Knit the Knits and Purl the Purls

Occasionally a knitting pattern will have an instruction to “knit the knits and purl the purls.” In this video, Jen Lucas explains these instructions, working on a swatch of elongated interrupted rib.

Jen begins by working a row of 1×1 ribbing (purl 1 stitch, knit 1 stitch) on the right side of the swatch. To continue the stitch pattern, the 1×1 ribbing pattern will be worked again on the next row. It’s worked by looking at the stitches and working the stitches as they are presented.

To knit the knit and purl the purls, Jen follows these rules:

• – If a stitch presents as a knit stitch (V-shape), the stitch is knit
• – If a stitch presents as a purl stitch (ridge or bump), the stitch is purled

Jen notes that most knitting patterns do not use this instruction, but it is something that you come across occasionally in your knitting.