Learning to Knit: Stocking Stitch: Free Knitting Pattern for Stocking Stitch Roll Scarf

How to knit stocking or stockinette stitch

stocking stitch knitting

I said before the two main stitches in knitting are knit and purl or plain and purl depending where you come from. Here I'll show you how to add a purl stitch to your portfolio. Knitting a plain stitch for one row and purling each stitch on the next makes what is called a stocking stitch in the UK, stockinette in the US.

Knit one row, Purl one row alternately and you have stocking stitch. 

How To purl

1. Bring the yarn around the front of your needle.
2. Slip the tip of your right hand needle through the loop of your stitch from right to left- this time the right-hand needle will slip over the top of the other one, wrap yarn around, pull this through the loop making a new stitch and left the other slip off the needle.

Stocking Stitch

Knit one row, Purl one row alternately and you have stocking stitch. This gives your work two looks, a right side and a wrong side though you can display either depending on what you want. You can make both work for you.

This is the 'right' side in stocking stitch knitting

This is the 'wrong' side in stocking stitch knitting

Stocking Stitch Roll Infinity Scarf: Free Knitting Pattern for Beginners

You'll find while you are knitting this it kind of rolls us at the edges - don't worry about that now when you finish you can decide if you want to make a roll scarf or press it flat using a damp cloth and an iron for a different look. I'll come back and show you that version with instructions on how to make a fringe edging. 

What you need to make a roll scarf: 

I've added a little more texture to this stocking stitch scarf by alternating plain knitting with knitting into the back stitch of each loop. I knitted and purled 10 rows knitting into the front of the loop and knitted and purled by knitting into the back loop on each knitting row for 10 rows.

This is what it looks like: 

look for the change in texture 10 rows up

100g of aran weight yarn or equivalent

Size 6mm knitting needles - check the label on the yarn for recommendations.

Yarn needle to finish

Cast on 26 stitches

1st row - slip first stitch onto your working needle without knitting, then knit to the last stitch, knit into the back of the last stitch and turn your work. 

2nd row - slip the first stitch onto your working needle without purling. Bring your yarn forward and purl to the last stitch. Knit into the back of  your last stitch and turn your work. 

Repeat 4 times

11th row - slip the first stitch onto your working needle without knitting then knit into the back loop of each stitch to the end.

12th row - slip the first stitch onto your working needle without purling then purl to the last stitch, knit into the back loop of the last stitch and turn your work. 

Repeat another 4 times.

21st row - as 1st row

Continue in rows of 10 like this until you have the length you want. You can measure is just by winding it around your neck so you have a comfortable length. I used the whole of 100gr ball of aran weight yarn. 

Cast off stitched on a knit row

To make an infinite scarf sew the two ends together.

Stocking Stitch  Roll Infinity Scarf

When you are wearing it you can spread it out to display the inside
the wrong side if you prefer

Stocking Stitch  Roll Infinity Scarf