Finding the purl bump is a basic skill all knitters should know.
Finding the purl bump is a basic skill all knitters should know. Each stitch has a "wrong" side and a "right" side; one side is the knit side and the other side is the purl side. The purl side has a horizontal bar just beneath the needle.
Now determine where your last worked stitch is - review Which Way am I Knitting article if needed. With the last worked stitch needle in your right hand, identify what the remaining stiches are on the left needle. Is the purl bumps are on the front of the work or the back of the work? If the bumps are on the front side, you are on a purl row. When the bumps are on the back, the legs are on the front and that is a knit row.
If the row is finished, place the finished needle in the left hand, and then decide which side has the purl bump. Work accordingly. If you choose incorrectly, a row of garter stitch will appear. That row is a great way to cause a fold line and has many uses. Unintended, it is a mistske that shouts its presence.
Why do we look for the purl stitch instead of the knit stitch? Legs lie! The long legs of the knit stitch can actually hide the purl bar. Looking for purl bar always gives a correct answer!
