Knitting Abbreviations: A Beginner's Glossary

The first time you open a knitting pattern and see a line like "K2, *yo, k2tog, rep from * to last st, k1," it can feel like the instructions were written in code. In a way, they were. Knitting patterns use a compact shorthand so that a project that would take pages to spell out in full fits neatly into a few lines. Once you learn the code, patterns stop being intimidating and start being a clear set of directions you can follow stitch by stitch.

This glossary covers the abbreviations you'll meet most often, grouped so they actually make sense together rather than dumped in one long alphabetical list. Keep it open in another tab the next time you sit down with a pattern — you'll be reading fluently sooner than you think.

Why patterns use abbreviations at all

Knitting instructions are repetitive by nature. A single row might say "knit one stitch, then knit two stitches together, and repeat that across the whole row." Written out for a 200-stitch row, that's exhausting to read and easy to lose your place in. Compressed to "*k1, k2tog; rep from *," it's one short, scannable line.

Abbreviations are also nearly universal. A pattern written in Australia uses the same "k2tog" as one written in Canada, which means you can knit designs from anywhere in the world. The shorthand is the shared language of knitters.

Two quick conventions before the list:

• Asterisks (*) mark a repeat. "*k1, p1; rep from * to end" means work that k1, p1 sequence over and over until the row ends.
• Brackets [ ] or ( ) group a set of stitches, often followed by a number: "[k1, yo, k1] twice" means work everything inside the brackets two times.

The everyday basics

These are the building blocks. You'll see them in nearly every pattern, often on the very first row.

• k — knit
• p — purl
• st / sts — stitch / stitches
• CO — cast on (put your starting stitches on the needle)
• BO — bind off (also written cast off; finishing your stitches so they don't unravel)
• RS — right side (the "public" side of the fabric, the one that faces out)
• WS — wrong side (the inside)
• rep — repeat
• rnd / rnds — round / rounds (used when knitting in the round, e.g. on a hat)
• beg — beginning
• cont — continue
• patt — pattern

When a pattern says "k to end," it simply means knit every remaining stitch in the row. "Work even" means keep going in the established pattern without increasing or decreasing.

Increases — adding stitches

Increases make your knitting wider. They're how a sleeve flares or a shawl grows. The abbreviation often tells you how to make the new stitch, which matters because different increases lean different directions or leave different marks.

• inc — increase (a generic instruction; the pattern usually specifies the method)
• yo — yarn over (wrap the yarn over the needle to make a new stitch with a small decorative hole; the backbone of lace)
• m1 — make one (lift the bar between two stitches and knit it; a nearly invisible increase)
• m1L / m1R — make one left / make one right (the same lifted increase, slanted left or right so pairs mirror each other)
• kfb — knit front and back (knit into the same stitch twice — once in the front loop, once in the back — turning one stitch into two)

If a pattern just says "inc 1," any increase will technically work, but following the specified method keeps your fabric looking the way the designer intended.

Decreases — removing stitches

Decreases make your knitting narrower — shaping the crown of a hat, the top of a sleeve, or the points of a lace motif. The key thing beginners miss is that decreases lean, and the abbreviation tells you which way.

• dec — decrease (generic)
• k2tog — knit two together (knit two stitches as if they were one; leans right)
• p2tog — purl two together (the purl-side version)
• ssk — slip, slip, knit (slip two stitches, then knit them together through the back; leans left)
• sl — slip a stitch (move it from one needle to the other without working it)
• psso — pass slipped stitch over (lift a slipped stitch over another, as in "sl1, k1, psso")
• k3tog — knit three together (a double decrease, removing two stitches at once)

The right-leaning k2tog and left-leaning ssk are usually used as a pair on either side of a piece so the shaping mirrors itself neatly. When a pattern uses both, that symmetry is the whole point.

Cables and texture

Once you're comfortable, you'll meet abbreviations for cables — those rope-like twists — and textured stitches.

• cn — cable needle (a small extra needle that holds stitches while you cross them)
• C4F / C4B — cable 4 front / cable 4 back (cross 4 stitches; "front" leans the cable one way, "back" the other)
• tbl — through the back loop (work into the back of the stitch instead of the front, which twists it)
• sl st — slip stitch (in knitting, a stitch moved without working; note crochet uses the same abbreviation for something different)

Cable abbreviations vary more between designers, so a good cable pattern will include a special abbreviations section near the top spelling out exactly what its cable instructions mean. Always read that section first.

Gauge and measurement terms

These show up in the pattern's setup notes rather than the row-by-row instructions, but they're just as important.

• gauge (or tension in UK patterns) — how many stitches and rows fit in a given measurement, usually 4 inches / 10 cm
• st st — stockinette stitch (knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side — the smooth "V" fabric)
• g st — garter stitch (knit every row — the bumpy, squishy fabric)
• rib / 1x1 rib / 2x2 rib — ribbing (alternating knit and purl columns; the stretchy fabric on cuffs and hems)
• approx — approximately
• alt — alternate (e.g. "every alt row" = every other row)

US vs UK terms — a small but real trap

Most abbreviations are universal, but a few terms differ between US and UK patterns, and they can quietly trip you up:

• Tension (UK) = gauge (US) — same concept, different word.
• Cast off (UK) = bind off (US) — same action.
• UK patterns sometimes use "miss" where US patterns say "skip."

The bigger pitfall is actually in crochet terms (a US "single crochet" is a UK "double crochet"), but in knitting, just knowing that tension means gauge will clear up most confusion. If a pattern's measurements or yarn weights look unusual, check whether it was written for a UK audience.

How to read a pattern line, step by step

Let's decode a real-looking line using the glossary:

Row 1 (RS): K1, *yo, k2tog; rep from * to last st, k1.

Translated:

1. Row 1 (RS) — this is row one, worked on the right side.
2. K1 — knit one stitch.
3. *yo, k2tog — yarn over (make a hole), then knit two together (right-leaning decrease). The yo and the k2tog cancel out in stitch count, so the row stays the same width — this is a classic lace mesh.
4. rep from * to last st — repeat that yo, k2tog pairing across the row until one stitch remains.
5. k1 — knit the final stitch.

That's it. Once you can walk through a line like that without flinching, you can read almost any pattern.

Tips for learning the shorthand

• Keep a cheat sheet. Most patterns include their own abbreviations key — read it before you start, because designers sometimes define terms slightly differently.
• Decode one row at a time. Don't try to absorb the whole pattern at once. Read a line, work it, then read the next.
• Say it out loud. Reading "k2tog, yo" aloud as "knit two together, yarn over" cements the meaning faster than skimming.
• Watch the special abbreviations section. Anything non-standard — unusual cables, designer-specific stitches — lives there. Skipping it is the most common reason a pattern "doesn't work."

You're more fluent than you think

Knitting abbreviations look like a foreign language for about a week, and then they become second nature. The trick is simply exposure: every pattern you read makes the next one easier. Bookmark this glossary, keep it handy for your first few projects, and soon you'll glance at "ssk" and "k2tog" and just know which way each one leans.

When you're working a pattern with lots of repeats and shaping rows, losing your place is the real enemy — it's easy to forget whether you're on row 12 or row 13 of a lace repeat after you set the project down. Our row counter tracks exactly where you are in each project and syncs across your devices, so you can put your knitting down mid-row and pick it back up without missing a stitch. Now go decode that pattern — you've got the key.