Knitting Stitches for Beginners:  Complete Tutorials

Knitting Stitches for Beginners, by Janice  |Updated September 7, 2026

Are you just getting started and think all of these knitting stitches for beginners look too difficult to tackle? 

They may look difficult, but I will break each one down so they are more manageable.

This page teaches the six essential knitting stitches every beginner should learn before attempting most patterns.

A woman is knitting with yellow yarnKnitting Stitches for Beginners

What are some Knitting Stitches for Beginners?

garter-stitch-knitting-beige.jpgThe Knit Stitch (Also called Garter pattern if all you do is make knit stitches)
Purl stitch swatch also known as reverse stockinette worked in white yarnThe Purl Stitch (also called reverse stockinette if you only make purl stitches)
A swatch of stockingette stitch worked in pink yarnThe Stockinette Stitch (One row of all knit stitches and one row of all purl stitches)
A swatch of seed stitch worked in beige yarnSeed Stitch (worked by alternating knit and purl stitches)
2 x 2 rib stitch in a thumbnail image2 x 2 or double rib (make 2 knits, then 2 purls, and repeat across the row)
ribbing-1x1.jpgOne by One Ribbing (make one knit followed by one purl stitch across the row)

Don't worry if none of this makes sense.  You will understand all of these stitches as you read this tutorial.

Compare Five Essential Knitting Stitches and Patterns

The knit stitch and purl stitch are the two basic movements in knitting. By arranging them in different ways, you can create fabrics such as stockinette stitch, ribbing, and seed stitch.

Stitch or pattern How it is worked flat What to expect
Knit stitch Insert the right needle into the front of the stitch and knit it. One of the two basic knitting movements. Knitting every stitch on every row creates garter stitch, a reversible fabric that lies flat.
Purl stitch Bring the yarn to the front and work into the stitch from right to left. The second basic knitting movement. Knit and purl stitches are combined to create many different stitch patterns.
Stockinette stitch Knit one row and purl the next row. A smooth fabric with knit stitches on the right side and purl bumps on the wrong side. The edges naturally curl.
1×1 rib stitch Alternate one knit stitch and one purl stitch across each row. A stretchy, reversible pattern often used for cuffs, hat brims, neckbands, and sweater hems.
Seed stitch Alternate knit and purl stitches, placing knits over purls and purls over knits on the following row. A textured, reversible fabric that lies flat. It provides good practice moving the yarn between knit and purl stitches.

Where should you begin? Start with the knit stitch and use it to make a small garter-stitch swatch. Next, learn the purl stitch and combine the two movements to practice stockinette, ribbing, and seed stitch. Your first swatches do not need to look perfectly even. Their purpose is to help your hands become comfortable with the movements.

The Knit Stitch or Garter Stitch Pattern

Let's start with the most basic stitch: the knit Stitch.  If you create the knit stitch over and over again across the row and then in each subsequent row it is called the Garter Stitch Pattern.

It's classified under the knit and purl category and it's reversible, which means it looks the same on both sides. To create this stitch, you simply knit every row. It produces a fabric with a textured, bumpy look that's flexible and sturdy.

Garter knit stitch worked in gold yarnThe knit or garter stitch

Learn how to make the knit stitch.  

Here's the tutorial for the garter stitch variations.

Make a garter stitch scarf.

The Purl Stitch

The purl stitch is just the opposite of the knit stitch and is normally not worked alone even though you can.  But, If all you make are purl stitches, you create a piece of fabric called the reverse stockinette pattern. However, in most cases the purl stitch is created in combination with knit stitches to create different stitch patterns. 

If the purl stitch is worked alone or worked every other row as in stockinette stitch (see below), the fabric will curl and not lie flat.

Purl stitch swatch also known as reverse stockinette worked in white yarnPurl Stitch Tutorial

Find out how to make the purl stitch.  

Once you've mastered these two stitches, the rest is easy. The next set of knitting stitches for beginners use variations of these stitches to make a wide range of textured fabrics.

Stockinette Pattern

If you combine one row of knit stitches and one row of purl stitches you get the stockinette stitch pattern.  One thing that beginners learn quickly is that this stitch pattern does not lie flat.  It curls on all four sides.

A swatch of stockinette pattern worked in white woolThis is the right side (public side) of the stockinette stitch.
The reverse or wrong side of the stockinette stitch pattern worked in white wool yarnStockinette Stitch: Wrong Side (This is also called Reverse Stockinette Stitch as described above)

Learn how to make the stockinette stitch.

Make a stockinette stitch dishcloth.

Rib Stitches

Rib stitches are created by working knits and purls in one row.  You'll recognize these stitches because they usually appear as the cuffs on sleeves, the hem on sweaters or the rim on a hat.  Most rib stitches are reversible, meaning that the right and wrong sides of the fabric are the same. Many are also quite stretchy.

There are many different types of rib stitches.  Some are more stretchy than others. Some rib patterns lie flat.

Learn how to make the one-by-one rib

Learn how to make the two-by-two rib

A pin image of 1 x 1 ribbing tutorial page1x1 Rib (One-by-One Rib)
2x2 Rib stitch in a pin image2x2 (Two by two rib)

Seed Stitch

After mastering the knit and purl stitches, you can next move onto many different types of stitches.  Often, it is the seed stitch that beginners tackle next. 

The seed stitch is made by making one knit stitch followed by a purl stitch.  This pattern is repeated across the row of knitting.  On the second row, the pattern is reversed:  one purl followed by one knit across the row.\

Unlike stockinette stitch pattern, fabric created by seed stitch pattern lies flat.

seed-stitch-pink.jpgLearn how to make the Seed Stitch.

Once you master these basic stitches, you can knit many stitches. My purpose here is not to overwhelm, but to show you what possibilities exist.  If you want to discover more stitches that you can knit, keep reading.

Learn how to make the Seed Stitch

Last Words

If you are just beginning your adventure with knitting, it can be overwhelming to know what stitch to learn next.  This article has outlined some of the most common knitting stitches from the most beginner-friendly to the more advanced.  Once a beginner has mastered the knit and purl stitches, it's time to move onto the next level of textured, ribbed, reversible, slipstitch, lace or cabled stitches.  It's safe to say that there is always something new to learn.  

Happy Learning, Happy Knitting.

Janice

Knitting Stitches for Beginners
Pin for Future Reference

A sample swatch of garter, stockinette, and seed stitches

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