PATTERN BASICS
Common knitting abbreviations: k2tog, ssk, m1l, pm and more
Knitting patterns are written in shorthand. Here are the abbreviations you’ll see most often, what they mean, and which way each increase or decrease leans.
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| k | Knit |
| p | Purl |
| st(s) | Stitch(es) |
| RS / WS | Right side / wrong side of the work. See RS and WS |
| CO | Cast on |
| BO | Bind off (called “cast off” in UK patterns) |
| rep | Repeat |
| rnd(s) | Round(s), when knitting in the round |
| k2tog | Knit 2 together. Decreases 1 stitch and leans to the right |
| ssk | Slip, slip, knit: slip 2 stitches knitwise one at a time, then knit them together through the back loops. Decreases 1 stitch and leans to the left |
| p2tog | Purl 2 together. Decreases 1 stitch |
| k2tog tbl | Knit 2 together through the back loops. Leans left, like ssk |
| sk2p | Slip 1, knit 2 together, pass the slipped stitch over. Decreases 2 stitches, leans left |
| s2kp / cdd | Slip 2 together knitwise, knit 1, pass the 2 slipped stitches over. A centered double decrease |
| psso | Pass slipped stitch over |
| m1 / m1l | Make 1 left: lift the bar between stitches from front to back, then knit it through the back loop. Increases 1 stitch, leans left |
| m1r | Make 1 right: lift the bar from back to front, then knit it through the front loop. Increases 1 stitch, leans right |
| kfb | Knit into the front and then the back of the same stitch. Increases 1 stitch and leaves a small bump |
| yo | Yarn over: wrap the yarn over the needle. Increases 1 stitch and makes a small hole, as in lace |
| sl | Slip a stitch to the right needle without working it. Purlwise unless the pattern says knitwise |
| wyif / wyib | With yarn in front / with yarn in back |
| tbl | Through the back loop |
| pm | Place marker |
| sm | Slip marker from the left needle to the right |
| rm | Remove marker |
| BOR | Beginning of round |
| dpn | Double-pointed needle |
| inc / dec | Increase / decrease |
Why the lean matters
Decreases and increases tilt the stitches around them. Patterns often pair them so the shaping looks tidy: for example, ssk at the start of a row and k2tog at the end. If your pattern names a specific decrease, use that one, because swapping them changes how the edge looks.
Always check the pattern’s key
Most of these are standard, but designers don’t all use them the same way. M1 might mean m1l in one pattern and “any increase” in another. The pattern’s abbreviation list or chart key always wins.
New to reading patterns? See how to read pattern repeats.