Stitchbay guide
Knitting abbreviations: what k2tog, ssk, m1 and the rest mean
Knitting patterns shorten every stitch: k is knit, p is purl, k2tog is knit two together (a right-leaning decrease), ssk is slip, slip, knit (a left-leaning decrease) and m1 is make one (an increase). The table lists each one with what to do and the symbol charts use.
| Symbol | Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| k | knit. Put the right needle into the front of the stitch from left to right, wrap the yarn round it and pull a new loop through. The smooth V side of the fabric. | |
| p | purl. With the yarn in front, put the right needle into the stitch from right to left, wrap and pull the loop through backwards. The bumpy side; a purl is a knit seen from behind. | |
| k1 tbl | knit through the back loop. Knit into the back leg of the stitch instead of the front, which twists it. Crisp ribbing and twisted stitches. | |
| k2tog | knit two together. Knit the next two stitches as if they were one. One stitch fewer, leaning to the right. | |
| ssk | slip, slip, knit. Slip two stitches one at a time as if to knit, put the left needle into their fronts and knit them together. One stitch fewer, leaning to the left: the mirror of k2tog. | |
| p2tog | purl two together. Purl the next two stitches as one. One stitch fewer. | |
| k3tog | knit three together. Knit three stitches as one. Two fewer, leaning right. | |
| cdd | central double decrease. Slip two stitches together as if to knit, knit one, pass the two slipped stitches over. Two fewer, with the middle stitch standing straight on top. | |
| m1l | make one left. Lift the bar between the needles from the front with the left needle and knit it through the back. One more stitch, leaning left, with no hole. | |
| m1r | make one right. Lift the bar between the needles from the back and knit it through the front. One more stitch, leaning right. | |
| m1 | make one. An increase from the bar between stitches; use m1l unless the pattern says otherwise. | |
| kfb | knit front and back. Knit into the stitch, don't drop it, then knit into its back loop too. One more stitch, with a small bar on the right side. | |
| yo | yarn over. Bring the yarn over the right needle before the next stitch. One more stitch and a deliberate hole: the building block of lace. | |
| sl | slip. Move a stitch from the left needle to the right without working it: as if to purl unless the pattern says knitwise. | |
| wyif / wyib | with yarn in front / behind. Where the yarn sits while you slip a stitch. | |
| c4f | cable four front. Slip two stitches to a cable needle held in front, knit the next two, then knit the two from the cable needle. The cable crosses to the left. | |
| c4b | cable four back. As c4f but hold the cable needle behind. The cable crosses to the right. | |
| co | cast on. Put the first stitches on the needle. Long-tail is stretchy and neat for most things. | |
| bo | bind off (UK: cast off). Finish the stitches so they can't unravel: work two, pass the first over the second, and so on. Called cast off in UK patterns. | |
| pm / sm | place marker / slip marker. Put a stitch marker on the needle; move it across when you reach it. | |
| RS / WS | right side / wrong side. The side that will show, and the inside. | |
| w&t | wrap and turn. For short rows: slip the next stitch, move the yarn to the other side, slip the stitch back, and turn. The wrap stops a hole. | |
| pick up and k | pick up and knit. Put the needle through the edge of the fabric, wrap and pull a loop through, making new stitches along an edge (necklines, gussets). | |
| st st | stockinette (UK: stocking stitch). Knit on right-side rows and purl on wrong-side rows (knit every round in the round). Called stocking stitch in the UK. | |
| garter | garter stitch. Knit every row (in the round: knit one round, purl one round). Ridged, flat, doesn't curl. | |
| rib | ribbing. Knits and purls in columns (k1, p1 or k2, p2). Stretchy, for cuffs, hems and brims. |