How to read a knitting pattern: abbreviations, sizes, and charts
The first time you open a knitting pattern, it can look like pure code: k2, p2, asterisks in the middle of sentences, and long strings of numbers in parentheses. But the language is not designed to confuse you. It is designed to be precise and compact, so a whole sweater fits on a few pages.
This guide walks through how a pattern is structured, what the most common abbreviations mean, and how to read sizes, repeats, and charts. Once you can read a pattern step by step, the distance from beginner to finished garment shrinks fast.
The anatomy of a pattern
Nearly all patterns follow the same structure, whoever designed them. At the top you find everything you need to plan and shop; after that comes the actual set of instructions. Get to know the parts and you will always know where to look.
- Materials: which yarn the pattern was designed for, how many balls you need per size, plus needles and any extras like buttons.
- Gauge: how many stitches and rows you should get per 10 cm. This is the foundation of the whole pattern, so always check it with a swatch.
- Sizes and measurements: which sizes the pattern covers and the finished garment measurements.
- Abbreviations: a list explaining exactly what each abbreviation means in this particular pattern.
- The instructions themselves: the step-by-step process from cast-on to finishing.
Common abbreviations
Most English-language patterns share a core set of abbreviations, but there are variations, so always read the abbreviation list in your pattern first. These are the ones you’ll meet everywhere:
- k = knit: work the stitch knitwise.
- p = purl: work the stitch purlwise.
- st / sts = stitch / stitches.
- rnd = round: one full circuit when knitting in the round.
- CO = cast on: creating the first stitches on the needle.
- BO = bind off, also called cast off: closing the stitches so they cannot unravel.
- inc = increase: adding stitches, for example by knitting into the front and back of a stitch.
- dec = decrease: removing stitches, for example by knitting two stitches together.
Tip
Bought a Norwegian pattern? The system is identical, only the letters change: r is knit (rett), vr is purl (vrang), m is stitch (maske), omg is round (omgang), and arb refers to the work itself (arbeidet).
How sizes are written
Most patterns cover several sizes in a single text. The numbers are written in sequence using parentheses, for example: cast on 88 (96) 104 (112) sts. The first number is the smallest size, the number in the first set of parentheses is the next size up, and so on. The order is explained at the start of the pattern, typically as S (M) L (XL).
If only one number is given, it applies to every size. In the middle of a long sentence it’s easy to slip onto the wrong number, especially when several parentheses sit close together.
Tip
Before you cast on, go through the whole pattern with a highlighter and mark every number for your size. It takes five minutes and prevents most mistakes.
What does "repeat from * to *" mean?
Asterisks mark a sequence to be repeated. If the pattern says "work *k2, p2*, repeat from * to * to end of round", you knit 2 and purl 2 over and over until the round is finished. Everything between the asterisks is one repeat.
Some patterns also use parentheses or brackets for repeats, such as (k2, p2) x 4, meaning the sequence is worked four times. Read the whole sentence to the end before you start knitting it, so you know exactly where the repeat begins and ends.
Charts or written instructions?
Stitch patterns can be described in two ways: as written text or as a chart. A chart is a grid where each square is one stitch and the symbol in the square tells you what to do with it. The key next to the chart explains every symbol.
Charts are read from the bottom up. In the round, every chart row is read from right to left. Working flat, right-side rows are read right to left and wrong-side rows left to right, and the key tells you how each symbol is worked on wrong-side rows. Charts feel unfamiliar at first, but they offer something text cannot: you see how the pattern builds, and you can compare your knitting directly against the picture.
Good habits before you cast on
Finally, a few habits that make any pattern easier to follow:
- Read the whole pattern from start to finish before you begin. You’ll know what’s coming and can practise unfamiliar techniques first.
- Place stitch markers where the pattern asks for them, and add extras where they help, for example at the start of the round and between pattern repeats.
- Keep track of where you are. A tally mark per round, or a row counter, saves a lot of recounting.
- Count your stitches after every increase and decrease section. Fixing one round is far easier than fixing ten.
Related guides
Gauge in knitting: why it matters and how to measure it right
Wrong gauge is the most common reason finished garments do not fit. Here is how to knit and measure a swatch that tells the truth.
How to choose the right yarn for your pattern
The right yarn decides both fit and look. Here’s how to read the ball band, compare meterage, and substitute yarn without unpleasant surprises.
Knitting your first beanie: a beginner’s guide
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