Knit sweater pattern

 

Knitting Abbreviations With Glossary

 Knitting Abbreviations: A–F 

 

alt – alternate

approx – approximately

beg – beginning

 bet – between

BO – bind off 

byo – backward yarn over

CA – color A

CB – color B 

CC – contrasting color 

cdd – centered double decrease 

ch – chain 

cn – cable needle 

CO – cast on 

cont – continue 

cross 2 L – cross two stitches to the left

cross 2 R – cross two stitches to the right 

dec – decrease 

DK – double knitting weight yarn

dpn – double pointed needles

EON – end of needle

EOR – end of row

FC – front cross

fl – front loop

foll – follow 

 Knitting Abbreviations: G–L

 

g st – garter stitch

grp – group inc – increase

k – knit

k tbl – knit stitch through back loop

k1B – knit stitch in row below

kfb – knit 1 into front and back of stitch

kll – knit left loop

krl – knit right loop 

k2tog – knit two stitches together 

k2tog tbl – knit two stitches together, through the back loops 

ksp – knit 1 stitch; slip the stitch; pass second stitch over first stitch; return stitch to right needle kwise – knitwise 

LC – left cross 

LH – left hand lp – loop

LT – left twist

 Knitting Abbreviations: M–R  

 m – marker 

M1 – make one

M1A – make one away

M1L – make one left

M1p – make one purlwise 

M1lp – make one left purlwise

M1rp – make one right purlwise 

M1R – make one right 

M1T – make one towards 

MB – make bobble 

MC – main color 

p – purl p

tbl – pull through back loop

p–b – purl stitch in the row below 

p–wise – purl wise 

p1 f&b or pfb – purl the front of the stitch, then purl the back of the same stitch

p2tog – pull together

p2tog tbl – pull two together through the back loops

patt – pattern 

pm – place marker

pnso – pass next stitch over

pop – popcorn stitch 

prev – previous 

psso – pass the slipped stitch over

p2sso – pass 2 slipped stitches over 

pu – pick up stitches

pwise – purlwise 

RC – right cross 

rem – remaining 

rep – repeat 

RH – right hand

rib – ribbing 

rnd – round

RS – right side 

RT – right twist

 Knitting Abbreviations: S–Z 

sk –skip

sk2p – slip one, knot two, pass slipped stitch over

SKP – slit, knit, pass

sl – slip a stitch 

sl st – slip stitches 

sl1k – slip a stitch knitwise 

sl1p – slip a stitch purlwise

sm – slip marker 

sp – space 

ss – slip stitch

ssk – slip, slip, knit slipped stitches together

ssp – slip, slip, purl 

SSPP2 – slip 2 stitches knitwise; return the stitches to left needle and slip them through back loops; purl 1, pass 2 slipped stitches over purl stitch; centered double decrease

sssk – slip, slip, slip, knit three slipped stitches together

st – stitch 

st st – stockinette stitch

tbl – through back loop

tfl – through front loop

tog – together 

won – wool over needle

wrn – wool round needle 

WS – wrong side 

w&t – wrap and turn 

wyib – with yarn in back 

wyif – with yard in front

yb – yarn to the back

yf – yarn forward

yfon – yarn forward and over needle 

yfrn – yard forward and round needle

yfwd – yarn forward

yo – yarn over 

yo2 – yarn over twice 

yon – yarn over needle

yrn – yarn round needle

 Other Symbols 

 A few of the most common include the following:

 [] – repeat instructions between brackets as much as required

 () – repeat instructions in parentheses as required

 * – repeat instructions following the asterisk as needed

 ** – repeat instructions between asterisks as needed

 Glossary of Knitting Terms 

These terms include:

Bind Off: When you’re ready to finish the last row, knit two stitches to bind off. 

Then, slip the first stitch over the second.

Repeat until there is only one stitch left.

Cut off the remaining yarn and tuck it into the last stitch. 

 

Casting On: Casting on means to create the first stitch of your piece. You make a loop over the left-hand needle and put the right-hand needle through the loop. Then, pass the yarn over and under the right-hand needle and through the loop to the left-hand needle.

Crochet: Although crochet also uses yarn, crocheters use a hooked needle to create more tightly–crafted designs. 

Gauge: The gauge indicates how many stitches and rows there are per inch. 

Eyelet: This is a decorative edging for knitting projects with small holes. 

Knitting Needles: The three types of knitting needles include pin-style needles, double-pointed needles, and circular needles.

Knit Stitch: With this most basic knitting stitch, place the left-hand needle in front of the right-hand needle to transfer a stitch. 

Moss Stitch: This is when you switch between a knit stitch and a purl stitch in a row.

Popcorn Stitch: This refers to a bobble on the surface of a knitted project.

Purl Stitch: With this backward stitch, you place the right-hand needle in front of the left-hand needle. Rib Stitch: With a rib stitch, you alternate stitches between rows to create a contrast. 

Skein: This is a collapsible coil of yarn.

Slip Stitch: Transfer the stitch between needles without adding yarn in a slip stitch. 

Slip Knot: This is an adjustable loop used for casting on.

6 Unexpected Benefits of Knitting

Learning how to knit might not be at the top of your fall to-do list, but it should be. Not just for your grandmother anymore, knitting has a wide variety of benefits beyond having something comfy to wear/snuggle/give away at the end of the process. Plus, you don’t have to use that scratchy wool yarn. There are plenty of really soft brands of yarn that you can use.

1. It gives you a sense of pride Not a lot of people know how to knit. Showing off something you’ve knitted to someone who has no idea how you managed it is like showing off some sort of new magic trick. They’re going to be in awe of your newly acquired witchcraft and you’ll receive a ton of compliments (plus requests for scarves, but you can handle that however you want).

2. It has the same benefits of meditation Once you figure out what you’re doing, knitting can be very relaxing. Simple knitting projects are usually the same few stitches over and over, so you can zone out and use your muscle memory to get the job done. The rhythmic, repetitive motion and relaxation has the same benefits to your mind and body as a meditation session, except you get a blanket at the end.

3. It alleviates symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression The rhythmic motions and sense of focus can help distract from symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. Sitting still to knit reduces your heart rate and lowers your blood pressure after a few minutes, so reaching for those knitting needles when you start to feel anxiety build or depression seeping in can help keep those symptoms at bay.

4. It helps improve motor functions Because knitting stimulates almost the whole brain at once—”the frontal lobe (which guides rewards processing, attention and planning), the parietal lobe (which handles sensory information and spatial navigation), the occipital lobe (which processes visual information), the temporal lobe (which is involved in storing memories and interpreting language and meaning) and the cerebellum (which coordinates precision and timing of movement)”—it can be used to help people with diseases like Parkinson’s improve their motor functions. It both helps improve their fine motor skills and distracts from other painful symptoms.

5. It slows cognitive decline While it’s helping improve your motor function and mood, knitting is also stimulating your brain to keep it healthy. The more you use your brain, the healthier it becomes, and the longer it lasts. According to the Mayo Clinic, seniors who engage in crafts (including knitting) are about 30-50% less likely to have a “mild cognitive impairment” than those who don’t.

6. It helps prevent arthritis and tendinitis Just like you have to use your brain to keep it healthy, you have to use your joints to keep them healthy as well. According to Dr. Barron, gently using your fingers builds up their cartilage, making it stronger, instead of wearing it down. Knitting is better for this than typing, which doesn’t put quite enough strain on your fingers, but it isn’t so strenuous that you’ll have other problems down the road. Already have arthritis? Dr. Barron recommends soaking your hands in some warm water and using larger needles to create your masterpieces. Now that you know all about the health benefits of knitting, head over to your local craft store to pick up some supplies. Some of them have free or cheap classes for beginners, so ask around! If you can’t find classes, the great resource that taught me how to knit was tutorials on YouTube and Pinterest. Trust me—once you get the hang of knitting, you won’t want to stop.