For this article, here is an important definition: if the next stitch has a purl bump snuggled up right below the needle, then we say that it looks like a Purl; otherwise, we say that it looks like a Knit. And yes, the stitch that looks like a Purl on this side was really Knitted on the previous row, and vice versa.
K1P1 ribbing is one of the basic knitting stitch patterns learned by a beginner knitter. It is worked by alternating the sequence of (Knit 1 stitch, Purl 1 stitch), generally until you run out of stitches.
FLECK
The easiest stitch pattern is a 1-row repeat:
Cast on an even number of stitches.
Row 1: *K1. P1. Rep from * to end.
The nicest feature of K1P1 ribbing is that it is one of the examples of Knitting the Knit stitches and Purling the Purl stitches as they face you. This means that if the next stitch looks like a Purl, then you must Purl the stitch. But if the next stitch looks like a Knit, then you must Knit the stitch.
With that information in hand, now it is time to investigate some options.
Moss Stitch: The first variation is to shift the Knits and Purls by one stitch with each new row. You still alternate Knit and Purl stitches across the row, but if the next stitch looks like a Knit stitch, you PURL it, and if the next stitch looks like a Purl stitch, then you KNIT it. The purl bumps pop out from the Vees of the knit stitches, giving great texture. A Moss Stitch swatch is much wider than a K1P1 Ribbing swatch. The easiest stitch pattern is a 1-row repeat:
Cast on an odd number of stitches.
Row 1: K1. *P1. K1. Rep from * to end.
Double Moss Stitch: This option consists of two rows of ordinary K1P1 ribbing, and then two more rows with the ribs moved over one stitch. The knitted fabric has wonderful texture. Its pattern has a 4-row repeat:
Cast on an even number of stitches:
Row 1: * K1. P1. Rep from * across.
Row 2: Rep Row 1.
Row 3: * P1. K1. Rep from * across.
Row 4: Rep Row 2.
Fleck Stitch: This variation is much simpler than those mentioned above, because you have to deal with switching the yarn between front and back on only one row out of four. The fabric consists of 3 rows of Stocking Stitch (K 1 row and P 1 row) and one row of K1P1 ribbing. The purl bumps from the K1P1 row provide a nice little bit of texture against the smooth background of Stocking Stitch. The pattern has a 4-row repeat:
Cast on an even number of stitches
Row 1 (RS): Knit.
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3: Knit.
Row 4: * K1. P1. Rep from * across.
Conclusion
For a pattern stitch as simple as repeating (K1.P1.) across the row, there are a lot of variations. And this article didn't even consider what happens when you do it with multiple colors!
Try these variations, and see how you like the texture that results.
Variations of the K1P1 Knitting Stitch Pattern FLECK
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