Different hobbies tend to have their own languages that are indecipherable to people not in the know, but in knitting the code can be particularly frustrating to break because so many abbreviations are used in knitting patterns themselves.
Whether you’re new to knitting or have just run across an unfamiliar term in a pattern (aside: if a pattern is good it will explain all the abbreviations used within), this guide to knitting abbreviations from Darn Good Yarn is a good reference. It has about 70 terms explained, from alt to ssk to yon and everything in between.
It doesn’t even touch on the funny acronyms of knitting (like UFO, WIP and SABLE) and there are still 70 different terms? It’s no wonder knitters sometimes knitters feel like they’re breaking a code when they decipher patterns.
[Photo: Darn Good Yarn.]
Abbreviation | Description |
---|---|
BO | Bind off |
CO | Cast on |
k | Knit |
p | Purl |
k2tog | Knit two stitches together |
ssk | Slip, slip, knit (decrease) |
yo | Yarn over |
RS | Right side |
WS | Wrong side |
st(s) | Stitch(es) |
rep | Repeat |
Rnd(s) | Round(s) |
MC | Main color |
CC | Contrasting color |
patt | Pattern |
rem | Remaining |
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