What does SSK mean in knitting?

SSK stands for Slip, Slip, Knit. It’s a left-leaning decrease where you slip two stitches knitwise one at a time, then knit them together through the back loops.

What does SC mean in crochet?

SC stands for Single Crochet (US term). In UK patterns, the same stitch is called DC (Double Crochet). This is one of the most common sources of confusion between US and UK patterns.

What’s the difference between US and UK crochet terms?

US and UK crochet terms are offset by one. A US Single Crochet = UK Double Crochet. A US Double Crochet = UK Treble. Our glossary shows both with a UK/US toggle.

FLO stands for Front Loop Only. Instead of working through both loops of a stitch, you insert your hook or needle through only the front loop. This creates a ridged texture.

How do I read a knitting pattern?

Use our Pattern Translator. Paste a line from your pattern and every abbreviation gets highlighted with its full meaning. It’s like a real-time dictionary for pattern instructions.

YO stands for Yarn Over. You wrap the yarn around your needle to create a new stitch and a decorative hole. It’s the foundation of lace knitting.

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Abbreviation & Stitch Glossary

Knitting & Crochet

Searchable glossary of knitting and crochet abbreviations with US/UK toggle and stitch descriptions.

Show UK terms

71 terms found

Abbr.	Full Name	Craft	Description
K	Knit	Knit	Insert needle knitwise, wrap yarn, pull through.
P	Purl	Knit	Insert needle purlwise, wrap yarn, pull through.
St(s)	Stitch(es)	Both	One or more loops on the needle/hook.
RS	Right Side	Both	The public-facing side of your work.
WS	Wrong Side	Both	The back/inside of your work.
CO	Cast On	Knit	Creating initial stitches on the needle.
BO	Bind Off	Knit	Securing stitches to prevent unraveling. Also: cast off.
YO	Yarn Over	Knit	Wrap yarn around needle to create a new stitch and decorative hole.
SL	Slip	Knit	Move a stitch from left to right needle without working it.
SLST	Slip Stitch	Both	Knit: slip without working. Crochet: insert hook, pull through loop on hook.
PM	Place Marker	Both	Put a stitch marker on the needle/in the stitch.
SM	Slip Marker	Both	Move the marker from left to right needle.
Rep	Repeat	Both	Work the instructions again as directed.
Rnd	Round	Both	One complete pass when working in the round.
BOR	Beginning of Round	Both	The starting point marker when knitting in the round.
WPI	Wraps Per Inch	Both	Method to determine yarn weight by wrapping around a ruler.
Tog	Together	Both	Work two or more stitches as one.
M1	Make 1	Knit	Lift bar between stitches and knit into it. Invisible increase.
M1L	Make 1 Left	Knit	Left-leaning M1. Lift bar from front, knit through back.
M1R	Make 1 Right	Knit	Right-leaning M1. Lift bar from back, knit through front.
KFB	Knit Front & Back	Knit	Knit into front then back of same stitch. Creates a small bump.
PFB	Purl Front & Back	Knit	Purl into front then back of same stitch.
Inc	Increase	Both	Add one or more stitches. Method varies by pattern.
K2tog	Knit 2 Together	Knit	Knit two stitches as one. Right-leaning decrease.
P2tog	Purl 2 Together	Knit	Purl two stitches as one. Right-leaning decrease on RS.
SSK	Slip Slip Knit	Knit	Slip 2 knitwise, knit together through back. Left-leaning decrease.
SSP	Slip Slip Purl	Knit	Slip 2 knitwise, return, purl together through back.
SKPO	Slip, Knit, Pass Over	Knit	Slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over. Left-leaning decrease.
SK2P	Slip 1, K2tog, Pass Over	Knit	Double decrease. Slip 1, K2tog, pass slipped stitch over.
S2KP	Slip 2, K1, Pass 2 Over	Knit	Centered double decrease.
Dec	Decrease	Both	Remove one or more stitches. Method varies.
CDD	Central Double Decrease	Knit	Slip 2 together, K1, pass slipped stitches over.
Tbl	Through Back Loop	Knit	Work into the back leg of the stitch instead of the front.
Wyif	With Yarn in Front	Knit	Bring working yarn to front of work before next action.
Wyib	With Yarn in Back	Knit	Keep working yarn behind work before next action.
CN	Cable Needle	Knit	Short needle used to hold stitches for cables.
C4F	Cable 4 Front	Knit	Slip 2 to CN, hold front, K2, K2 from CN. Left-leaning cable.
C4B	Cable 4 Back	Knit	Slip 2 to CN, hold back, K2, K2 from CN. Right-leaning cable.
MB	Make Bobble	Knit	Work multiple stitches into one, then decrease back. Creates a 3D bump.
CH	Chain	Crochet	Yarn over, pull through loop on hook. Foundation of most crochet.
SC	Single Crochet	Crochet	Insert hook, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through both loops.
HDC	Half Double Crochet	Crochet	YO, insert hook, pull up loop, YO, pull through all 3 loops.
DC	Double Crochet	Crochet	YO, insert hook, pull up loop, (YO, pull through 2) twice.
TR	Treble Crochet	Crochet	YO twice, insert hook, pull up loop, (YO, pull through 2) three times.
DTR	Double Treble	Crochet	YO 3 times, work off 2 loops at a time, 4 times.
SK	Skip	Crochet	Miss the next stitch. Also written as 'miss' in UK patterns.
SP	Space	Crochet	The gap/hole created by chains in the previous row.
FO	Fasten Off	Crochet	Cut yarn and pull through last loop to secure.
TC	Turning Chain	Crochet	Chain(s) at row start to reach working height. SC=1, DC=3, etc.
FLO	Front Loop Only	Crochet	Work into only the front loop of the stitch for a ridged effect.
BLO	Back Loop Only	Crochet	Work into only the back loop for ribbing effect.
SC2tog	SC 2 Together	Crochet	Insert hook in next st, pull up loop, repeat, YO pull through all 3.
DC2tog	DC 2 Together	Crochet	Work 2 incomplete DC, YO pull through all loops.
Inc	Increase (crochet)	Crochet	Work 2 stitches into the same stitch.
Dec	Decrease (crochet)	Crochet	Work 2 stitches together into one. Also: invDec (invisible decrease).
InvDec	Invisible Decrease	Crochet	Insert hook through front loops of next 2 sts, YO, pull through, YO, pull through 2. Neater than SC2tog.
FPdc	Front Post DC	Crochet	YO, insert hook around front of post, work DC. Creates raised texture.
BPdc	Back Post DC	Crochet	YO, insert hook around back of post, work DC. Creates recessed texture.
PC	Popcorn Stitch	Crochet	Work 5 DC in same st, remove hook, insert in first DC, pull last loop through.
CL	Cluster	Crochet	Multiple incomplete stitches joined at top. Various configurations.
SH	Shell	Crochet	Multiple stitches worked into the same stitch or space.
V-St	V-Stitch	Crochet	(DC, CH 1, DC) all in the same stitch. Creates a V shape.
Puff	Puff Stitch	Crochet	(YO, insert hook, pull up loop) multiple times, YO pull through all.
MR	Magic Ring	Crochet	Adjustable starting ring for working in the round. Also: magic circle.
MC	Main Color	Both	The primary/dominant color in the project.
CC	Contrast Color	Both	Secondary color(s). CC1, CC2, etc. for multiple contrasts.
CC1	Contrast Color 1	Both	First contrast color when using multiple colors.
Sew	Sew/Seam	Both	Join pieces using a yarn needle and mattress stitch or whip stitch.
Weave	Weave in Ends	Both	Thread tail through yarn needle and work into fabric to secure.
Block	Blocking	Both	Wet or steam the finished piece to set stitches and shape.
Gauge	Gauge/Tension	Both	Number of stitches and rows per inch/cm. UK: tension.

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