Reference guide

Knitting Abbreviations: Complete A-Z Reference Guide

Every knitting pattern uses shorthand. Knitting abbreviations like K, P, YO, K2tog and SSK keep instructions short, but they can be confusing if you are new to the craft — or if you are reading a pattern from another country.

This guide lists the most common English knitting abbreviations with plain-English explanations and real pattern examples. We also cover crochet abbreviations, US vs UK terms, and how the same stitches are written in Japanese, French, German, Russian and other languages.

Stuck on a non-English pattern? Upload the PDF and KnitTranslate will produce an English version with abbreviations explained automatically. Translate a pattern →

Basic knitting abbreviations

The stitches, sides and repeats you'll see in almost every pattern.

Knit

The most basic stitch — insert the right needle into the front loop, wrap the yarn, and pull it through.

e.g. K10 = knit 10 stitches

Purl

The reverse of a knit stitch — insert the right needle into the front loop from back to front.

e.g. P2 = purl 2 stitches

St(s)

Stitch(es)

A single loop (or group of loops) on your needle.

e.g. 50 sts = 50 stitches

Right side

The public, front-facing side of your knitted fabric.

e.g. Work row on RS

Wrong side

The inside or back of your fabric, usually hidden in the finished piece.

e.g. Purl on WS rows

Rep

Repeat

Work the instructions inside the asterisks or brackets again.

e.g. *K2, P2* rep = ribbing

Rnd(s)

Round(s)

A complete circle of stitches when knitting in the round.

e.g. Knit 10 rnds

Row

A horizontal line of stitches worked flat, from one edge to the other.

e.g. Work 12 rows even

Cont

Continue

Keep working in the established pattern or stitch count.

e.g. Cont in St st

Foll

Following

Refers to the rows, stitches or instructions that come next.

e.g. Foll 4 rows

Increases (adding stitches)

How to grow your fabric — choose the increase that matches your shaping direction.

Make one

An invisible increase. Pick up the horizontal bar between two stitches and knit it through the back loop.

e.g. M1 = adds 1 stitch

M1L

Make one left

A left-leaning invisible increase.

e.g. Use when shaping leans left

M1R

Make one right

A right-leaning invisible increase.

e.g. Use when shaping leans right

KFB

Knit front and back

Knit into the front loop, then into the back loop of the same stitch before slipping it off. Adds one stitch.

e.g. KFB = visible single increase

PFB

Purl front and back

The purl version of KFB. Purl into the front and back loops of one stitch.

e.g. Adds 1 stitch on a purl row

Yarn over

Wrap the working yarn around the right needle to create a new stitch, usually forming a small hole for lace.

e.g. K2, YO, K2tog

Lifted increase

Pick up the loop from the stitch one row below and knit it.

e.g. LLI / RLI for left/right

Decreases (removing stitches)

Lean left, lean right, or keep the decrease centered.

K2tog

Knit two together

Knit two stitches together as if they were one. A right-leaning decrease.

e.g. Decreases 1 stitch

P2tog

Purl two together

Purl two stitches together. Right-leaning decrease on the wrong side.

e.g. Decreases 1 stitch

SSK

Slip, slip, knit

Slip two stitches knitwise one at a time, then knit them together through the back loop. Left-leaning decrease.

e.g. Mirror of K2tog

SSP

Slip, slip, purl

The purl equivalent of SSK. A left-leaning decrease on the wrong side.

e.g. Decreases 1 stitch

SKP

Slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over

A left-leaning single decrease.

e.g. Old name for SSK-like decrease

SK2P

Slip 1, K2tog, PSSO

Slip one stitch, knit the next two together, then pass the slipped stitch over. A strong left-leaning double decrease.

e.g. Decreases 2 stitches

CDD

Centered double decrease

Slip two stitches together, knit one, pass the slipped stitches over. A centered double decrease.

e.g. Decreases 2 stitches

Cast on, bind off and markers

Start, finish and keep your place while you knit.

Cast on

Create the first row of stitches on your needle before you start knitting.

e.g. CO 80 sts

Bind off / cast off

Secure the live stitches so your fabric does not unravel.

e.g. BO all sts in pattern

Place marker

Put a stitch marker on the needle to mark a position.

e.g. PM after 20 sts

Slip marker

Move the stitch marker from one needle to the other when you reach it.

e.g. SM, continue

Turning bobble

A small raised bump worked at the turning point of a short row.

e.g. Used in German short rows

W&T

Wrap and turn

Wrap the working yarn around a stitch before turning the work, used in short rows.

e.g. W&T on next stitch

Texture and technique abbreviations

Slipped stitches, garter, stockinette and other fabric-building terms.

TBL

Through the back loop

Work the stitch into the back leg of the loop instead of the front. Twists the stitch.

e.g. K1 tbl

Slip

Move a stitch from the left needle to the right needle without working it.

e.g. Sl 1 wyif / wyib

Sl1 wyif

Slip 1 with yarn in front

Slip one stitch with the yarn held in front of the work.

e.g. Creates a selvedge or braid effect

Sl1 wyib

Slip 1 with yarn in back

Slip one stitch with the yarn held behind the work.

e.g. Common in selvedges

PSSO

Pass slipped stitch over

Lift the slipped stitch up and over the stitch just worked, like a bind-off.

e.g. Used in SK2P and SKP

G st

Garter stitch

Fabric made by knitting every row. Lies flat and is reversible.

e.g. Work in G st

St st

Stockinette stitch

Knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side. The classic smooth knit fabric.

e.g. Work in St st

Rev St st

Reverse stockinette stitch

Purl on the right side and knit on the wrong side.

e.g. Background for textured stitches

Rib

Ribbing

A stretchy fabric made by alternating knit and purl stitches, usually at edges.

e.g. K1, P1 rib

Crochet abbreviations (US terms)

US and UK crochet terms differ — always check which system your pattern uses.

Chain

The foundation stitch of most crochet projects.

e.g. Ch 20

Single crochet (US)

Short, dense stitch. Called double crochet (dc) in UK patterns.

e.g. Sc in each ch

hdc

Half double crochet (US)

A stitch halfway in height between sc and dc.

e.g. Hdc in next st

Double crochet (US)

Taller than sc. Called treble (tr) in UK patterns.

e.g. Dc in each st

Treble crochet (US)

A tall stitch worked with two yarn overs before inserting the hook. Called double treble (dtr) in UK patterns.

e.g. Tr in next 3 sts

dtr

Double treble crochet (US)

An even taller stitch worked with three yarn overs.

e.g. Dtr in ring

sl st

Slip stitch

Join rounds, move across stitches, or finish edges without adding height.

e.g. Sl st to first sc

Magic ring / magic circle

An adjustable loop used to start amigurumi or projects worked in the round.

e.g. 6 sc into MR

dec

Decrease

Work two or more stitches together to reduce stitch count.

e.g. Sc2tog over next 2 sts

inc

Increase

Work two stitches into the same stitch to add stitches.

e.g. 2 sc in next st

US vs UK crochet terms: the key swap

This is the most common source of confusion in crochet patterns. A US single crochet is a UK double crochet, and a US double crochet is a UK treble. If your finished piece is the wrong size, check the terminology first.

US term

sc → single crochet
hdc → half double crochet
dc → double crochet
tr → treble crochet
dtr → double treble crochet

UK term

dc → double crochet
htr → half treble crochet
tr → treble crochet
dtr → double treble crochet
ttr → triple treble crochet

How to read a line of knitting abbreviations

A typical pattern line looks like this:

Row 3 (RS): K2, P2, *K2, YO, K2tog, P2*; rep from * to * 4 times, K2.

Read it left to right: knit 2 stitches, purl 2 stitches, then repeat the section between asterisks four more times — inside that repeat you knit 2, yarn over, knit 2 together (a decrease), and purl 2. Finish by knitting 2. Because the yarn over adds one stitch and K2tog removes one, the total stitch count stays the same across the row.

Want more help? Read our guide on how to translate knitting patterns to English step by step.

Same stitch, different language

A quick taste of how the same knitting abbreviations appear in non-English patterns. Tap any language for a full mini-glossary.

Japanese

表目 = knit, 裏目 = purl, 増し目 = increase

Open glossary →

French

m. end. = knit, m. env. = purl, jeté = YO

Open glossary →

German

re M = knit, li M = purl, Umschlag = YO

Open glossary →

Russian

лиц. = knit, изн. = purl, накид = YO

Open glossary →

Danish / Norwegian / Swedish

r = knit, vr = purl, omslag = YO

Open glossary →

Spanish / Italian crochet

pb = sc, pa = dc, cadeneta = chain

Open glossary →

Frequently asked questions

What do knitting abbreviations mean?▼

Knitting abbreviations are short letter codes that replace long instructions in patterns. For example, K means knit, P means purl, YO means yarn over, and K2tog means knit two stitches together. They keep patterns compact and easy to read once you know the code.

What is the most common knitting abbreviation?▼

K (knit) and P (purl) are the most common knitting abbreviations. Almost every pattern uses them as the building blocks for fabric, usually followed by increases like M1 or decreases like K2tog and SSK.

Are US and UK knitting abbreviations different?▼

Yes. The main difference is stitch names. What US patterns call single crochet (sc), UK patterns call double crochet (dc). Similarly, US double crochet (dc) equals UK treble (tr). Always check which terminology a pattern uses before you start.

How do I translate a knitting pattern from another language?▼

You can translate a pattern manually with a language-specific glossary, or use KnitTranslate to upload the PDF and get a full English version with translated abbreviations, sizing and materials.

What does M1 mean vs KFB?▼

M1 (make one) is an invisible increase that uses the bar between stitches. KFB (knit front and back) works into the same stitch twice and leaves a small bar. Both add one stitch, but M1 is neater for visible shaping.

Save this guide — or skip the decoding

Bookmark this page as a reference, or let KnitTranslate do the work. Upload your pattern and we'll generate an English version with a custom glossary based on the abbreviations it actually uses.

Translate your pattern →