Abbreviations

Published patterns are written in a dense shorthand assuming you already know it — k2tog, ssk, sc, FLO, w&t. This section decodes each one individually, because a lot of that shorthand hides a real decision (which direction a decrease leans, which loop a stitch goes into) that a one-line glossary definition glosses over.

The single biggest trap in this glossary

US and UK crochet terminology don't just use different words — they're offset by one step across the entire stitch vocabulary. US "single crochet" is UK "double crochet"; US "double crochet" is UK "treble crochet," and so on up the chain. A pattern that doesn't state which convention it's using can be genuinely ambiguous, and working the wrong stitch height throughout an entire project from this exact mix-up is a real, recurring problem, not a rare edge case. sc, dc, hdc, and tr each cover their own place in that offset in more depth.

Basic stitches

k and p — knit and purl, the two moves nearly everything else in knitting builds from. st(s) is the general count both get tallied in. On the crochet side: ch (chain), sl st (slip stitch, essentially no height), then the height progression sc → hdc → dc → tr.

Shaping: increases and decreases

Knit decreases: k2tog leans right, ssk mirrors it leaning left, and psso is the pass-over move both sk2p and CDD build their double decreases from. Knit increases: yo deliberately leaves a hole for lace, kfb is fast but leaves a small bar, and M1 — split into its explicit M1L and M1R forms for symmetrical shaping — trades some speed for a close-to-invisible result. Craft-neutral: inc and dec as general umbrella terms, each pointing to a more specific named technique depending on context.

Construction and finishing

CO and BO open and close a piece; rep and rnd(s) mark repeated sections and circular rounds. pm places a stitch marker, sm carries it forward. beg and cont bookend an established sequence. On the crochet side, FLO and BLO control which loop a stitch catches, and MC / CC label a multi-color pattern's yarns without hardcoding actual color names into every row.

Technique markers

RS and WS flag which face of the fabric should show. tbl twists a stitch by entering its back leg instead of its front. sl, wyif, and wyib cover moving a stitch unworked and where the yarn sits while you do it. cn is the one abbreviation in this glossary naming a tool rather than an action. w&t anchors a short-row turning point.

How to use this glossary

Look up the exact abbreviation as printed in your pattern — most are standardized enough that the same two or three letters mean the same thing across different designers, with the notable exception of the US/UK crochet-naming offset above.

FAQ

Are knitting and crochet abbreviations ever confused with each other? Rarely by accident, since the two crafts use largely separate vocabularies (k/p for knit, sc/dc for crochet), though a handful of general terms like "st(s)," "rep," and "MC/CC" are genuinely shared across both.

Is there a single universal standard for pattern abbreviations? Close to one within each craft and each of US/UK conventions, but not a single global standard — a specific designer occasionally introduces a nonstandard shorthand for a technique unique to their pattern, which should always be defined in that pattern's own notes.

Where do I find the full stitch instructions behind an abbreviation, not just what the letters stand for? Each abbreviation's own page includes the actual working instructions, not just the expanded name — k2tog's page, for instance, covers how to insert the needle and which direction the resulting stitch leans, not just "knit two together."