So sometimes it's not really clear (ESPECIALLY if your'e a newbie to knitting) what the HELL just all of those abbreviations and funny words mean in the knitting world.
I'll make this as complete as I can:
- Toad: A project you loved and really wanted to make a long time ago, but never finished, because there was too much frogging involved.
- Frog (or frogging, or frogged): Quitting a project. Example, "I frogged those mittens. I just couldn't get the hang of knitting in the round."
- Blocking: A finishing process in which knitted fabric is moistened (either by water or steam), then shaped to final measurements. Blocking ensures even stitches and helps to flatten out any curled edges.
- Decrease: To reduce the number of stitches in a row and shape your knitting. The decrease is usually achieved by knitting two stitches together.
- Dropped Stitch: A stitch that has slipped off the end of a needle accidentally and has not been worked for several rows. If a dropped stitch is no picked up (can be done using a crochet hook) the knitting will eventually unravel.
- Garter Stitch: A common stitch used in knitting.
- Increase: Adding a stitches to a row to make the knitted piece wider.
- Slip Stitch: To move stitch from one needle to another without working.
- Stockinette Stitch (aka: Stocking Stitch): A fabric created by alternating between a row of knit stitches (all odd rows) and a row of purl stitches (all even rows). The fabric is smooth on the right or exterior side of the work and bumpy on the wrong or interior side of the work.
- Reverse Stocking Stitch (aka: Reverse Stockinette): Reverse stocking stitch is the fabric formed by making a row of purl stitches (odd rows) and a row of knit stitches (even rows). Being the opposite of stocking stitch, the finished garment is bumpy of the right side and smooth on the wrong side.
- Stranding: Stranding is a technique in which yarn is carried around stitches on wrong side of work to make a color change. If there are more than four stitches between the color change, the second color is woven into the back of the knitting.
So those are the terms.
Now for the abbreviations!
- st (or sts) = stitch or stitches
- K = knit
- P = purl
- K2tog = Knit two together
- P2tog = Purl two together
- sl = slip (sometimes it will say sl 2, or slip two stitches onto the right needle without working them)
- psso = pass the slipped stitch OVER the last stitch on the right needle (we call it piggy-backing in my circle)
- alt = alternat
- dec = decrease
- M1 = Make one stitch by picking up and knitting the thread between the stitch on the right hand needle and the stitch on the left hand needle. (check your pattern, though, if you see M1. It might have specific instructions on how they want it made.)
- tbl = Through the back of the loop.
- ybk = Bring the yarn to the back of the work.
- y ft or y fwd = Bring the yarn to the front of the work.
- yrn or yon = Wrap the yarn around the needle to form a stitch.
- foll = following
- cont = continue
- incl = including or inclusive
- patt = pattern
- rem = remaining
- cm = centimeters
- yo = yarn over (like you're making a stitch, but before you put the needle into the stitch to actually make it
- cbl = cable
- cn = cable needle
If you're working with double pointed needles, and are making a stocking, or a mitten or an arm hole to a sweater, or whatever, you use ALL FIVE needles that come in the packet. I'll either find a video or make a video of that shortly.
