Knitting abbreviations explained
Every abbreviation and symbol used in Lively Loop patterns, with a plain explanation.
General
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| st | stitch, stitches |
| rows | row, rows (knitting flat) |
| round | one full round when knitting in the round (circular needle, DPNs, magic loop) |
| k | knit stitch |
| p | purl stitch |
| RS | right side — the side that faces out |
| WS | wrong side — the side that faces in |
| edge st | edge stitch — the first or last stitch of a row |
| *…* | repeat the instructions between the asterisks the stated number of times, or to the end of the row |
| (…) ×3 | work the group in brackets as many times as the number after × |
| → | the stitch count on your needles after this step |
| repeat | the part of a pattern that repeats across the width or up the height |
Increases
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| M1 | make 1 from the bar — the horizontal strand between two stitches; the lean doesn’t matter (M1L is the usual choice) |
| M1L | left-leaning make 1: lift the bar from front to back and knit it through the back loop |
| M1R | right-leaning make 1: lift the bar from back to front and knit it through the front loop |
| yo | wrap the yarn over the right needle — a new stitch with a hole (lace, buttonholes) |
| kfb | knit into the front and then the back of the same stitch |
| lifted increase | a new stitch worked into the stitch below — the least visible increase |
Decreases
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| k2tog | knit two stitches together; leans right |
| ssk | slip, slip, knit — a left-leaning decrease: slip two stitches knitwise one at a time, then knit them together through the back loops |
| p2tog | purl two stitches together (a decrease on the wrong side) |
| p2tog tbl | purl two together through the back loops — the mirror of p2tog |
| CDD | centred double decrease: slip two together knitwise, k1, pass the slipped stitches over |
| p3tog | purl three stitches together |
Markers and slipped stitches
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| sm | slip the marker from the left needle to the right |
| pm | place a new ring marker on the right needle |
| BOR | beginning-of-round marker, in a different colour — every round starts here |
| sl1 | move a stitch to the right needle without working it (purlwise unless stated otherwise) |
| wyif / wyib | with yarn in front (towards you) / with yarn in back (away from you) |
| tbl | through the back loop — the stitch becomes twisted |
| k tbl | knit through the back loop — a crisp, raised column (a figure-eight loop on cable charts) |
| p tbl | purl through the back loop — how a twisted stitch is worked from the wrong side |
| MB | a raised “berry”: (k1, k1 tbl) twice into the same st — 4 sts; turn, p4; turn, k4; pass the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sts over the first. Shown as a large round dot on cable charts |
| place on waste yarn | move the stitches to a contrasting strand of yarn to work later |
Short rows
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| DS | double stitch (German short rows): after turning, slip the first stitch with yarn in front, then pull the yarn up and over the back firmly so the stitch shows two legs. Later, work both legs together as one stitch |
| German short rows | the same as DS |
| turn | flip the work so the other side faces you and knit back the other way |
| W&T | short row with a wrapped stitch |
Cast-on, bind-off, joining
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| CO | cast on |
| Judy’s Magic Cast-On | a cast-on over two parallel needles for a seamless toe-up sock |
| BO | bind off |
| stretchy bind-off | a bind-off that stretches as much as ribbing |
| Kitchener stitch | grafting: joins two needles of live stitches invisibly |
| pick up and knit | draw new stitches out of the edge of a piece |
| join in the round | close the cast-on into a ring without twisting it |
Colorwork
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| M | main colour |
| A, B, C… | contrast colours of the motif |
| float | the strand of the unused colour carried across the wrong side |
| catch the float | trap a long float with the working yarn so it doesn’t snag |
Cables
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1/1 RC | 1/1 RC: sl 1 sts to cn and hold in back, k1, then k1 from cn |
| 1/1 LC | 1/1 LC: sl 1 sts to cn and hold in front, k1, then k1 from cn |
| 1/1 RPC | 1/1 RPC: sl 1 sts to cn and hold in back, k1, then p1 from cn |
| 1/1 LPC | 1/1 LPC: sl 1 sts to cn and hold in front, p1, then k1 from cn |
| 2/1 RPC | 2/1 RPC: sl 1 sts to cn and hold in back, k2, then p1 from cn |
| 2/1 LPC | 2/1 LPC: sl 2 sts to cn and hold in front, p1, then k2 from cn |
| 2/2 RC | 2/2 RC: sl 2 sts to cn and hold in back, k2, then k2 from cn |
| 2/2 LC | 2/2 LC: sl 2 sts to cn and hold in front, k2, then k2 from cn |
| 2/2 RPC | 2/2 RPC: sl 2 sts to cn and hold in back, k2, then p2 from cn |
| 2/2 LPC | 2/2 LPC: sl 2 sts to cn and hold in front, p2, then k2 from cn |
| 3/3 RC | 3/3 RC: sl 3 sts to cn and hold in back, k3, then k3 from cn |
| 3/3 LC | 3/3 LC: sl 3 sts to cn and hold in front, k3, then k3 from cn |
| 2/1 RC | 2/1 RC: sl 1 sts to cn and hold in back, k2, then k1 from cn |
| 2/1 LC | 2/1 LC: sl 2 sts to cn and hold in front, k1, then k2 from cn |
| 1/2 RPC | 1/2 RPC: sl 2 sts to cn and hold in back, k1, then p2 from cn |
| 1/2 LPC | 1/2 LPC: sl 1 sts to cn and hold in front, p2, then k1 from cn |
| 3/1 RPC | 3/1 RPC: sl 1 sts to cn and hold in back, k3, then p1 from cn |
| 3/1 LPC | 3/1 LPC: sl 3 sts to cn and hold in front, p1, then k3 from cn |
| 3/3 RPC | 3/3 RPC: sl 3 sts to cn and hold in back, k3, then p3 from cn |
| 3/3 LPC | 3/3 LPC: sl 3 sts to cn and hold in front, p3, then k3 from cn |
| 4/4 RC | 4/4 RC: sl 4 sts to cn and hold in back, k4, then k4 from cn |
| 4/4 LC | 4/4 LC: sl 4 sts to cn and hold in front, k4, then k4 from cn |
FAQ
What does M1 mean?
Make one: lift the horizontal bar between two stitches and knit it. M1L leans left, M1R leans right.
What is the difference between k2tog and ssk?
Both decrease one stitch; k2tog leans right and ssk leans left, so they are used as a mirrored pair.