Knitting Abbreviations

88 Knitting Abbreviations – do you know them all?

Do you know what all the knitting abbreviations mean? Does ANYONE know what all of them mean?

I don’t know. But to help all of us out I have listed all I could think of. And all I could find in my patterns, knitting books and on the internet.

88 Knitting Abbreviations every knitter need to know – Click to check out how many you master! And, download the free cheatsheet if you need it :)
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Why are there so many abbreviations in the knitting world?

Well, it’s necessary to shorten all long words and expressions in patterns. Otherwise, our patterns would be long like novels!

It’s a group thing …

And, I guess it’s a bit of a marker for the knitting community as well. Every group has it’s own lingo, it’s a bonding thing. If you know the language you’re in. Newbies have to learn to get the full access.

Luckily the knitting community is a very kind and including one, despite the many shortenings. And we’re eager to share and help our beginners to learn!

Actually, it’s not only abbreviations that’s special for knitting language, there are a lot of funny/strange/unusual words as well. More about that another time.

I put together a list to make things easier

This post is my contribution to the sake of helping newbies and not so new knitters with all the abbreviations. That includes me.

I got tired of searching the web for explanations and decided to gather them in one place. A place I can get back to whenever I need to, and so can you!

Are you ready to dive in? Here they come!

88 Knitting Abbreviations

If you like to print the list of abbreviations please scroll down!

altalternate
approxapproximately
begbeginning
betbetween
bobind off
byobackward yarn over
cableput as many stitches as your pattern say on a cable needle and place it in front or back depending on the pattern. Work the next set of stitches and then work stitches off the cable needle.
CCcontrasting color
chchain
cmcentimeter
cncable needle
COcast on
concontinue
crossput as many stitches as your pattern say on a cable needle and place it in front or back depending on the pattern. Work the next set of stitches and then work stitches off the cable needle.
decdecrease
dpndouble pointed needles
follfollow
ggram
g stgarter stitch
ininches
incincrease
inclincluding
kknit
k1Bknit 1 stitch in row below
kfbknit front and back loop
kspknit 1 stitch, slip st from right 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
k2togknit two stitches together, single right-leaning decrease
kwiseknitwise
LHleft hand
lploop
mmarker or meter
M1 or M1Kmake one stitch knitwise, single right-leaning increase
M1Rmake one right, single right-leaning knit increase
M1Lmake one left, single left-leaning knit increase
M1pmake one purlwise, single purl increase
M1rpmake one right purlwise, single right-leaning purl increase
M1lpmake one left purlwise, single left-leaning purl increase
MCmain color
mmmillimeter
ozounce
ppurl
pat / pattpattern
pfbpurl 1 into front and back of a stitch, single purl increase
pmplace marker
p2togpurl 2 stitches together, single decrease
prevprevious
pssopass slipped stitch over
p2ssopass 2 slipped stitches over
pwisepurlwise
remremaning
reprepeat
rev St streverse stockinette stitch
RHright hand
rndround
RSright side
SKPslip one knitwise, knit one, pass slip stitch over knit stitch, single left-leaning decrease
SK2Pslip one knitwise, knit 2 together, pass slip stitch over knit 2 together, double left-leaning decrease
slslip
sl1kslip one knitwise
sl1pslip one purlwise
sl st / ssslip stitch
smslip marker
sskslip, slip, knit (slip 2 stitches knitwise, knit these 2 stitches together through back loops), single left-leaning decrease
sspslip, slip, purl (slip 2 stitches knitwise, return these 2 stitches to left needle and purl them together through back loops), single left-leaning decrease
ssskslip 3 stitches knitwise, knit these 3 stitches together through back loops, double left-leaning decrease
ssspslip 3 stitches knitwise, return these 3 stitches to left needle and purl these 3 stitches together through back loops, double left-leaning decrease
S2KP2slip 2 stitches as if to knit 2 together, knit 1, pass 2 slipped stitches over knit stitch, centered double decrease
SSPP2slip 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
ststitch
St ststockinette stitch
tblthrough back loop
tflthrough front loop
togtogether
WSwrong side
w&twrap and turn
wyibwith yarn in back
wyifwith yarn in front
ybyarn back
ydyard
yfwd / yfyarn forward
yoyarn over
yon yarn over needle
yrnyarn round needle
*repeat the instructions following the * as directed
** repeat instructions between * and *as many times as directed or repeat at specified locations
{ } work instructions within brackets as many times as directed
[ ]work instructions within brackets as many times as directed
()work instructions within parentheses as many times as directed or work a group of stitches all in the same stitch or space

Do you want to print this cheat sheet?

If you would like to save the abbreviations list to your device or print it out please click the image! It will take you to my freebie page, where you can download the list pictured above, and a lot of other knitting resources and goodies!

Other posts you may like!
⭐️ Here is a post all about knitting needle sizes, it’s impossible to know them all. The included conversion chart is crazy useful, be sure to check it out!
⭐️ Don’t miss this post about knitting project planning, it’s packed with helpful tips and some free knitting journal pages!
⭐️ This post is all about the Yarn Weights, have a good read and get the free chart that comes along with it.
⭐️ The Freebie page. This one kind of describes itself, here you can find every freebie that I have ever shared.

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