1x1 Rib Knitting Stitch Pattern

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If you are planning to knit garments sooner or later you will need to master the 1x1 rib knitting stitch pattern as it is often a feature of jumpers or cardigans and it is also used for knitting scarves.

1x1 Rib Knitting Stitch Pattern1x1 Ribbing | © Deborah Mason & Knitting Naturally

Rib is usually knitted on smaller needles that the main body of your garment and at the cuff on your sleeves and creates a stretchy band that fits more snuggly that the rest of the garment.  Ribbing is a combination of knit and purl stitches and if you want an almost hidden cast on edge you can cast on ribwise instead of all knit cast on stitches.

Basically to create a rib  you alternate  between knit and purl stitches to form columns of stitches.  This is going to be a bit confusing, but there are two ways of looking at it. 

The first way is factually correct in that if you knit a particular stitch on one row, you also purl it in the next row and all purl stitches on the first row are knit stitches on the next row.   But it can be a little bit difficult to get your head around because each stitch looks different when switching from one side of your knitting to looking at the same stitch on the other side.  A purl stitch on the wrong side looks like a knit stitch on the right side.

The other way to visualise a rib stitch is that if the stitch below the next one you work looks like a knit stitch, you knit the next stitch and if it looks like a purl stitch, you should purl the next stitch.

Assumed knowledge includes:

Instructions for 1x1 Rib Knitting Stitch Pattern

The instructions for 1 x 1 Rib vary depending on whether it is knitted over an odd or even number of stitches and in always a two row pattern.  To knit a 1x1 rib over an uneven number of stitches:

1st row: *K1, p1; rep from * to last st, k1.
2nd row: *P1, k1; rep from * to last st, p1.

Repeat these two rows.

If you wish to knit moss stitch over an even number of stitches, you need to adjust the knitting instructions slightly:

1st row: *K1, p1; rep from * to end of row.
2nd row: *K1, P1; rep from * to end of row.

Repeat these two rows.


1x1 Rib Knitting Stitch Pattern1x1 Rib Knitting Stitch Pattern | © Deborah Mason & Knitting Naturally

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