Why knitting patterns use abbreviations
A written knitting pattern for even a simple garment might take pages if every stitch instruction were written in full. "Knit two together" becomes k2tog. "Slip one stitch, knit one stitch, pass slipped stitch over" becomes s1, k1, psso or sl1, k1, psso. The abbreviations compress complex instructions into readable shorthand — once you know the code, the patterns become much clearer.
The important thing to know: abbreviations are not fully standardised. Most are consistent across English-language patterns, but designers sometimes use their own variants. Always check the pattern's own abbreviation list or legend before assuming you know what a term means. The pattern's definition is the authoritative one.
Core abbreviations: stitch operations
- k — knit
- p — purl
- k2tog — knit 2 stitches together (right-leaning decrease; one stitch is consumed)
- ssk — slip, slip, knit (slip 2 stitches knitwise one at a time, then knit them together through the back loop; left-leaning decrease)
- yo — yarn over (wrap yarn around right needle to add one stitch and create a hole; used in lace and for creating intentional increases)
- sl — slip (move stitch from left needle to right needle without knitting)
- sl1 — slip 1 stitch
- psso — pass slipped stitch over (lift the slipped stitch over the just-knitted stitch; creates a left-leaning decrease when combined with sl1, k1)
- s2kpo — slip 2, knit 1, pass both slipped stitches over (double centre decrease)
- k3tog — knit 3 stitches together (double right-leaning decrease)
Increases
- m1 or m1l — make 1 left (lift the bar between stitches with the left needle from front to back and knit through the back loop; left-leaning invisible increase)
- m1r — make 1 right (lift the bar between stitches from back to front and knit through the front; right-leaning invisible increase)
- kfb — knit into front and back of same stitch (an increase that leaves a small bump — not invisible but easy and useful)
- pfb — purl into front and back of same stitch
- yo — yarn over (also serves as an increase in non-lace contexts when the hole is not a problem)
Project setup and structure
- CO — cast on
- BO or cast off — bind off (finish and secure the last row of stitches)
- RS — right side (the public-facing side of the fabric)
- WS — wrong side (the inside of the fabric)
- pm — place marker (slip a stitch marker onto the needle at this point)
- sm — slip marker (when you reach a placed marker, move it from left needle to right needle without doing anything else)
- rm — remove marker
- rnd or rds — round (a complete circuit in in-the-round knitting)
- rep — repeat
- beg — beginning
- rem — remaining
- st — stitch (singular)
- sts — stitches (plural)
Stitch modification
- tbl — through the back loop (insert needle through the back loop of the stitch rather than the front; creates a twisted stitch)
- wyif — with yarn in front (bring working yarn to the front of the work before slipping a stitch; affects whether a slipped stitch has a bar across it)
- wyib — with yarn in back
- cn — cable needle (the auxiliary needle used for cable crossings)
- C4F / C4B — cable 4 front / cable 4 back (the number indicates total stitches in the cable; F/B indicates which way the crossing stitches are held)
Abbreviations for working position
- LH — left hand (or left-hand needle)
- RH — right hand (or right-hand needle)
- dpn — double-pointed needle
How to decode unfamiliar abbreviations
Always check the pattern's glossary first. Most published patterns include an abbreviations list, either at the start of the pattern or in a reference section. Designers sometimes invent their own abbreviations for complex operations — "KRL" (knit right loop), "TLIL" (twisted left increase left), and similar — and these are always defined in the pattern.
If the pattern doesn't define an abbreviation, try a standard reference (the Craft Yarn Council maintains a standardised list), then search by the abbreviation name. Nine times out of ten you'll find the definition quickly.
British vs American knitting terminology
This is the most common source of pattern confusion when knitters use patterns from a different country than their usual source.
- Stocking stitch (UK) = stockinette stitch (US) — knit on RS, purl on WS to create smooth V-fabric
- Moss stitch (UK) = seed stitch (US) — k1, p1 alternating, offset each row. (Note: some British patterns also call something "moss stitch" that Americans call "double seed stitch" — context matters)
- Tension (UK) = gauge (US) — how many stitches and rows per 10cm at a given needle size
- Cast off (UK) = bind off (US) — finishing the edge of the knitting
- Yarn forward (yfwd, UK) = yarn over (yo, US) — creating a new stitch by wrapping yarn
- Yarn round needle (yrn, UK) = yarn over (yo, US) — particularly used before a purl stitch
The most practically important distinction: if you're following a British pattern and you see "moss stitch," know it means seed stitch in American terminology. If you see "tension," that's gauge. If you see "cast off," that's bind off. Once you're aware of these key differences, switching between patterns from different traditions becomes straightforward.