Knitting a dishcloth and every other row instructs you to knit on a knit stitch or purl on a purl stitch. How do I distinguish my stitches.
A knit stitch on one side produces a purl stitch on the reverse side and vice versa. So if you are looking at your work, and your previous row ended with a knit stitch, the first stitch you are looking at on your new row is a purl, so you will purl it. Also, a purl stitch has a loop of yarn around the stitch, kind of like a noose, and a knit stitch has the loop of yarn around the stitch, like a scarf (I got those mind pictures from Stitch 'n Bitch, wish I could share the illustrations because it really helps to visualize what a knit stitch and purl stitch look like).
The knit stitches are the ones that look like little Vs. The purl stitches are the only that stick out from the fabric. They just want you to knit when you see a knit stitch and purl when you see a purl stitch. Check out the videos to see more examples of what the stitches look like.