Knitting Abbreviations Unravelled

What Do Knitting Abbreviations Mean?

Here at Wool Couture we love being part of your crafting journey, whether you are picking up knitting needles as a novice or you can knit a Hannah’s Blanket with your eyes closed!

We know that the world of knitting abbreviations can be a daunting place to step foot into, but don’t worry we are here to help!

If you have any queries with your knitting kit, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our happy to help customer service team at hi@woolcouturecompany.com or head over to our knitting hints and tips YouTube page here.

Our biggest tip before taking on a new project would be to boil the kettle make a brew and read through the pattern and the abbreviations. If you come across any knitting terms that you don’t recognise in the pattern, look them up on the grid below.

If you don’t want to dive straight into the making up, why not try out the new technique in some scrap yarn from your stash. If your yarn stash looking a bit bare? Why not check out our yarn bundles, the more you add to your cart the bigger discount!

So let's get started with the abbreviations basics, what does K mean in a knitting pattern?
K means knit!! The numbers after K stand for how many stitches to knit.
So K8 means knit 8 stitches, which now leads on to how to knit. Learn to knit stitch with our YouTube knitting guide here

Another common knitting abbreviation is P, what does P stand for in knitting?
P stands for purl, it can also appear in patterns as P ST, which simply means purl stitch. No idea how to purl stitch? Check out our how to purl stitch knitting guide here

One issue that crops up again and again with abbreviations is that there are no standards between countries or even between pattern writers. What does ST ST mean in a knitting pattern? 
ST ST means stocking stitch here in the UK, however in the US is means stockinette stitch. But don't fret the stitch is till the same technique, a stocking stitch is 1 row knit and then 1 knit purl.
Want to see a stocking stitch in action? Head over to our YouTube page to learn how to knit a stocking stitch