Irish moss stitch (Easy DIY)

The moss stitch knit is a traditional and very popular stitch all over the world. This pattern of repeating stitches in 4 rows has a smooth and soft finish with a very nice visual texture.

Learning to knit Irish moss stitch is relatively easy, you just need to combine knit and purl stitches.

The Irish moss stitch is also known as moss stitch, however, they refer to the same thing. Some people confuse it with moss stitch knit, which is similar but only has a 2-row repeat.

Next, I will explain step by step how to moss stitch knitting!

Irish moss stitch

Irish moss stitch tutorial

The irish moss stitch has an easy 4 row repeat, just switch between knit and purl stitches.
Keep in mind that we will use the acronyms:
K: to indicate knit stitches and the letter
P: for purl stitches.

The pattern to follow is:

  • Row 1: *K 1, P 1*
  • Row 2: *K 1, P 1*
  • Row 3: *P 1, K 1*
  • Row 4: *P 1, K 1*
  • Step 1

    To determine the width of your project, start by casting on knitting stitches on your needles that are multiples of 2. Choose any number of stitches, as long as it is divisible by 2, that is, an even number.

  • Step 2

    In this step, we will start with row 1 and 2.

    Knit one stitch (K) and purl one stitch (P) to the end of the needle.

  • Step 3

    We will continue knitting rows 3 and 4.

    In this case, purl one stitch (P) and then knit one stitch (K) to the end of the needle.

  • Step 4

    Repeat this explained procedure for rows 1 to 4 until you reach the length you want.
  • Step 5

    Once it is complete, it is time to finish off so that its edge does not come undone.

    There is no special technique to do it, but you can do the one you know. Be careful to bind off the stitches as they appear, do not knit all stitches, but continue to purl and knit alternately.

If you don’t know anything about moss stitch and want to know before doing it, I’ve added to this tutorial some answers to common questions that usually arise about it:

  • Irish moss stitch is a reversible pattern, meaning both sides are identical like the Seed stitch knit.
  • As this stitch alternates knit and purl stitches in all rows, its final finish is flat and does not curl.
  • This stitch can be used to knit in the round following the same pattern. To avoid confusion, it’s worth clarifying that at the end of round 2 and the beginning of round 3, you’ll be purl 2 in a row.

The Irish moss stitch is one of the simple knitting stitches. The best way to practice is by making a few projects that are useful to you, such as a scarf, a blanket, or a kitchen towel.

I hope that this tutorial has been useful to you and that with a little wool and some needles you will be encouraged to create different fabrics. Knitting art is beautiful!

If you wonder How to perform a long tail cast on in knitting, click here to find the answer.