Knitting Abbreviations

By Kerry Kimber

1 Minute Read

Knitting Abbreviations

By Kerry Kimber

1 Minute Read

Knitting abbreviations provide a helpful short hand for knitting stitches and pattern instructions. Although they can look confusing to beginners at first glance they make knitting patterns easier to follow because long words and phrases don't have to repeated in full. When you become familiar with them, they provide a quick and easy way to understand the pattern.

This article contains a list of standardized abbreviations and explains some other pattern writing conventions. For special instructions or more unusual stitches, refer to the start of the knitting pattern where any further abbreviations are usually described.

Description

Abbreviation

Alternate

alt

Approximately

approx

Beginning

beg

Between

bet

Cast Off

cast off

Contrasting Color

CC

Cast On

CO

Continue

cont

Decrease

dec

Double-pointed Needles

dpn(s)

Follow

foll

Increase

inc

Knit

k

Knit Stitch in Row Below

k1B

Knit 1 Into Front and Back of a Stitch; Single Increase

kfb

Knit 2 Stitches Together; Single Right-leaning Decrease

k2tog

Knitwise

kwise

Left Hand

LH

Loop

lp

Marker

m

Make One Stitch

M1

Make one stitch knitwise; single knit increase

M1k

Make one purlwise; single purl increase

M1p

Make one right; single right-leaning knit increase

M1R

Make one left; single left-leaning knit increase

M1L

Make one right purlwise; single right-leaning purl increase

M1rp

Make one left purlwise; single left-leaning purl increase

M1lp

Main Color

MC

Purl

p

Pattern

patt

Purl 1 Into Front and Back of a Stitch; Single Purl Increase

pfb

Place Marker

pm

Purl 2 Stitches Together; Single Decrease

p2tog

Previous

prev

Pass Slipped Stitch Over

psso

Pass 2 Slipped Stitches Over

p2sso

Purlwise

pwise

Remaining

rem

Repeat

rep

Reverse Stockinette Stitch

rev St st

Right Hand

RH

Round

rnd

Right Side

RS

Slip 1 knitwise, knit 1, pass slip stitch over knit stitch; single left-leaning decrease

SKP

Slip 1 knitwise, knit 2 together, pass slip stitch over knit 2 together; double left-leaning decrease

SK2P

Slip

sl

Slip 1 Knitwise

sl1k

Slip 1 Purlwise

sl1p

Slip Stitch

sl st

Slip Marker

sm

Slip 2 stitches knitwise, knit these 2 stitches together through back loops; single left-leaning decrease

ssk

Slip 2 stitches knitwise, return these 2 stitches to left needle and purl them together through back loops; single left-leaning decrease

ssp

Slip 3 stitches knitwise, knit these 3 stitches together through back loops; double left-leaning decrease

sssk

Slip 3 stitches knitwise, return these 3 stitches to left needle and purl these 3 stitches together through back loops; double left-leaning decrease

sssp

Slip 2 stitches as if to knit 2 together, knit 1, pass 2 slipped stitches over knit stitch; centered double decrease

S2KP2

Slip 2 stitches knitwise, return these 2 stitches to left needle and then slip them as if to p2tog through back loops, purl 1, pass 2 slipped stitches over purl stitch; centered double decrease

SSPP2

Stitch

st

Stocking Stitch

St st

Through Back Loop

tbl

Through Front Loop

tfl

Together

tog

Wrong Side

WS

Wrap and Turn

w&t

With Yarn in Back

wyib

With Yarn in Front

wyif

Yarn Back

yb

Yarn Forward

yfwd

Yarn Over

yo

Yarn Over Needle

yon

Yarn Round Needle

yrn

Tension

Tension, also known as 'gauge' describes how many stitches and rows are achieved in 10cm/4in. Example: 20 st and 15 rows to 10cm measured over pattern using 4mm needles

Other Knitting Pattern Marks

Description

Mark

Repeat the instructions following the single asterisk as directed

*

Repeat instructions between asterisks as many times as directed or repeat at specified locations

* *

Work instructions within parentheses as many times as directed or work a group of stitches all in the same stitch or space

( )

Square brackets indicate pattern sizes or options

[ ]

Measurement Abbreviations

Measurement

Abbreviation

millimeter

mm

centimeter

cm

meter

m

inch

”

gram

g

ounce

oz

yard

yd

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