Stocking Stitch

General Knitting
1

I’m doing a pattern where row 1 is a knit row, as is row 3. I’m directed to do row 2 in stocking stitch - would this be a purl row?

2

If you’re knitting flat then you alternate a rows of purl and knit.

1- knit
2- purl
3- knit
4- purl

So yes, your next row would be a purl row.

3

With the same pattern I’ve been working what they call a “floating hexagon pattern” which is mainly knit but with some purl stitches in the middle and then in the middle of the pattern it says “work 1 row in stocking stitch” (or 3 rows for the bigger sizes). I don’t know if I should be starting with purl or knit. I’m on a WS row if that helps… (It’s a pattern by Gudrun Johnson).

4

Stockinette stitch: WS row - purl, RS - row knit. That’s the general rule so unless there is something unusual with your pattern, purl the WS and knit the RS rows. It seems that it was written as it was so they don’t have to say knit this row and purl that row, just do what works for that row, the different sizes could start on the other side. HTH

5

I am a little confused here - your pattern requires you to just do one row in stockinette stitch? But in a stockinette stitch, you need to knit one row and then purl the next. It goes like:
row 1: knit all stitches
row 2: purl all stitches
row 3: knit all stitches
row 4: purl all stitches and so on
So, all you should have to do is follow this pattern and create a stockinette patch in the middle of the knit stitches. Here you can find out more about the stockinette stitch technique.