Here is a bunch of knitting abbreviations or a so-called knitting dictionary for you of the most commonly used knitting phrases.
Knitting Dictionary
[ ] – work instructions within brackets as many times as directed
( ) – work instructions within parentheses in the place directed
pm – place marker
“ – inch(es)
* * – repeat instructions following the asterisks as directed
– repeat instructions following the single asterisk as directed
3-Needle Bind Off – Used to easily seam two rows of live stitches together.
alt – alternate
approx – approximately
Backward Loop Cast On – A simple, all-purpose cast-on that can be worked mid-row. Also called Loop or Single Cast On. A tutorial can be found here.
b&t – (break and tighten) break off the yarn and thread the end through the st(s) left on the needle. Pull the end of the yarn to tighten the st(s) together.
beg – begin/beginning
bet – between
BO – bind off
C4R – cross 4 right: slip the next 2 sts on the cable needle, leave at the back, k2, then k2 from the cable needle.
C4L – cross 4 left: slip the next 2 sts on the cable needle, leave at the front, k2, then k2 from the cable needle.
C5R – Cable 5 right worked thus. Sl 3 sts onto cn and leave at back of work, k2. Replace 3rd st from cn back onto the left needle and brink cn to front. P1 then k sts from cn.
CA – color A
Cables – There are different kinds of cables, including 1 over 1 and 2 over 2, with and without cable needles.
cable 6 back (or front) – slip the next 3 sts on the cable needle, leave at the back (or front), k3 then k3 from the cable needle.
Cable Cast On – A strong and nice looking basic cast on that can be worked mid-project.
CB – color B
CC – contrasting color
CCD -Centered Double Decrease
Slip first and second sts together as if to work K2tog; K1; pass 2 slipped sts over the knit st.
cm – centimeter(s)
cn – cable needle (Read about cable knitting here)
CO – cast on
cont – continue
Cr2L – cross 2 left worked thus: k into back of second st on the left needle, then k into back of first st and slip both sts off the needle tog.
Cr3L – cross 3 left worked thus: sl 2 sts onto cn and leave at front of work, k1, then k sts from cn.
Cr3R – cross 3 right worked thus: sl 1 st onto cn and leave at back of work, k2, then k st from cn. (You can see a video here)
dec – decrease/decreases/decreasing
dpn – double-pointed needle(s)
Felted Join (to splice yarn) – One method for joining a new length of yarn to the end of one that is already being used.
fl – front loop(s)
foll – follow/follows/following
g – gram
Grafting (also known as Kitchener Stitch) – Seamlessly join two sets of live stitches together.
Directions: With an equal number of sts on two needles, break yarn leaving a tail approx four times as long as the row of sts, and thread through a blunt yarn needle. Hold needles parallel with WSs facing in and both needles pointing to the right. Perform Step 2 on the first front st, then Step 4 on the first back st, then continue from Step 1, always pulling yarn tightly so the grafted row tension matches the knitted fabric:
Step 1: Pull yarn needle K-wise through front st and drop st from knitting the needle.
Step 2: Pull yarn needle P-wise through next front st, leaving st on the knitting needle.
Step 3: Pull the yarn needle P-wise through the first back st and drop st from the knitting needle.
Step 4: Pull the yarn needle K-wise through the next back st, leaving st on the knitting needle.
Rep Steps 1–4 until all sts have been grafted together, finishing by working Step 1 through the last remaining front st, then Step 3 through the last remaining back st.
gs or g st– garter stitch
inc(s) – increase/increases/increasing
k or K – knit
kfb – knit into front and back of the stitch
k2b – knit into the back of the next 2 stitches
k2tog – knit 2 stitches together
KFB – knit into the front and back of the stitch
Knitted Cast-On – A basic cast-on that can be worked mid-project.
Knitting in the Round – The Magic Loop technique uses one long circular needle to knit around a small circumference. The Two Circulars technique uses two long circular needles to knit around a small circumference.
kwise – knitwise
LC – Left Cross – used on cabling patterns (see video)
LH – left hand
Long Tail Cast On – Fast and neat once you get the hang of it. Also referred to as the Slingshot Cast On.
lp(s) – loop(s)
m – meter(s)
M – Marker
M1 – make one stitch by knitting into the back of the loop between two stitches. This increases the row by 1 stitch.
M1 p-st – make one purl stitch
M1L – This is a left-leaning increase. Insert the left-hand N from the front to the back into the horizontal loop between the last st worked and the next st on left-hand N, and knit this loop through the back to twist the st, creating an inc that slants to the left.
M1R – This is a right-leaning increase. Insert the left-hand N from the back to front into the horizontal loop between the last st worked and the next st on left-hand N, and knit this loop through the front to twist the st, making an inc that slants to the right.
Mattress Stitch – A neat, invisible seaming method that uses the bars between the first and second stitches on the edges.
MB – make bobble – into next stitch, k3, (knit into front, back and front of stitch again). Turn, P3, Turn, K3tog.
MC – main color
mm – millimeter(s)
n – needle
ndl(s) – needles(s)
no. – number
oz – ounce(s)
p or P – purl
p2tog – purl 2 stitches together
P2togtbl – insert the right needle up into the back loops of the two stitches and purl them together
pat(s) or patt – pattern(s)
prev – previous
Provisional Cast On (crochet method) – Used to cast on stitches that are also a row of live stitches, so they can be put onto a needle and used later.
Directions: Use a crochet hook, make a slip knot, then hold the knitting needle in the left hand, and hook in the right. With yarn in the back of the needle, work a chain st by pulling yarn over the needle and through chain st. Move yarn back to behind needle, and rep for the number of sts required. Chain a few more sts off the needle, then break the yarn and pull the end through the last chain. (CO sts may be incorrectly mounted; if so, work into the backs of these sts.) To unravel later (when sts need to be picked up), pull the chain end out; the chain should unravel, leaving live stitches.
Provisional Cast On (crochet chain method) – This has the same result as the crochet method above, but works differently, so you may prefer one or the other.
Directions: With a crochet hook, use scrap yarn to make a slip knot and chain the number of sts to be cast on, plus a few extra sts. Insert the tip of the knitting needle into the first bump of the crochet chain. Wrap project yarn around the needle as if to knit, and pull yarn through the crochet chain, forming the first st. Rep this process until you have cast on the correct number of sts.
To unravel later (when sts need to be picked up), pull the chain out, leaving live sts.
psso – pass slipped stitch over
PU – pick up
PUK – pick up and knit
pwise – purlwise
rem – remain/remaining
rep – repeat(s)
rev – reverse
rev st st – reverse stockinette stitch, so purl side is right side
RC – Right Cross – Used on cabling (See Video)
RH – right hand
rnd(s) – round(s)
RS – right side
RSF – one row k
R(W)SF – right (wrong)side facing
R(W)SR – right(wrong)side row
r(s) – row(s)
rw – ribwise
r(w)sf – right (wrong) side facing
S1PW – slip the next stitch purlwise.
sk – skip
skp – slip, knit, pass stitch over—one stitch decreased
sk2p – slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slip stitch over the knit 2 together;
2 stitches have been decreased
sl – slip stitch. Always slip stitches purl-wise with yarn held to the wrong side of work, unless noted otherwise in the pattern.
sl1k – slip 1 knitwise
sl1p – slip 1 purlwise
SKPO – knit 1, yarn fwd, slip 1 stitch, knit 1 stitch, pass the slipped stitch over (1 stitch is decreased).
SKTPO – Slip one, knit two together, and pass the slipped stitch over.
sk2po – Slip 1 stitch, knit 2 stitches tog, and pass the slipped stitch over (2 stitches are decreased).
SKP – sl, k, psso; 1 st dec
SSK – Slip the next stitch and then the following one knitwise, insert the left needle into the front of the 2 slipped stitches, and knit them together (see link below).
SSP – Slip the next stitch and then the following one knitwise, and return the slipped stitches to the left needle.
SSK – slip the next 2 sts one at a time from the left-hand N to the right-hand N, and insert the tip of the left-hand N into the front of both sts and k2 tog.
SSSK – sl, sl, sl, k these 3 sts tog.
ssk – slip, slip, knit. Slip, slip, knit these 2 stitches together—a decrease
sl st – slip stitch(es)
ss – slip stitch (Canadian) or stocking stitch
sssk – slip, slip, slip, knit 3 stitches together
st(s) – stitch(es)
Stretchy Bind Off – Directions: K2, *insert LH needle into front of 2 sts on RH needle and knit them tog—1 st remains on RH needle. K1; rep from * until all sts have been bound off.
St st – stockinette stitch/stocking stitch
tbl – through the back of the loop
tog – together
tw2 – knit into the front of 2nd st on the left needle then into 1st st and slip both sts off needle tog.
Tw2L – twist 2 left worked thus: p second st on the left needle tbl, then k first st and slip both sts off the needle tog.
Tw2R – twist 2 right worked thus: k second st on the left needle, the p first st and slip both sts off the needle tog.
W&T – wrap and turn
WS – wrong side
WSF – one row P
wyif – with yarn in front
wyib – with yarn in back
YB – yarn to back of work
yfwd or YF or yfd – yarn forward
yrn – yarn around the needle
yd(s) – yard(s)
yo – yarn over
yon – yarn over the needle
In most cases, the knitting pattern will have a list of the abbreviated terms listed and what they mean. I keep adding to this knitting dictionary as and when the need arises.