KnittingKnitting patterns are normally designed to allow wollen garments to be made with a specified size of knitting needle. Unfortuntely the sizing system for needles changes with the country they are intended for. A two mm needle would be called size 0 in the US and size 14 in the UK. An 8mm needly would be UK size 0 or US size 11.
Knitting Needles
Note - Conversions are not precise, especially for very small needle sizes
| Metric | UK | US | Crochet | Japan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1¼ mm | 16 | 000 | ||
| 1½ mm | 15 | 00 | ||
| 2 mm | 14 | 0 | A | 0 |
| 2¼ mm | 13 | 1 | B | |
| 2½ mm | 1½ | 1 | ||
| 2¾ mm | 12 | 2 | C | 2 |
| 3 mm | 11 | 3 | ||
| 3¼ mm | 10 | 3 | D | 4 |
| 3½ mm | - | 4 | E | 5 |
| 3¾ mm | 9 | 5 | F | |
| 4 mm | 8 | 6 | G | 6 |
| 4½ mm | 7 | 7 | 8 | |
| 5 mm | 6 | 8 | H | 10 |
| 5½ mm | 5 | 9 | I | 11 |
| 6 mm | 4 | 10 | J | 13 |
| 6½ mm | 3 | 10½ | K | 15 |
| 7 mm | 2 | |||
| 7½ mm | 1 | |||
| 8 mm | 0 | 11 | L | |
| 9 mm | 00 | 13 | M | |
| 10 mm | 000 | 15 | N | |
| 12½ mm | 17 | P | ||
| 15½ mm | 19 | Q | ||
| 19 mm | 35 | S | ||
| 20 mm | 36 | |||
| 25 mm | 50 |
Knitting Instructions
Knitting patterns have to repeat the names of the required stithes many times. Writting every wordinfull would create very lengthy documents. For this reason the names of common stitches are usually abbreviated. Whilst tere are some inconsistences between pattern writers, the following abbreviations are very popular.
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ( ) [ ] | repeat instructions within ( ) and [ ] as required |
| ** | repeat instructions within ** as required |
| alt | alternate |
| approx | approximately |
| beg | beginning |
| bet | between |
| bo | bind off or cast off |
| cm | centimetre |
| cn | cable needle |
| co | cast on |
| cont | continue |
| dec | decrease |
| dpn | double pointed needle(s) |
| foll | following |
| in | inch |
| inc | increase |
| incl | including |
| k | Knit |
| k2tog | knit two stitches together |
| kfb | knit in the front then in the back of stitch |
| ktbl | knit through the back loop of stitch |
| kwise | knitwise |
| lh | left hand |
| m1 | make one stitch |
| mm | millimetre |
| p | purl |
| p2tog | purl two stitches together |
| pat | pattern |
| pfb | purl into front and then into back of stitch |
| pm | place marker |
| prev | previous |
| psso | pass slipped stitch over |
| ptbl | purl through back loop |
| pwise | purlwise |
| rem | remaining |
| rep | repeat(s) |
| rh | right hand |
| rnd(s) | rounds |
| rs | right side |
| sk2p | slip 1, k2tog, pass slip stitch over |
| skp | slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over (slip as if to purl) |
| sl 1 st | slip 1 stitch to right needle without knitting it |
| ssk | slip, slip, knit |
| st st | Stockinette stitch |
| st | stitch |
| tbl | through back loop |
| tfl | through front loop |
| tog | together |
| ws | wrong side |
| wyib | with yarn in back of work |
| wyif | with yarn in front of work |
| yd | yards |
| yfwd | yarn forward |
| yo | yarn over |
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