Purling Trivia Quiz

Answer: To knit an inversion of the knit stitch.

Purling can be used to knit stockinette stitch and when done so, it is used on the wrong side. But you can use the purl stitch on both sides to make up the simple garter stitch. You can also use the purl stitch to make textured knits of many patterns. Knitting backwards is a specialized technique where you knit from left to right instead of right to left using either knit or purl.

Literally, purling is an inversion of the knit stitch. That's all!

Answer: From the Middle English word "pirlyng", which means "twisting and revolving".

It is unknown why this particular word came to mean the the inversion of the knit stitch. Interestingly, it was not until 1825 that "to purl" came to mean what it does today. It seems to have coincided with the earliest years of printed knitting instructions.

Answer: A thread made from gold or silver fibers.

I'm trying to trick you! "Perl" is the correct word for a computer programming language. Believe it or not, the lovely pearl is an abnormal growth in sea mollusks. Though knitting may be meditative to some and provide you with some "pearls of wisdom", it has nothing to do with that.

Why does the word "purl" also mean a thread of gold or silver fiber? Sorry, that answer is lost in the mists of time.

Answer: By purling inside-out and in the round.

Purling inside-out and in the round is a traditional technique used in Peru and parts of Bolivia. Knitters use a method of holding the yarn around their necks and flicking the tensioned yarn with the thumb to purl. This is a VERY fast method of purling! Check it out and astound your friends (I have!).

Answer: True

Although it is possible, it is highly non-traditional.

Traditional Shetland lace knitters used the knit stitch only to speed up their knitting process for purposes of production. With the English method of knitting, it is slower to use the purl stitch.

However, it is absolutely possible to produce the same results using the purl stitch only. If you purl faster than you knit, you may prefer it.

Answer: Guernsey

Fair Isle knitting is a multi-colored knitting style, almost exclusively using stockinette stitch. Aran knitting does employ purl stitches, but it is characterized by its use of cabled patterns. Fauve has nothing to do with knitting. It was a style of painting in the early 20th century, whose best known adherent was Henri Matisse.

A Guernsey is a traditional, tightly knitted fisherman's sweater from the British island of Guernsey. Their beauty comes from the use of patterns created by using knit and purl stitches.

Answer: A smooth textured yarn

Laceweight yarn is just too thin to show off knit and purl patterns, unless you use 0000 needles and view the finished results with a magnifying glass! Variegated yarn tends to obscure knit and purl patterns. Single ply is usually a bit fluffy and the best yarn for showing off a knit and purl pattern is one that is smooth.

The traditional yarn for Guernseys is yarn that is a worsted weight. Anything from a five to even a ten ply wool! However, most three or four ply yarn is just fine and much easier to find.

Answer: Purling with the yarn around the neck.

The weather is generally nice in Greece, but it has nothing to do with purling.
One could purl with a larger needle when alternating rows of purl and knit to produce an fabric with a variable gauge.

Purling (and knitting) with the yarn around ones' neck is usually called Greek knitting, though as mentioned before, this is also seen in parts of South America and in countries along the Mediterranean. It has not been determined where this technique originates.

Answer: False

It would seem that the answer would be a resounding "Of course! They go together!" , but archaeological evidence shows that this is not the case. Artifacts show that tubular (in the round) knitting developed first, with only the use of the knit stitch. The first example of purled stitches were found on the stockings of Eleanor of Toledo, dating back to 1562.

Answer: Garter Stitch

A most common project for a beginner knitter is making a scarf in Garter Stitch, but most people use the knit stitch to do this. Garter stitch can be done with all rows in knitting OR all rows in purling. It's up to the individual and makes no difference in how the finished product looks (unless you make a mess out of it!).