beg — Begin (Abbreviation)

beg stands for "begin" or "beginning" — used both as an instruction to start something ("beg working in pattern") and as a reference point locating where in the fabric a later instruction applies ("2 sts from beg of row").

Two different jobs, one abbreviation

As a verb, beg tells you to start a new phase — "beg short row shaping" signals a construction change is about to happen. As a noun-like reference point, "beg" marks a fixed location for later instructions to measure from — "dec 1 st at beg and end of row" tells you exactly where on the row the decreases belong, which matters since a decrease at the beginning has a different visual and structural effect than one worked at the end or center.

Beginning of round specifically

"Beg of rnd" (often paired with pm, place marker) flags the specific point a circular piece's round count restarts from — since a round has no natural start-and-end break the way a flat row does, this marked point is what every round's count and any position-dependent instruction (like a symmetrical increase) actually measures against.

Where it shows up

Pattern introductions ("CO 80 sts, beg working in the round"), shaping instructions referencing a row's edge, and round-tracking notes for circular construction.

Related abbreviations

• pm — place marker, commonly used together with beg of rnd to physically flag that reference point
• cont — continue, the natural counterpart once something has begun

FAQ

Does "beg" ever refer to the very first stitch of an entire project, or only to a row or round? It can refer to any of these depending on context — the pattern's overall beginning, a specific row's beginning, or a round's beginning — always read the surrounding instruction to confirm which scope beg is referring to at that point.

Is there a difference between "beg" and simply starting a pattern with no explicit marker? Yes, when precision matters — a marked beg of rnd gives every later instruction a fixed, unambiguous reference point, while an unmarked start relies on the knitter correctly remembering or recounting where that point actually was.