Purlbed

Hand knitting › Basic fabrics and ribs

Seed stitch (moss stitch)

An even scatter of purl bumps, every stitch the opposite of its neighbours left, right, above and below: a grainy, pebbly surface, the same on both sides. Knit 1, purl 1, but on every following row knit the purls and purl the knits as they face you, so the bumps shift by one each row.

What you work it with

Hand knitting · Tools: Straight or circular needles; smooth yarn shows the texture best.

Symbol chart

One or two repeats of the stitch pattern, drawn as seen from the right side.
1234Knit on RS, purl on WSPurl on RS, knit on WSRead from the bottom: RS rows (odd) right to left, WS rows (even) left to right.

Steps

  1. Cast on an odd number.
  2. Row 1: k1, *p1, k1*; repeat to the end.
  3. Repeat row 1 every row: the stitches that face you as knits are purled, and purls are knitted.
  4. Cast off in pattern.

The full card

What it looks like
An even scatter of purl bumps, every stitch the opposite of its neighbours left, right, above and below: a grainy, pebbly surface, the same on both sides.
How it behaves
Lies flat and does not curl; firm, thick and only slightly stretchy. Wider than stocking stitch for the same stitch count.
How it works
Knit 1, purl 1, but on every following row knit the purls and purl the knits as they face you, so the bumps shift by one each row. (In the UK this is called moss stitch; in the US "moss stitch" is a two-row version.)
Tools
Straight or circular needles; smooth yarn shows the texture best.
Parameters
Flat: an odd number makes every row "k1, *p1, k1*"; an even number alternates two rows. Usually a little looser gauge than stocking stitch [inference].
Steps
1) Cast on an odd number. 2) Row 1: k1, *p1, k1*; repeat to the end. 3) Repeat row 1 every row: the stitches that face you as knits are purled, and purls are knitted. 4) Cast off in pattern.
Charting
Read from the right side: a checkerboard of k and p squares that shifts by one every row; on WS rows work the opposite of the square.
Limits and common problems
Easy to lose your place: check that you are purling into a knit stitch's V. Moving the yarn front to back every stitch is slow; slow, even work keeps the bumps even [inference].
Combines with
Stocking stitch (stockinette), Garter stitch, 4-stitch cable
Pieces and assembly
Borders around stocking stitch, button bands, washcloths, scarves that look the same on both sides.

Written in our own words from machine manuals, knitting references and swatching. Knit a test swatch before a whole piece.

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