Purl Stitch Disaster

[StorminNormans]

Hello, I am new to the knitting world. I started last week. It has been quite frustrating, however I'm super determined! I have finally mastered casting on & the basic knit stitch, but my latest catastrophe is the purl stitch. I've watching video after video, checked out diagrams (which is like reading Ikea instructions if you ask me) and I still can't figure it out! My purl stitch is very tight & ends up becoming a very sloppy, ugly knot. Please help!

[suzeeq]

Usually you wrap the yarn around the needle the same direction as with the knit st; the difference is how you insert the needle. If you're wrapping the yarn backwards, that will make the st tighter when you knit into it on the next row, unless you knit it through the back loop - the leg closest to the tip of the needle.

[StorminNormans]

So is the only difference between the knit st & purl st the way you insert the needle at the start of the st?

[suzeeq]

Yep, as well as where the yarn it. For purls I see it as inserting the needle from the back of the knitting to the front which is where the yarn needs to be. For knits you insert it from the front to the back where the yarn should be for the knit stitch. Other people call it R to L or L to R, but that doesn't compute in my brain.

[ArtLady1981]

When I've taught new knitters, I say:

Knits are 'stab the stitch to the right'. Yarn back & wrapped in back of the needle.
Purls are 'stab the stitch to the left'. Yarn forward & wrapped in the front of the needle.

AKA:
Knits: needle tip is pointing to the right.
Purls: needle tip is pointing to the left.

Always wrap the stitch counterclockwise for both.

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