for this. Maybe there'll be a slip stitch along the edge or some other sort of edging to prevent it from curling. I have blocked this. I steamed this swatch, so it's not curling too much but over time it does have a natural tendency to curl, you can kind of see it even here in my swatch. And if you, here my working swatch, but you can see here this is even curling a little bit here on the side. So stockinette stitch, just to note it does have a natural tendency to curl but most knitting patterns will account for that and help you get around that natural curl that stockinette stitch has. So let's go ahead and get knitting it though. So we're going to just be knitting on the right side and then purling on the wrong side. It doesn't matter if you use the English or throwing method or if you use the continental picking method to work your stitches, it's whatever feels comfortable for you. It's all going to create the same fabric. I'm going to use the English method because that is how I knit. So I'm on the right side of my work. I have my smooth knit stitches here. I'm just going to go ahead and work all knit stitches along this little swatch. So I'm inserting my needle, wrapping the yarn around pulling a loop through and off. So I'm just working those knit stitches all the way across. And you can see as I'm working, I'm creating these nice smooth stitches here. And when I come to the end, I'll be ready to work my wrong side because we're doing stockinette stitch. It's going to be all purl stitches. So again, it doesn't matter what method you use to do your purl stitch. We're just going to use the purl stitch all the way across this wrong side. What I really like about stockinette stitches it does create this nice smooth fabric on the right side. I really love knitting, simple sweaters using it. I think it looks beautiful. And it's the, when people think of knitting this is the fabric that they typically think of. And that's it just knit all your stitches on the right side, purl all your stitches on the wrong side. And you've made stockinette stitch. There you go. You see, it creates a beautiful fabric, it's so smooth. I love using it for all sorts of things. And again, you're going to find it in every type of knitting project out there. And you can just create simple garments and blankets things like that. Using stockinette stitch. It really has lots of great uses in knitting. I'm Jen Lucas, for The Knitting Circle i hope that you enjoyed this video. Be sure to check out the other content on our website. I'm sure you'll find lots of great knitting techniques to try.