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Knitting Terms/Abbreviations

  • Writer: Makenzie
    Makenzie
  • Jul 21
  • 7 min read

Have you ever found yourself confronted with a bunch of seemingly random letters in your pattern that left you scrambling to do a search? What do all those acronyms and abbreviations mean?!? Sometimes they look like a completely different language! Well, fret no more! Below you will find a list of all the terms used in Hanks And Needles patterns, broken down into different categories so you can easily find what you are looking for: basic knitting, brioche, and cables. As the pattern library grows, the lists will be updated so you have an accurate, handy reference with everything in one place.



Basic Knitting Terms/Abbreviations

  • C1(2) - Color 1 (2)

  • CC1(2) - Contrast Color 1 (2)

  • CDD - Center Double Decrease, slip 2 stitches at the same time, knit 1, pass slipped sts over stitch just worked; 2 sts decreased

  • Cluster 3 - Slip 3 stitches on cable needle, wrap working yarn around slipped stitches counter clockwise 3 times (3 wraps total around slipped stitches), then knit 3 from cable needle

  • CS - Center Stitch

  • Dec - Decrease

  • EOR - End of Round

  • FN - Front Needle

  • Inc - Increase

  • K - Knit

  • Ktbl - knit through the back loop

  • K1fb - Knit 1 front and back of the same stitch, 1 stitch increase

  • K1fbf - Knit 1 front and back and front of the same stitch, 2 stitch increase.

  • k1yok1 - Knit 1 stitch leaving stitch on the Left Needle, yarn over (yarn forward under needle then over needle to back), then knit 1 into the same stitch; 2 stitches increased

  • K2tog - Knit 2 stitches together; 1 stitch decrease

  • K2tog tbl - knit 2 stitches together through the back loop

  • LLIK - Left leaning lifted increase knitted, lift the left leg of the stitch 2 rows below the on the right handed needle, and knit it though the back loop;1 stitch increase

  • LLIP - Left leaning lifted increase purled, lift the left leg of the stitch 2 rows below the on the right handed needle, and purl it though the back loop;1 stitch increase 1 stitch increase

  • MDS - Make double stitch

  • MML - Move marker 1 stitch left

  • M1 - Make 1 stitch by inserting left needle under the horizontal strand between the last stitch worked and the first stitch on the left needle from back to front. Knit this strand through the front loop to twist it.

  • M1L - Make 1 stitch by inserting left needle under the horizontal strand from front to back, between the last stitch worked and the first stitch on the left needle. Knit this strand through the back loop to twist it.

  • M1R - Make 1 stitch by inserting left needle under the horizontal strand from back to front between the last stitch worked and the first stitch on the left needle. Knit this strand through the front loop to twist it.

  • M1p - Make 1 stitch by inserting left needle under the horizontal strand between the last stitch worked and the first stitch on the left needle from back to front. Purl this strand through the front loop to twist it.

  • MC - Main Color

  • P - Purl

  • PM - Place Marker

  • PSSO - Pass slipped stitch over stitch last worked stitch.

  • P1fb - Purl 1 front and back of the same stitch, 1 stitch increase

  • P2tog - purl 2 stitches together

  • Rep - Repeat

  • RLIK - Right leaning lifted Increase knitted, lift the right leg of the stitch below the on the left handed needle, and knit it;1 stitch increase 1 stitch increase

  • RLIP - Right leaning lifted Increase purled, lift the right leg of the stitch below the on the left handed needle, and purl it;1 stitch increase 1 stitch increase

  • RM - Remove Marker

  • Rnd - Round

  • RS - Right Side

  • Sl - slip 1 stitch (knitwise on the Wrong Side; purlwise on the Right Side)

  • Slide - After completing the row, slide your stitches on your needle back to the beginning of the row.

  • Sl wyib - Slip 1 stitch purlwise with yarn in back

  • Sl wyif - Slip 1 stitch purlwise with yarn in front

  • Sl3 wyif - Slip 3 stitches purlwise one at a time with yarn in front

  • SM - Slip Marker

  • Ssk - Slip 2 stitches one at a time knitwise, then knit them together through the back loops

  • Ssp - Slip 2 stitches one at a time knitwise, then purl them together together through the back loops

  • Sssp - Slip 3 stitches one at a time knitlwise, then purl them together together through the back loops

  • St(s) - Stitch(es)

  • Turn - Turn your work

  • Yo - Yarn over

  • W&T - Right Side: Slip the next stitch on the left needle to the right needle purlwise, bring the yarn to the back between the needles. Slip the stitch back to left needle, bring yarn back between needles. Turn work.

    • W&T - Wrong Side: Slip the next stitch on the left needle to the right needle purlwise, bring the yarn in front between the needles. Slip the stitch back to left needle, bring yarn back between needles. Turn work.

  • WS - Wrong Side



Brioche Knitting Terms

  • brk - knit the stitch that was slipped in the previous row together with its yarn over

  • brkyobrk - brioche knit leaving st on Left Needle, yo (yarn forward under needle then over needle to back), then brioche knit into same stitch; 2 stitches increased.

  • brLsl dec - slip the first stitch knitwise, brioche knit the following two stitches together, pass the slipped stitch over; 2 stitch decrease (left leaning)

  • brp - purl the stitch that was slipped in the previous row together with its yarn over

  • brRsl dec - slip the first stitch knitwise, knit the next stitch, pass the slipped stitch over, place stitch on left hand needle and pass the following stitch over. Place st on right hand needle; 2 stitch decrease (right leaning)

  • sl1yo - following a k or brk st, bring the working yarn under the needle to the front of the work, slip the next stitch purlwise, then bring the yarn over the needle (and over the slipped stitch) to the back, in position to work the following stitch. (sl1yo) - Following a p or brp st, working yarn is already in front, slip the next stitch purlwise, then bring the yarn over the needle (and over the slipped stitch), then to the front under the needle, into position to work the following stitch.



Cable Terms/Abbreviations

  • 1/1 LC - Slip 1 stitch onto cable needle, hold in front, knit 1 stitch, then knit 1 stitch from cable needle.

  • 1/1 LPC - Slip 1 stitch onto cable needle, hold in front, purl 1 stitch, then knit 1 stitch from cable needle.

  • 1/1 RC - Slip 1 stitch onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 1 stitch, then knit 1 stitch from cable needle.

  • 1/1 RPC - Slip 1 stitch onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 1 stitch, then purl 1 stitch from cable needle.

  • 1/2 LC - Slip 1 stitch onto cable needle, hold in front, knit 2 stitches, then knit 1 stitch from cable needle.

  • 1/2 RC - Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 1 stitch, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle.

  • 2/1 LC - Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold in front, knit 1 stitch, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle.

  • 2/1 LPC - Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold in front, purl 1 stitch, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle.

  • 2/1 RC - Slip 1 stitch onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 2 stitches, then knit 1 stitch from cable needle.

  • 2/1 RPC - Slip 1 stitch onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 2 stitch, then purl 1 stitch from cable needle.

  • 2/2 LC - Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold in front, knit 2 stitches, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle.

  • 2/2 LPC - Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold in front, purl 2 stitches, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle.

  • 2/2/2 LPC - Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold in front, slip the next 2 stitches onto a second cable needle, hold in back, knit 2 stitches, then purl 2 stitches from the second cable needle, and finally knit 2 stitches from the first cable needle.

  • 2/2 RC - Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 2 stitches, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle.

  • 2/2 RPC - Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 2 stitches, then purl 2 stitches from cable needle.

  • 2/2/2 RPC - Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold in back, slip the next 2 stitches onto a second cable needle, hold in back, knit 2 stitches, then purl 2 stitches from the second cable needle, and finally knit 2 stitches from the first cable needle.

  • 2/3 LC - Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold in front, knit 3 stitches, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle.

  • 2/3 LPC - Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold in front, purl 3 stitches, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle.

  • 2/3 RC - Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 2 stitches, then knit 3 stitches from cable needle.

  • 2/3 RPC - Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 2 stitches, then purl 3 stitches from cable needle.

  • 3/1 LC - Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle, hold in front, knit 1 stitch, then knit 3 stitches from cable needle.

  • 3/1 LPC - Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle, hold in front, purl 1 stitch, then knit 3 stitches from cable needle.

  • 3/1 RC - Slip 1 stitch onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 3 stitches, then knit 1 stitch from cable needle.

  • 3/1 RPC - Slip 1 stitch onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 3 stitches, then purl 1 stitch from cable needle.

  • 3/2 LC - Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle, hold in front, knit 2 stitches, then knit 3 stitches from cable needle.

  • 3/2 LPC - Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle, hold in front, purl 2 stitches, then knit 3 stitches from cable needle.

  • 3/2 RC - Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 3 stitches, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle.

  • 3/2 RPC - Slip 2 stitches onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 3 stitches, then purl 1 stitch from cable needle

  • 3/3 LC - Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle, hold in front, knit 3 stitches, then knit 3 stitches from cable needle.

  • 3/3 RC - Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 3 stitches, then knit 3 stitches from cable needle.

  • 4/4 RC - Slip 4 stitches onto cable needle, hold in back, knit 4 stitches, then knit 4 stitches from cable needle.

  • 4/2/4 RC - Slip 4 stitches on cable needle hold in back, slip 2 stitches on second cable needle hold in back, knit 4, knit 2 on second cable needle, knit 4 on first cable needle.

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