What does purled mean?
Purfled is the past tense and past participle of purl. In its most familiar sense, it describes yarn worked with the purl stitch, one of the two fundamental stitches used in knitting. The purl stitch creates a row of small raised bumps on the fabric’s face, contrasting with the flatter loops produced by the knit stitch. Designers use combinations of knit and purl stitches to make ribbing, borders, cables, and decorative textures. The word can also have the older sense of moving with a twisting motion, as a liquid might when flowing around obstacles. In contemporary usage, however, purled is most strongly associated with knitting, where it describes both a completed fabric and the action of making a purled row. It is especially useful to anyone learning to follow knitting patterns, since instructions commonly alternate between terms such as knit, purl, and decrease.
verbTo knit using the purl stitch, producing small raised bumps on the fabric. In older or less common use, it can also mean to twist or move with a twisting motion.
- Knitted using the purl stitch.
- Moved with a twisting or writhing motion.
"She purled the border of the sweater to give the edge a decorative finish."
"The pattern calls for rows of knit and purl to create a textured fabric."
"The stream purled around the stones as it flowed over the uneven ground."
In knitting, the purl stitch creates the row of tiny raised bumps that gives many sweaters their familiar texture.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does purled come from?
The base verb purl has an old association with twisting or turning, reflected in its older sense of moving in a convoluted or writhing way. Its application to knitting refers to the twisting action involved in forming a purl stitch and to the textured loops it creates. The modern knitting sense is now much more prominent than the older physical-motion sense.
Related word forms
How purled is actually used
In modern knitting instructions, it is the past tense and past participle of purl. The twisting-motion sense is less common today but remains understandable in literary and descriptive contexts.
Easily confused with purled
Purfling refers to working yarn with a purl stitch, while curling means forming loops or coils, as in hair, fabric, or smoke.