How to Knit the Seed Stitch

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The Seed Stitch is a really easy and fun stitch to knit! It has a lot of texture so it’s perfect for all kinds of things like washcloths, scarves and even blankets.

Simple seed stitch sample swatch on bright blue

To Knit the Seed Stitch you will need to know how to do the Knit Stitch and the Purl Stitch. If you know how to do both of those, then you can definitely knit the seed stitch!

Basically, the seed stitch is made by knitting in the purl stitches and purling in the knit stitches. By doing so, it creates the little bumps that gives the seed stitch it’s texture.

This stitch is so simple! You just knit in 1 stitch, purl in 1 stitch and repeat that across!

What is the Difference Between Knit and Purl Stitches?

You may be wondering, ‘How do I tell the difference between a knit stitch and a purl stitch?’ Well, that is a very important question! It also may be easier to tell the difference than you may think.

You can easily tell the difference between the 2 stitches by simply looking to see whether the stitch looks like a v or like a little bump.

If it looks like a v shape, it’s a knit stitch.

If it looks like a little sideways bump, it’s a purl stitch

Once you can easily tell the difference between the knit ad purl stitches, you will basically have this stitch down! Because all you need to do is knit in the purl stitches and purl in the knit stitches.

How Many Stitches do you Need to Start With?

This is another great thing with the seed stitch, you can start with any number of stitches! You can start with an even or odd number of stitches. A multiple of 2, multiple of 3 or even a multiple of 4. You can start with ANY number of stitches that you need.

swatch of seed stitch on knitting needles

Common Mistake to Avoid

A really common problem that you may have when trying to knit the seed stitch (especially if you are a newbie knitter) is that your piece winds up looking like ribbing. This is caused from working knit stitches into knit stitches and purl stitches into purl stitches.

You don’t want to do that. Simply work the opposite stitch into whatever stitch you are going to work into, knit in the purls and purl in the knits.

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