How to Decode Knitting Abbreviations?

Posted 2022-11-18 12:19:14

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A knitting pattern is like a recipe. It gives instructions on how to knit with your knitting needles. A pattern designer makes a project and writes down the instructions for other knitters to follow and make similar projects. The set of knitting instructions becomes too complicated if written in sentences so to make it simpler to understand knitting abbreviations are used. The standard abbreviations are used for most knitting patterns but if there is something the pattern designer will write the instructions clearly.

Besides the steps of knitting, a pattern designer will have a separate section on knitting needles, yarn, and gauge. Try to follow the same tools as the pattern instructor. If a pattern has been designed for double-pointed knitting needles it can be translated to circular knitting needles. But, then you must be confident with knitting in the round. With a gauge swatch as a guide make your own sample.

If you are just starting with knitting, the abbreviations may seem like a foreign language but soon enough when you make some projects you will catch up.

Why do we use knitting abbreviations?

Knitting patterns use abbreviations for two main reasons. To explain instructions clearly in brief. For example instead of - "Knit one, then purl one, then knit another one and purl another one, and continue this until you run out of stitches", the abbreviated form would be: "*K1, P1; rep from * to end of row." The entire sentence would be difficult to follow at a glance and takes up a lot of space on the page while the abbreviations would be simpler, shorter, and much clearer.

When you are just starting out with knitting, these abbreviations would be overwhelming so it’s best to have a handy chart for use. It is always recommended to make your own notes for knitting when you are a beginner. Writing your own notes will help you get adept at the craft. With time you will get fluent with knitting terms.

Here’s a standard chart compiled by the Craft Yarn Council.

Abbreviation	Description	Abbreviation	Description
alt	alternate	rem	remaining
approx	approximately	rep	repeat
beg	beginning	rev St st	reverse stockinette stitch
bet	between	RH	right hand
BO	bind off	rnd	round
byo	backward yarn over	RS	right side
CC	contrasting color	SKP	slip 1 knitwise, knit 1, pass slip stitch over knit stitch; single left-leaning decrease
cn	cable needle	SK2P	slip 1 knitwise, knit 2 together, pass slip stitch over knit 2 together; double left-leaning decrease
CO	cast on	sl	slip
cont	continue	sl1k	slip 1 knitwise
dec	decrease	sl1p	slip 1 purlwise
DPN	double-pointed needles	sl st	slip stitch
FO	finished project, after weaving in the ends	sm	slip marker
foll	follow	ssk	slip 2 stitches knitwise, knit these 2 stitches together through back loops; single left-leaning decrease
frogging	Ripping out your stitches when you’ve made a mistake.	ssp	slip 2 stitches knitwise, return these 2 stitches to left needle and purl them together through back loops; single left-leaning decrease
HOTN	hot off the needles	sss	second sock syndrome, where the seconda pair of socks takes longer time or is not fun to knit.
inc	increase	sssk	slip 3 stitches knitwise, knit these 3 stitches together through back loops; double left-leaning decrease
k	knit	sssp	slip 3 stitches knitwise, return these 3 stitches to left needle and purl these 3 stitches together through back loops; double left-leaning decrease
KAL	knit-along generally for charity	S2KP2	slip 2 stitches as if to knit 2 together, knit 1, pass 2 slipped stitches over knit stitch; centered double decrease
k1B	knit stitch in row below	SSPP2	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
kfb	knit 1 into front and back of a stitch; single knit increase	st	stitch
ksp	knit 1 stitch, slip this stitch from right needle to left needle, pass second stitch on left needle over first stitch and off left needle; return stitch to right needle; single right-leaning decrease	STN	single pointed knitting needles
k2tog	knit 2 stitches together; single right-leaning decrease	stash	A knitter’s collection of yarn, including leftovers from other projects.
kwise	knitwise	St st	stockinette stitch
LH	left hand	TAAT	two at a time
lp	loop	tbl	through back loop
LYS	local yarn shop	tfl	through front loop
m	marker	TINK	unknit stitches to rectify an error in knitting
M1 or M1K	make one stitch knitwise; single knit increase	tog	together
M1R	make one right; single right-leaning knit increase	UFO	unfinished object, knitting project that is abandoned
M1L	make one left; single left-leaning knit increase	WIP	work in progress
M1p	make one purlwise; single purl increase	WS	wrong side
M1rp	make one right purlwise; single right-leaning purl increase	w&t	wrap and turn
M1lp	make one left purlwise; single left-leaning purl increase	wyib	with yarn in back
MC	main color	wyif	with yarn in front
p	purl	yarn barf	A big lump of yarn that comes out of the center of a new ball or skein of yarn.
pat or patt	pattern	yb	yarn back
pfb	purl 1 into front and back of a stitch; single purl increase	yfwd or yf	yarn forward
pm	place marker	yo	yarn over
p2tog	purl 2 stitches together; single decrease	yon	yarn over needle
prev	previous	yrn	yarn round needle
psso	pass slipped stitch over	*	repeat the instructions following the single asterisk as directed
p2sso	pass 2 slipped stitches over	{ } or [ ]	work instructions within brackets as many times as directed
pwise	purlwise

With this, you are ready to start any knitting pattern. Remember to read through the pattern completely before you cast on stitches.

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Source by- https://lanternmoon.bcz.com/2022/11/18/how-to-decode-knitting-abbreviations/