A papermaking fabric includes a series of repeat units, each of the repeat units including: a first set of top machine direction (MD) yarns; a second set of top MD yarns; a set of top cross machine direction (CMD) yarns interwoven with the first and second sets of top MD yarns; a set of bottom CMD yarns; and a set of pairs of MD stitching yarns interwoven with the top and bottom CMD yarns, each pair of MD stitching yarns sandwiching an immediately adjacent respective top MD yarn of the second set. The first and second sets of top MD yarns interweave only with the top CMD yarns. The top MD yarns of the first set interweave in a first sequence with the top CMD yarns in which the top MD yarns of the first set form a plurality of top side MD knuckles over the top CMD yarns, and the top MD yarns of the second set interweave with the top CMD yarns in a second sequence that differs from the first sequence that differs from the first sequence in that the top MD yarns of the second set form fewer knuckles than are present in the first sequence. Only stitching yarns interweave with the bottom CMD yarns.