Knitting has its own writing method, so when you look at knitting patterns you may see a variety of unfamiliar terms and abbreviations. Once you know the following list of common knitting abbreviations, you're well on your way to easily translating knitting patterns:
| BO |
bind off (cast off) |
| CC |
contrasting color |
| cm |
centimeters |
| cn |
cable needle |
| CO |
cast on |
| dec |
decrease |
| dpn(s) |
double-pointed needle(s) |
| g |
grams |
| inc |
increase |
| k |
knit |
| k2tog |
knit 2 together (a decrease) |
| kfb |
-knit into the front and back of the stitch (an increase) |
| knitwise |
as if to knit |
| LT |
left twist |
| m |
meters |
| m1 |
make 1 (an increase) |
| MC |
main color |
| mm |
millimeters |
| oz |
ounce |
| p |
purl |
| p2tog |
purl 2 together (a decrease) |
| pfb |
-purl into the front and back of the stitch (an increase) |
| pm |
place marker |
| psso |
pass the slipped stitch over |
| purlwise |
as if to purl |
| rnd(s) |
round(s) |
| RS |
right (public) side |
| RT |
right twist |
| skp |
-slip 1, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over (a decrease) |
| s2kp |
-slip 2, knit 1, pass the 2 slipped stitches over (a double
decrease)
|
| sk2p |
-slip 1, k2tog, pass the slipped stitch over (a double
decrease)
|
| sl |
slip |
| slst |
slip stitch |
| ssk |
slip, slip, knit (a decrease) |
| st(s) |
stitch(es) |
| tbl |
through the back loop(s) |
| tog |
together |
| work even |
work without increasing or decreasing |
| WS |
wrong (non-public) side |
| wyib |
with yarn in back |
| wyif |
with yarn in front |
| yd(s) |
yard(s) |
| yo |
yarn over (an increase) |
