Complete guide to knitting abbreviations

To a beginner, knitting patterns can look like they’re written in another language. And in a way they are! Most patterns use knitting abbreviations to represent the stitches, actions and techniques you encounter as you knit. This special shorthand is easy to understand once you know how, but it can be very confusing if you’re reading a pattern for the first time. How would you b&t on a K rnd, or C4B after mrk on alt rows? We’ll help you find out!

Why do we use knitting abbreviations?

Knitting patterns use abbreviations for two main reasons: clarity and brevity. Instead of saying, “Knit one, then purl one, then knit another one and purl another one, and carry on doing this until you run out of stitches”, which is difficult to follow at a glance and takes up a lot of space on the page, your pattern might read: “*K1, P1; rep from * to end of row.” Simpler, shorter, and much clearer.

If we didn’t use abbreviations, patterns would be extremely long and dense, and the lack of consistency could baffle even experienced knitters. It can be frustrating to encounter all these strange knitting terms when you’re first starting out, but rest assured that you’ll soon become fluent.

Are there standard knitting abbreviations?

The short answer is no! While there are similarities in the knitting abbreviations used across different pattern writers and even different countries, there are no fixed standards and variations are widespread.

However, there are common abbreviations that you’ll see used in lots of patterns, such as K for knit and P for purl. These letters are usually followed by a number that tells you how many stitches to work – so K2 means “knit two stitches”. You’ll also spot similar-sounding terms that you may be able to figure out from context (such as “knitwise” and “knitways”).

Most patterns will either have their own abbreviations somewhere on the page or refer to a set of definitions elsewhere. Some publications may only mention abbreviations that are unusual or specific to that pattern, and then send you to their own standard terms for the rest.

Need knitting advice?

For more knitting know-how, take a look at our expert guides and in-depth tutorials, including:

• Yarn weight conversion chart
• Choose the right knitting needles
• How to decrease in knitting

Knitting abbreviations list

The abbreviations you’ll see below are the ones we use in our knitting patterns here on Gathered, and reflect UK knitting terms, but they should also help you to decode any other patterns you find around the web.

You might come across knitting patterns that use crochet stitches too, in which case you’ll need our crochet abbreviations as well!