How do I pick up and PURL?

#21

The way I usually do it (see video) you don’t actually pick up anything but your working yarn between existing stitches. What do I pick up?

You pick up your working yarn. But do it as if you were purling. The usual way of doing it as in the video, is as if you were knitting.

Am I working right to left or left to right?
Is the raw edge of the fabric towards me or away from me?
Is the right (public) side on top or bottom?
Do I put the needle between stitches and pick up a bar and purl that?
Or do I put the needle through two as in the video?

Hmmmm, that’s actually 5 more questions…

R to L or L to right depends how you do it. If it’s as in the video, it’s right to left. The edge is on top, the RS facing you. Put the needle through the st and purl it. In the video the needle isn’t actually through 2 sts, it’s through both strands of the BO edge, the chain.

#22

I’m thinking of holding it differently-- I’m thinking of the fabric straight up and down, perpendicular to the floor. The public side is facing me, with the cast-off edge on top, closer to the ceiling (I’m assuming you’re picking up the sts from that edge?) and the cast-on edge on bottom, closer to the floor.

As for the L to R/R to L question. . .hmmm, well, it depends on how you’re picking up the existing sts. If you’re doing it one at a time, as in the video, then the first st you pick up (public side facing you), is on the right edge, and you’re gradually picking up old sts moving towards the left edge.

I’m not completely sure of the bar between sts question. . .but I’d pick up both pieces of each st, as in the video. How do you do it when you’re knitting picked up sts, vs this new thing of purling them? I would do it exactly that way, except to insert the needle coming towards you, the way we talked about in the other posts, because you’re purling, here.

Does any of that make sense?

#23

Bottom couple of pics here show how I pick up sts. (crochet hook) My ndl recv’ing the sts is moving R>L but I suppose you could think of it as L>R cuz the picked up st move from the left to the right onto the receiving ndl. Ultimately, the pickup ndl is moving in the same direction as it would be if you were working the row/round and the fabric is held the same, as well.

How are you doing it?

cam

#24

Y’all have been SO helpful! Thanks SO MUCH!!!

I just talked to my 14-year old niece who says that you CAN’T get a good purl stitch when picking up stitches. She suggested I just pick up the stitches on a TINY needle so the loops are small and don’t show and then purl off of that. Is she right? She has more knitting experience than I do!

#25

That can work and is sometimes advised. When you pick them up purlwise, you’re going to have the edge that you pick up from showing on the RS. Which is maybe something you didn’t want.

#26

Yep. It would look bad to have it show, so I’m using a long size 2 needle to pick up and purling them then onto a size 7. It seems to be working. Thank you all again for trying to get through to me!:hug:

#27

Soooo. . .how’s it coming along? Did you get it to work?

#28

Yep. Thanks SO much for your help! NOw if only I didn’t have to work so I could knit all day and finish my top!:slight_smile:

#29

Now that’s a problem we all share…

#30

Hmmmm. If you pick up knitwise on the right side as usual but instead of purling back on the wrong side (knitting flat) you knit back wouldn’t you get a row of purl bumps? If it is in the round, purling around?

Or am I completely missing your point?:aww:

#31

That occurred to me too before I got sidetracked with another thought…

#32

Picking up with a size 2 needle and then purling with my size 7 gave the effect I want. Thanks!