Every knitter should know the three most basic knitting stitches. There’s a garter stitch, which is knitting every stitch, every row, so the yarn bumps alternate on each side of the fabric. Then there’s stockinette stitch, which is alternating rows of knit with rows of purls to keep those yarn bumps on the same side of the fabric with each stitch.
The third big one is seed stitch, where the yarn bumps alternate not on a row-by-row basis, but on a stitch-by-stitch basis. In pure seed stitch, the pattern on each row alternates one knit with one purl. Then the next row, you knit the stitches you’d knitted on the previous row and purl the stitches you’d purled on the previous row. For an even number of stitches, the two row pattern is k1, p1 on row 1, then p1, k1 on row 2. For an odd number of stitches, it’s just k1, p1 each row. This creates an effect where the yarn bumps are scattered across the fabric, looking like little seeds, hence the name.
If you know these three basics, you’ll be in good shape to conceptualize any knitting pattern or project you come across. And once you’ve mastered them, you’re ready to branch out to some of the more advanced variations, such as the American moss stitch.
The double moss stitch is an extension of seed stitch over two rows.
You still alternate your knits and purls each stitch, you just do two rows the same before switching.The basic moss stitch pattern looks like this:
Start with an even number of stitches.
Rows 1 & 2: K1, p1
Rows 3 & 4: p1, k1
Work with it a little bit and you’ll see that it’s kind of like a broken rib, seed stitch combination. Rows 1 & 2 by themselves look like a rib. Then rows 3 & 4 shift that rib over one column.
The trickiest thing about knitting moss stitch is remembering which row you’re on because it doesn’t alternate each row, it switches every other row.
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