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to purl

to purl

1 9.6
To make a bumpy stitch in knitting by moving the yarn in front of the needle
  • verb
  • /pɜrl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tejer al revés
  • Am I supposed to sit home knitting and purling... while you slink back like some penitent drunk?
  • knit and purl
  • purl two

Examples

  • He and Grant, buck naked by a fire, knit one, purl two.

  • The knit stitches in the front, purl in the back.

  • Knit one, purl two.

  • You can create beautiful patterns in your scarf by knitting a row of knit and then purl one to add texture.

  • To finish the edge of your knitting project neatly, remember to purl the last few stitches.

  • In her knitting class, she learned how to purl correctly to achieve a raised stitch design.

Compounds

purl stitch
  • Specialized
8.2

A way of making a loop in knitting that makes a bumpy texture

to purl stitch
  • Specialized
8.7

To make a bumpy stitch by bringing yarn to the front and putting the needle through a loop

Surface Forms

purl infinitive
purled past
purled past participle
purling present participle
purls third person singular

Etymology

Purl (verb) probably comes from a word like pearl because the stitch makes small raised bumps that look like tiny beads. So to purl is to make those 'pearl-like' bumps in the fabric.