The Slip Stitch

Slipping a stitch is the act of moving a stitch from one needle to the other without working it. A slipped stitch can be part of another technique or help to make designs in patterns. It can also be used in shaping a project.

How to do the Slip Stitch

Slip Stitch Purlwise

1. Insert your needle into your next stitch as if you are going to do a purl stitch
                                        
2. Slip that stitch off your left needle onto the right without working it
                                      
3. Work the next stitch as the pattern requires

Slip Stitch Knitwise

1. Insert your needle into your next stitch as if you are going to do a knit stitch

2. Slip that stitch off your left needle onto the right without working it

3. Work the next stitch as the pattern requires

Reading the stitch in a Project

The best way to read the slip stitch in a project is to look for a yarn that crosses an unworked stitch.
                                    

The image above is a pattern where every other stitch is a slip stitch.

Reading the stitch in a pattern

The slip stitch in a pattern is abbreviated to ‘sl’
In most patterns you should be doing the slip stitch purlwise unless otherwise stated.
If the way the pattern wants you to slip the stitch is mentioned knitwise could be abbreviated to ‘Kwise’ and purlwise is ‘Pwise’.

Stitch Combinations

These stitches can be found in the Stitch Library.

Linen Stitch
Texture Stitch
Loop Pattern
Vertical bar lines
Woven horizontal herringbone
Woven Stitch 1
Double Woven Stitch
Woven Rib
Garter slip stitch
Basket Rib
Slipped Rib
Moss Slip Stitch
Biba Trellis
Tweed Stitch
Garter and Slip Stitch
Slip Stitch Rib

Yarn Forward and Yarn Back

The yarn forward and yarn back is a way to manipulate the yarn to make interesting patterns. A yarn forward brings the yarn to the front of your work and a yarn back takes it to the back of your work. Some stitch patterns that use this technique are mentioned at the bottom of this post and can be found in the Stitch Library.

How to Yarn Forward and Yarn Back

The Yarn Forward

1. Get to the point in your work where you need to yarn forward.

Continental

English

2. Pass the yarn between your needles bringing it to the front

Continental

English

3. Continue with the next stitch.

The Yarn Back

1. Get to the point in your work where you need to yarn back.

Continental

English

2. Pass the yarn between your needles taking it to the back

Continental

English

3. Continue with the next stitch.

Reading the Stitch in a Project

As this is a way to manipulate the yarn rather than a stitch the only real way to read this in a project is to look at where a knit stitch is next to a purl stitch.

Reading the Stitch in a Pattern

In a written pattern the yarn forward is abbreviated to ‘yf’ or ‘yfwd’ and the yarn back is abbreviated to ‘yb’.

Stitch Combinations

Plain Rib                 Labyrinth                                 Plain Diamonds

Embossed Diamonds         Dot Stitch                                 Farrow Rib

Box Stitch                 Moss Stitch                         Double Moss Stitch

Oblique Rib         Lizard Lattice                         Stocking Stitch Triangles

Cross Motif Pattern         Moss Stitch Parallelograms                         Moss Stitch Triangles

Moss Stitch Squares         Chevron Stripes                                 Hexagon Stitch

Moss Stitch Diagonal         Seed Stitch Checks                         Moss Stitch Panes

Vertical Zigzag moss stitch         Top Hat Pattern                                 Diagonal Garter Ribs

Checkerboard         Beaded Rib                         Two-Stitch Ribs

Four-stitch Ribs                 fleck stitch                                 double basket weave

Maze Pattern         Double Parallelogram Stitch                         Double Signal Check

King Charles Brocade         Garter Stitch Triangles                                 Diagonals

Diamond and Block         Divided Triangles                         Purl Triangles

Textured Triangle Stack         Moss Stitch Diamonds                         Check Stitch

Double Fleck Stitch         Garter Stitch Checks                         Moss Stitch Double Parallelograms

Flag Pattern         Reverse Stocking Stitch Chevrons         Ladder Stitch

Small Basket Stitch         Double Moss Stitch Triangles         Dotted Ladder Stitch

interrupted rib         uneven rib                         stocking stitch checks

ridged rib                 Lattice Stitch                 Slanting Diamonds

Steps         Harbour Flag                 Basket Weave

Alternating Triangles         Triple Wave                         Purled Ladder Stitch

Broken Rib                 Moss Rib                         Garter Stitch Steps

Ridge and Furrow         Divided Boxes                         Tile Stitch

Diagonal Checks        Diagonal Rib 1                         Diamond Net Mask

Moss Panels         Anchor                 Moss Diamonds

Pyramid Triangles         Unusual Pattern Check                 Chevron Rib

Woven Stitch 2                 Centipede Stitch                         Caterpillar Stitch

Little Chevron Rib         Waffle Stitch                 Horizontal Dash Stitch

Diagonal Rib 2                 Large Basket Weave                         Broken Rib Diagonal

Stripe Pillars         Diamond Panels                         Textured Tiles

Enlarged Basket Stitch         Chevron                         Intertwined Texture Stitch

Bobble Rib                 Pique Rib                         Ladder Tile

Spiral Rib                 Dotted Chevron                         Tweed Pattern

Diamond Pattern                 Pyramids 2                 Zigzag Stitch

Spaced Checks                 Fancy Diamond                         Berry Ladder

Slanted Bamboo                 Squares                         Crossroad Squares

Triangle Ribs         Ocean Wave                 Elongated Chevron

Moss Stitch Zigzag      Close Checks

The Purl Stitch

The purl stitch is the other fundamental technique you need to be able to knit more patterns. At its most basic description it's a backwards knit stitch, so the bump that is on the back of a knit stitch is on the front of the purl. If you purled every row you would get a garter stitch, however alternating knit and purl rows gives you a flatter look to your work. Examples of stitches that can be made by knit and purl stitches alone are at the bottom of this post, and also on the Stitch Library page.

How to Knit the Purl Stitch

1. Cast on as many stitches as you need, or start a new row.

2. Insert your right needle into the front of the first stitch on the left needle from right to left. The working yarn needs to stay in front of it all.

Continental

English

3. Wrap the yarn around the needle counter-clockwise coming from below.

Continental

English

4. Pull the yarn through the stitch.

Continental

English

5. Slip the stitch you worked through off the left needle to finish the purl stitch.

Continental

English

6. Repeat steps 1-4 as many times as you need or until the end of the row.

Identifying the stitch

The image above is the stocking stitch and I have highlighted one stitch. From the back of the stitch it looks like little V’s or little chains and the front of the stitch is a horizontal bump.

Reading the Stitch

In knitting patterns this stitch appears as ‘purl’ or is abbreviated to ‘P’. normally when it has been abbreviated the letter could be followed by a number, therefore ‘P4’ would mean you need to complete 4 purl stitches. Sometimes the pattern will say ‘purl to the end of the row’ and that would mean you need to purl the remaining stitches of that row. It might also say ‘Row (no.): Purl’, this means that the pattern wants you to purl that whole row.

Common Mistakes

Dropping stitches

This a mistake that can happen in all knitters new and old, but don't panic they can be picked back up and fixed.

Tight/loose tension

This is just a matter of practice and adjusting till you understand the tension you work at.

Stitch Combination Patterns

Below is a list of stitch patterns that you can find in the stitch Library that are made out of alternating rows of knit and purl stitches.

Stocking Stitch 

Reverse Stocking Stitch

Cartridge Stitch

Alternated Smooth Stitch and Tier

Garter Stitch Ridges