Hi, I am new to this knitting stuff, (barely last week) and I think I learn really fast, because I know how to knitt and purl, but I came across a pattern that calls for rib knitting. Idk what it is exactly. Can you plx try to explain/tell how to do it?
Rosegirl147 :knitting:
Ribbing is alternating knits and purls. So 2X2 ribbing is K2 P2 K2 P2 K2 etc. When you turn it over–if knitting flat-- it will be P2 K2 P2 K2 P2. Or Knit the Knits and Purl the purls. So it helps to be able to “read” your knitting and be able to identify what stitch is what when you look at it, then you can just look at it to know what to do rather than saying K2 P2 K2 over and over to yourself.
If knitting in the round like for a sock or hat or a sleeve or a sweater body you are always knitting on the Right side so you start the ribbing pattern and then just keep doing what you did on the previous round Knit the knits and purl the purls.
Ribbing can also be 1X1 (K1 P1 K1) or 3x3 or 1x3 or 2x3 or 1X2. Can vary by pattern.
Ribbing is alternating knits and purls in the same row. It makes a nice stretchy pattern which is why it’s often used on hats and sleeve cuffs. You can use any number of each one and it will create a different look. The smaller numbers like k2,p2 seem to be the stretchiest.
To get these two to come out looking like ribbing you knit the knits and purl the purls as they face you. This means when the needle is in your left hand ready to be knit. Each stitch as two sides. One side is a knit the other a purl. So if you’ve knit the stitch on one side you’ll be purling it on the other. Learn to read your knitting and you won’t have any trouble figuring out what comes next.
Some background knowledge?
knits and purls “curl” the string the opposite way to each other as you know.
when alternating knits and purl or changing from one to the other, the knit stitches appear to be “higher up” than the purl ones. That makes them overlap. Depending on the yarn, the needle / yarn ratio and so on, the overlap is differently large. But in general you can expect to have an overlap of 0.5 stitches.
So when you alternate one by one k p k p k p you pretty much only see knits and the purl stitches “fall between them”.
or you alternate k2 p2 k2 p2 k2 p2 and so on, the ribs of knit and of purl overlap by about a half stitch on each side so you see some purl between the knit ribs.
the more knit you do before you do (e.g., but not necessarily) the same amount of purl, the less places of overlap you will have.
When you pull on apiece of ribbing (sideways) it stretches out and you see all your stitches. The more overlap the more stretch.
The most well known is k2 p2 but for baby clothes for example I like using k1 p1.
Just try with your yarn and needles. You will see!