How to Knit Seed Stitch (UK Moss Stitch)

Seed stitch is the pebbliest of the knit-and-purl textures: knit one, purl one across the row, then swap them on the very next row, so every little bump sits opposite a smooth stitch and the fabric stays flat, dense and the same on both sides. It’s knitted into the drop bear’s ears so they stand up on the finished crown, it names a beanie and a bootie on our baby shelf, and it turns up in onesies and loveys whenever a make wants texture without lace or cables.

Step by step

Cast on and work row 1 as knit 1, purl 1, repeated to the end — remembering to move the yarn to the back for every knit and bring it to the front for every purl. That yarn-shuffle between every stitch is the price of all knit-and-purl textures, and seed stitch charges it on every row.
On row 2, do the opposite of what faces you: knit the stitches that present as purls (a bump right under the needle) and purl the ones that present as knits (a smooth V). Every new stitch lands on top of its opposite, and the bumps scatter like seeds instead of lining up in columns.
The quickest way to stay right is to read, not count: if the stitch below shows a V, purl it; if it shows a bump, knit it. The moment your fabric grows tidy vertical columns, you’ve slipped into ribbing — the one mistake seed stitch ever makes, and easy to unpick back to the row where it changed.
Stitch count shapes the rhythm: on an odd number of stitches, every row simply starts knit 1, purl 1, because the pattern shifts itself; on an even number, alternate rows begin with purl 1 instead. Both are correct — our patterns state the count they were written for, so follow the row as printed rather than memorising a starter.
A naming note, said once and clearly: British patterns call this exact stitch *moss stitch*, while American moss stitch is its two-row cousin (see our How to Work Moss Stitch page). Our patterns are written in US terms with UK equivalents on the abbreviations page, so the two pages side by side will keep any pattern, from either side of the ocean, honest.
Keep your tension even and your switches crisp: a lazy yarn move leaves a loose strand across the stitch and a baggy seed. Snug each stitch up to its neighbour — seed stitch worked firmly is dense, warm, and almost woven-looking, like the drop bear’s ears and the Sandalwood seed-stitch bootie uppers.
Enjoy what the texture is for: seed stitch doesn’t curl, doesn’t roll, lies flat at edges, and hides a multitude of small tension wobbles inside its pebbles. That’s why it turns up on baby makes that get washed weekly and on any panel that will be seen from both sides.
Count rows in pairs if you need a measurement: two rows make one full checkerboard step of the texture, and measuring to a row boundary (a band, a shaping row) is far easier if you count the pairs off against a ruler as you go.
Finish gently — a soak and a flat dry, no hard pinning. Seed stitch’s pebbles are the whole point, and aggressive blocking flattens exactly the texture you spent all those yarn moves making.

Patterns that use it

Drop Bear Beanie Knitting Pattern | Funny Aussie Chunky Hat with Fangs and Bear Ears, Child & Adult Sizes PDF

Aussie Baby Beanies Vol 1 | 12 Knitted Baby Beanie Patterns PDF

Aussie Baby Booties Vol 1 | 12 Knitted Baby Bootie Patterns PDF

Aussie Baby Onesies Vol 3 | 12 Knitted Baby Onesie Patterns PDF

Aussie Comfort Toys Vol 4 | 12 Knitted Lovey Patterns PDF

← Back to the Stitch Library

Common mistakes

Slipping into ribbing. If you repeat the same stitch over the one below instead of opposing it, the bumps line up into tidy vertical columns — the one mistake seed stitch ever makes, and you unpick back to the row where it changed.
Trusting memory instead of the stitch count. On an odd number of stitches every row starts knit 1, purl 1; on an even number, alternate rows begin with purl 1 — follow the row as the pattern prints it rather than memorising one starter for every piece.
Lazy yarn moves between stitches. A sloppy switch leaves a loose strand and a baggy seed; snug each stitch up to its neighbour and the fabric turns dense, warm and almost woven-looking.

Tina’s tips

Read, don’t count: if the stitch below shows a smooth V, purl it; if it shows a bump, knit it. Do that and the pattern looks after itself, even if you put the work down mid-row and pick it up again after dinner.
Finish gently — a soak and a flat dry, with no hard pinning. The pebbles are the whole point of seed stitch, and aggressive blocking flattens exactly the texture you spent all those yarn moves making.