How to Read a Knitting Pattern: Abbreviations Explained

A knitting pattern can look like code at first glance: "K3, *p2, k2; rep from * to last st, k1." In fact it uses a small, consistent vocabulary. Once you know how a pattern is organized and what the common abbreviations mean, you can follow it line by line. This guide uses US terms; UK equivalents are listed further down.

The parts of a knitting pattern

Most patterns follow the same order.

1. Title and skill level, often "beginner", "easy", "intermediate" or "experienced".
2. Sizes and finished measurements: the actual dimensions of the finished piece in each size.
3. Materials: the yarn (its weight, fiber and how many yards or meters you need), the needle sizes and types, and notions, meaning small tools such as stitch markers or a tapestry needle.
4. Gauge: the number of stitches and rows in 4 inches (10 cm) of a given stitch. Matching it makes your piece the right size; our needle size guide shows how to check it.
5. Abbreviations and special stitches: the designer's key. If it ever differs from this article, follow the pattern.
6. Instructions, row by row or round by round, often grouped into sections such as "Back", "Front" and "Sleeves".
7. Finishing: sewing pieces together, weaving in ends (hiding the yarn tails in the back of the fabric) and blocking (wetting or steaming the piece and drying it into shape).

How sizes are written: the bracket convention

When a pattern comes in several sizes, the smallest is given first and the others follow in parentheses or brackets, always in the same order. A pattern for sizes S (M, L, XL) might say "Cast on 80 (88, 96, 104) sts." If you are knitting size M, you cast on 88.

When only one number is given, it applies to every size. A 0 or a dash means that step does not apply to your size.

Common knitting abbreviations

A few conventions help you read the table:

• A number after an abbreviation tells you how many stitches: "k3" means knit three stitches.
• Abbreviations often take a capital letter at the start of an instruction: "K2" is the same as "k2".
• "Knitwise" and "purlwise" tell you which way to insert the needle: as if to knit or as if to purl. Unless the pattern says otherwise, slip stitches purlwise; decreases such as ssk tell you to slip knitwise.
• A plain m1 is usually worked as m1L, but some designers mean a different method. Check the pattern's key.

How to read repeats: asterisks and parentheses

An asterisk marks the start of a repeat. "Rep from *" means go back to the asterisk and work the same stitches again, as many times as the instruction says.

Take "K3, *p2, k2; rep from * to last st, k1." Read it like this:

1. Knit 3 stitches.
2. Purl 2 stitches.
3. Knit 2 stitches.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until only one stitch remains on the left needle.
5. Knit that last stitch.

A double asterisk (**) marks a second repeat point; the instructions explain how to use it.

Parentheses or brackets group stitches. "(K2tog, yo) 3 times" means k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo. "(K1, p1, k1) in next st" means all three are worked into the same stitch.

You will also see stitch counts in parentheses at the end of a row, such as "(48 sts)". That is how many stitches you should have once the row is done. Count them, especially after increases or decreases.

"Work even", "as established" and other pattern phrases

• Work even: continue in the current stitch pattern without increasing or decreasing.
• As established, or in pattern: keep working the stitch pattern you have set up, with each stitch lined up on the ones below. For ribbing, this means "knit the knits and purl the purls": knit the stitches that look like Vs and purl the ones that look like bumps.
• Ending with a WS row: the last row you work before moving on must be a wrong-side row, so the next section begins on the right side.
• Every 4th row: shaping is worked on one row, then three rows are worked without shaping, and so on.
• At the same time: two sets of instructions happen together, for example shaping a neckline while also shaping a shoulder. Read these passages twice and make notes before you start.

How to read a knitting chart

A chart is a grid that shows a stitch pattern as a picture of the right side of the fabric. Charts are common for lace, cables and colorwork.

• Each square is one stitch, and each horizontal line of squares is one row or round.
• Read from the bottom to the top: row 1 is the lowest line.
• When knitting flat, read right-side rows from right to left and wrong-side rows from left to right. The row number usually sits on the side where that row begins.
• When knitting in the round, the right side always faces you, so read every round from right to left.
• The key explains each symbol. Some symbols change meaning on wrong-side rows: an empty square often means "knit on RS, purl on WS", which is how stockinette looks on a chart.
• A bold or colored outline marks the repeat, the group of stitches you work again and again across the row.
• Shaded squares often mean "no stitch": skip them. They keep the grid aligned when the stitch count changes.

US and UK knitting terms

Most abbreviations, including k2tog and ssk, are the same in both countries. A few words differ:

Be careful with moss stitch: in a US pattern, it means a different stitch, a taller cousin of seed stitch that changes every two rows rather than every row. British patterns also give needle sizes in millimeters, or in old UK numbers if they are vintage, and use names such as DK and aran for yarn weights.

Tips for following a pattern

• Read the whole pattern once before you cast on, including the finishing.
• Highlight your size throughout.
• Keep a row counter, either a small clicker or a tally on paper, and mark each row as you finish it.
• Place stitch markers between repeats, so a miscount shows up within a few stitches.
• Check whether the designer has published corrections, often called errata.

What to learn next

The best way to practice is with a simple pattern. Choose one of our easy first projects, and if a stitch feels unfamiliar, review the knit stitch or how to purl. Our books and courses in the library walk you through complete patterns step by step.