Knitting Question. What am I doing wrong?

Question

I am trying to do the stockinette stitch but it keeps coming out looking purled or kind of like this.

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

Instead of this, which is what I want it to look like.

VVVVVVVVV

VVVVVVVVV

VVVVVVVVV

I am knitting one row, then purling the next but it isn't coming out the way I want it to. Do you have any ideas of what I am doing wrong.

Here is how I am purling:

http://www.worldknit.com/howto/howtoknit/beginningtechniques/purl.html

Here is how I am knitting:

http://www.learntoknit.com/instructions_kn.php3

This is what I want it to look like:

http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-knit7.htm

Answer 1

It is probably reverse stockinette stitch.  What does the back look like?

Answer 2

when you purl, you have to bring the yarn to the front.  when you knit it is in the back.  

http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knitt...

shows you a video of how to do it just scroll down till u see the stitch you want to do

Answer 3

Going by the illustration you give of how it actually looks I would guess that you are doing the knit rows into the back loop of each stitch instead of the front. This is an actual variation of stocking stitch called "Twisted stocking stitch".    

Another thing to realise is that if you purl every row it will turn out as garter stitch just the same as if you knitted every row.

Answer 4

You could be knitting "inside out". See if you are holding the knitting in the same way as the videos/pictures.

Purl and knit are just the front and back of the same stitch.