Seed Stitch and Rib Stitch...

After you've mastered the Stockinet and Garter Stitch patterns the next best step will probably be learning the Seed stitch.

Seed Stitch.

The Seed Stitch is just as easy to do as the Garter Stitch in that, obviously, you are still using the basic purl and knit stitches. For this stitch you simply alternate between both purl and knit stitches. Ergo, after casting on, your pattern will be P, K, P, K, P etc, etc for the first row. The trick is not only in remembering to switch from purl to knit ( or vice versa) but also in remembering to begin the next row with the opposite stitch of the previous one. When you look at your swatch you should see a knit stitch( \/) above a purl stitch ( - ) and so on. So, instead of having only purl or knit stitches on separate rows you will have a patterned mix of both. To the left is a photo of what Seed Stitch should look like.

The Rib Stitch.

Next is called the Rib Stitch or simply "ribbing". It is very similar to the Seed Stitch but with a slight difference. Instead of keeping the P, K, P, K, P pattern for every row, you instead switch between P, K, P, K, P for one row and K, P, K, P, K for the second row. This alternation results in having every knit stitch above the next knit stitch, and every purl stitch above the next purl stitch. You continue this alternation to create the rib pattern until you reach your desired length. To the left is a photo of what Rib Stitch should look like.
(There are also other types of ribbing such as the Two to One ribbing in which there are two stitches of one type to one stitch of the other type. For example : knit two, purl one, and vice versa.)

I thought about a way to illustrate the visible differences between all of the stitching patterns I have so far covered in this blog. Ergo, I made a 16x20 swatch showing each of these patterns. Here it is...

On the upper left hand side is what the Seed Stitch should look like.
On the lower left hand side is what that KNIT ONLY side of the Stockinet Stitch should look like.
The upper right hand side is what the Rib Stitch should look like.
The lower right hand side is what the Garter Stitch should look like ( fro both sides).

On the upper left hand side is what the Rib Stitch should look like.

On the lower left hand side it what the Garter Stitch should look like (from both sides).

On the upper right hand side is what the Seed Stitch should look like.
On the lower right hand side is what the PURL ONLY side of the Stockinet Stitch should look like

Good Luck!

(And for those of you who saw it: Yes, it's the same swatch just reversed. ::wink wink::)