Knitting Abbreviations: The Complete List with Meanings
Every common knitting abbreviation from k and p to ssk, sk2p, M1L and C4F, grouped by type, plus how to read repeats written with * and brackets.
The short answer: k is knit, p is purl, k2tog is knit two together (a right-leaning decrease), ssk is slip, slip, knit (a left-leaning decrease), yo is a yarn over, and M1L / M1R are left- and right-leaning increases. The full list is below, grouped by what the stitches do, followed by how repeats are written.
Knitting patterns are written in a shorthand that saves pages but can look like code the first time. Almost all English-language patterns use the same abbreviations, most of them standardised by the Craft Yarn Council. A pattern’s own abbreviation list always wins if it defines something differently.
Basic stitches
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| k | knit |
| p | purl |
| k1, p1 | knit one, purl one |
| st(s) | stitch(es) |
| St st | stockinette (stocking) stitch: knit RS rows, purl WS rows |
| rev St st | reverse stockinette: purl RS rows, knit WS rows |
| g st | garter stitch: knit every row |
| tbl | through the back loop |
| k tbl / ktbl | knit through the back loop (a twisted stitch) |
| p tbl / ptbl | purl through the back loop |
| sl | slip a stitch from the left to the right needle without working it |
| sl1 kwise / pwise | slip one knitwise / purlwise |
| wyib / wyif | with yarn in back / with yarn in front |
Increases
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| inc | increase |
| yo | yarn over: wrap the yarn around the needle, making a new stitch and a hole |
| M1 | make one (usually the same as M1L) |
| M1L | make one left: lift the strand between stitches from front to back and knit it through the back loop |
| M1R | make one right: lift the strand from back to front and knit it through the front loop |
| kfb | knit front and back: knit into the same stitch twice |
| pfb | purl front and back |
Decreases
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Leans |
|---|---|---|
| dec | decrease | – |
| k2tog | knit two together | right |
| p2tog | purl two together | right on the RS |
| ssk | slip, slip, knit: slip two stitches knitwise one at a time, knit them together through the back loops | left |
| ssp | slip, slip, purl | left on the RS |
| skp | slip one, knit one, pass the slipped stitch over | left |
| k3tog | knit three together (decreases two) | right |
| sk2p | slip one, knit two together, pass the slipped stitch over (decreases two) | left |
| cdd / s2kp | central double decrease: slip two together knitwise, knit one, pass the two slipped stitches over | centred |
| psso | pass slipped stitch over | – |
Cables
Cable abbreviations name the number of stitches and which way they cross. “Front” means the cable needle is held in front of the work, which makes the cable lean left; “back” makes it lean right.
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| cn | cable needle |
| C4F | slip 2 stitches to a cable needle and hold in front, knit 2, knit 2 from the cable needle |
| C4B | slip 2 to cn and hold in back, k2, k2 from cn |
| C6F / C6B | the same over 6 stitches (3 and 3) |
| 2/2 LC, 2/2 RC | the same crosses in the newer “left cross / right cross” notation |
| T3F / T3B | twist: a knit stitch travels over a purl background |
Shaping, edges and working in the round
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| CO | cast on |
| BO | bind off (cast off in UK patterns) |
| RS / WS | right side / wrong side |
| rnd(s) | round(s), when knitting in the round |
| dpn | double-pointed needle(s) |
| pm / sm | place marker / slip marker |
| beg / end | beginning / end |
| rem | remain(ing) |
| cont | continue |
| foll | following |
| patt | pattern |
| LH / RH | left-hand / right-hand (needle) |
| MC / CC | main colour / contrast colour |
| w&t | wrap and turn (short rows) |
| approx | approximately |
How repeats are written
Repeats are where most mistakes happen. The three common forms:
- * to rep from *: work from the asterisk to the instruction, then go back to the asterisk. “*K2, p2; rep from * to end” means knit 2, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2… to the end of the row.
- Brackets or parentheses with a count: “[k1, p1] 5 times” means work the bracketed stitches five times in a row.
- “to last X sts”: “*K2, p2; rep from * to last 2 sts, k2” means repeat until two stitches remain, then knit those two.
A quick check before you start a row: add up the stitches the repeat uses plus the edge stitches, and compare with the stitch count on your needle.
UK and US terms
Most abbreviations are the same on both sides of the Atlantic, with a few word differences: “cast off” (UK) is “bind off” (US), “tension” is “gauge”, “stocking stitch” is “stockinette stitch”, and “moss stitch” in the UK is usually what US patterns call “seed stitch”. Needle sizes differ too; see the needle size chart.
From chart to abbreviations, automatically
Charts and written instructions say the same thing in two ways. If you make a knitting chart in Knytstudio, it writes the row-by-row instructions for you in these abbreviations, reading right-side and wrong-side rows in the right direction and collapsing repeats into brackets. For the other direction, see how to read a knitting chart.
Frequently asked questions
What does k2tog mean in knitting?
Knit two together: insert the needle into the next two stitches as if to knit and knit them as one. It decreases one stitch and leans to the right.
What is the difference between ssk and k2tog?
Both decrease one stitch. K2tog leans to the right; ssk (slip, slip, knit) leans to the left. Patterns often pair them on either side of a shaping line so the decreases mirror each other.
What does * mean in a knitting pattern?
An asterisk marks the start of a repeat. 'Rep from *' means go back to the asterisk and work the same stitches again, as many times as stated or to the end of the row.
What does M1 mean in knitting?
Make one: an increase made by picking up the strand between two stitches and knitting into it. M1L leans left and M1R leans right; plain M1 usually means M1L.
What does RS and WS mean?
RS is the right side, the side that faces out on the finished piece. WS is the wrong side, the inside. A row is called an RS row when the right side faces you as you knit it.