Stockinette Stitch

There have been a billion posts over the difference between the knit stitch you learn when you buy your loom (generally the twisted stockinette stitch) and the normal knit stitch that one thinks of in terms of needle knitting.

 Here is the difference between them:

Image 1.  The twisted stockinette stitch versus the stockinette stitch.  This knit piece has the same amount of rows for each side, but one can see the twisted stockinette being much looser and larger.


The left is the e-wrap, twisted stockinette stitch, and the right is the normal stockinette stitch, also commonly called a "knit stitch" (k).  Depending on where you get your pattern from a "knit stitch" can be either the twisted stockinette stitch or the normal knit stitch.  When I say "knit stitch" I refer to the stockinette stitch (right), whereas some loom knitters consider the e-wrap twisted stockinette stitch the "knit stitch".  The difference between both stitches are very easy, and there is a misconception that the stockinette stitch is more time consuming than the twisted stockinette stitch.  Not at all! Both require you to just knit over the peg like the next picture below, but the only difference is in how the yarn is placed.

Image 2. "Knitting over" just means taking the bottom loop and lifting it over the other yarn.  Both the twisted stockinette and stockinette stitch require this action.


Twisted stockinette stitch (tw St st)
Also called: EW stitch, knitting through the back loop (k tbl), and sometimes synonymous with "knit stitch" for loom knitters.

This stitch is the basic stitch for loom knitters.  The way to do this is to make an e-wrap and knit over.  Doing only 1 e-wrap on the peg creates a 1-over-1 stitch.  You can also e-wrap two times or three times to do a 1-over-2, or 1-over-3.  They basically look like braids.

Image 3.  The e-wrap.  To complete a twisted stockinette stitch, just take the bottom loop over the peg.

This creates a loose stitch, which can come in handy sometimes. However, when you stretch the knit piece, say, for a hat, this may create an unwanted, mesh-like piece.  When loom knitters start out, they may become disappointed because they do not look like the hats that one buys from a store.

Image 4.  Twisted stockinette stitch (1-over-1). When stretched, you can see gaps between the stitches.



Stockinette stitch (St st)
Also can refer to:  u-stitch, flat knit stitch (this is an outdated term), flat stitch, knit (k).

This stitch is the stitch most knitters learn first while knitting with needles.  It is just as easy, or even easier than doing an e-wrap. All you have to do is lay the yarn in front of your peg and knit over.  It may not look like the stitch at all until you knit a few rows of it. (Scroll up to image 1 for the picture of it; I forgot to take another picture).

Image 5.  How to lay your yarn to do a stockinette stitch.  Peg 2 is the peg that will be knitted over.  To make sure there is not too much tension make an "L" or "U" shape with the working yarn.

How you lay your yarn will determine how much tension your knit will have.  In general, if you want to knit row after row of the stockinette stitch, you should make sure that the yarn makes a "u" shape.  I have done that pulling the yarn down into an "L" shape.  Hence sometimes the stitch is called the "u stitch".  This refers to how loose your knit stitch should be.

You can also just lay the yarn flat in front of all your pegs at the same time, to knit even faster.  This should not be done if you are going to knit row after row of stockinette stitch, however, because there will be too much tension. I've broken my knitting tool doing that! This is also what some people refer to as the "flat stitch". One can use this for doing a garter stitch faster, though, because you purl the next row after your knit row.

NOTE:  There is also another way to do the knit stitch; and the way you do it is probably the reason why people used to say that the stockinette stitch was more complicated than the twisted stockinette stitch.  It is also shown in older youtube videos (Isela Phelps videos).  Basically you make a loop like how you would purl, except that the yarn is atop the loop on the peg, whereas purling has the yarn below the loop on the peg.  Knitting over is the exact same thing!