Knitting Pattern Abbreviations – A Handy Summary

To follow on from my last post, the other knitting ideas I find really handy is to have a summary of knitting pattern abbreviations and conversions close to hand. So here’s a list of all the ones I know or could find – feel free to add more if you know some!

ALT – Alternate or alternately

APPROX – Approximately

BC – Back Cross (Also RC or Right Cross)

BEG – Beginning

BET – Between

BO – Bind Off

CC – Complementary Color – Contrasting Color – The secondary color yarn

CM – Centimetres (2.54 centimetres is the same as one Inch)

CN – Cable Needle

CO – Cast On

CONT – Continue

DEC – Decrease

DPN – Double Pointed Needles

FC – Front Cross (Also LC or Left Cross)

FL – Front Loop

FOLL – Following

G st – Garter Stitch

G – Gram (There are approximately 28.35 grams in one ounce)

INC – Increase

INCL – Including

K – Knitted Stitch – K will often be followed by a number such as K5 meaning you need to make five knitted stitches.

K1B – Knit One Below – Knit the stitch into the row below the one you are stitching

K2TOG – Knit two stitches together

KB – Knit Below – Knit the stitch into the row below the one you are stitching

KFB – Knit into the front and back of a stitch

KWISE – Knitwise – This indicates a slip stitch done “knitwise” or like a knit stitch.

LC – LC Cross (Also FC or Front Cross)

LH – Left Hand

LP – Loop

LT – Left Twist

M – Meter – One meter is roughly 39 inches

M1 – Make One Stitch

M1PST – Make one purl stitch

MB – Make Bobble – A bobble is a raised area that may be included to add a touch of dimension.

MC – Main Color – The Main color yarn for your project

MM – Millimetre – Generally used to gauge or measure needles and occasionally yarn length

Oz – Ounce – Knitting yarn will often be purchased by measures of weight

P – Purl Stitch – P will often be followed by a number like P3 meaning make three Purl Stitches.

P1B – Purl One Below – Purl the stitch into the row below the one you are stitching

P2TOG – Purl two stitches together

PAT – Pattern

PB – Purl Below – Purl the stitch into the row below the one you are stitching

PFB – Purl the front and back of a stitch

PM – Place Marker

PNSO – Pass Next Stitch Over

PREV – Previous

PSSO – Pass Slip Stitch Over

PWISE – Purlwise – This indicates a slip stitch done “purlwise” or like a purl stitch.

RC – Right Cross (Also BC or Back Cross)

RH – Right Hand

REM – Remaining

REP – Repeat

Rev St st – Reverse Stockinette Stitch

RND – Round

RS – Right Side – The side of the “fabric” that will be the outside of a garment or the upside or visible side of a decoration, trim or other element that is visible in the finished product.

RT – Right Twist

SK – Skip

SKP – Slip Knit Pass – This is where you will slip two knit stitches together as one and pass them over the last stitch knitted.

SK2P – Slip, knit two stitches together and pass over the two stitches to decrease by two stitches

SL – Slip

SL1K – Slip one stitch knitwise

SL1P – Slip one stitch purlwise

SL ST – Slip Stitch – SL ST will often be followed by a number to indicate the number of slip stitches that need to be made. (May also be referred to as SS in some patterns)

SS – Slip Stitch – SS will often be followed by a number to indicate the number of slip stitches that need to be made. (May also be referred to as SL ST in some patterns)

SSK – Slip Slip Knit – This is where you will make two slip stitches together as one and then knit them together through the back loop. (The actual number of slips may change, thus you may see SSSK or something similar as well)

St st – Stockinette Stitch

TBL – Through Back Loop – The stitch should be knitted through the back loop

TOG – Together – Indicates that the stitches should be stitched together as opposed to stitching them separately so that K2TOG would indicate you need to stitch two stitches together as one single stitch.

WS – Wrong Side – The side of the fabric or garment that will be against the skin and not visible to the outside world or the underside of a decoration, trim, ribbing element or other knitted products.

WYIB – With Yarn in Back

WYIF – With Yarn in Front

YD – Yard – 36 inches

YFWD – Yarn Forward

YO – Yarn Over – Where The stitch will be made with the yarn going over as opposed to under.

YRN – Yarn around the needle

YON – Yarn over the needle