I honestly think this is what turns a lot of (often young) first-time knitters and crocheters off the craft - someone hands them a skein of RHSS and has them knit a hideous wobbly garter-stitch scarf in an awful color. I don't understand why people don't just teach both knit and purl right off the bat - when I finally learned to knit I was taught both and was happily messing around with ribbing by the end of the day - it felt like I'd actually accomplished something (and also I think garter stitch is pretty much hideous).