Knitting Ribbing
Ribbing is usually used on the cuffs of jumpers and cardigans. It is used with knit stitch to stop the ends curling up and to give a tighter finish on the edges.
Ribbing is achieved by knitting one stitch and then purling one stitch and repeating for the entire row. (OR knitting 2 stitches and then purling 2 stitches) You need to ensure that for each row you knit and purl exactly on the same stitch. I prefer to make sure the first and last stitch on a row is actually a knit stitch as I find them easier to sew to other pieces in a garment.
After the first row is complete you can tell whether you need to purl or knit by looking at the stitch (on the left hand needle) that you're about to put a new stitch on. If the knot is round the front of the stitch then you need to purl, if it is to the back then this one needs to be a knit stitch. You need to move the yarn to the front if you're about to do a purl stitch, or to the back if you're about to knit a stitch.
Yarn to the front
Yarn to the back
Ribbing is shown in knitting patterns as * K1 P1 *, the *'s mean continue for as many rows as specified. See Knitting Abbreviations for further information on patterns.
