Symbols act as a universal language in knitting charts, showing techniques, and instructions in a simple, clear way.
Below is a list of knitting symbols — both basic and advanced — with explanations of their meanings to help you read and understand knitting charts more easily.
However, always refer to the pattern key to understand the symbol conventions used by the designer in that pattern.
Symbol Categories
| Basic Symbols |
| Special Symbols |
| Yarn Over Symbols |
| Increase Symbols |
| Decrease Symbols |
| Gathered Symbols |
| Cable Symbols |
16 Basic symbols
| Symbol | Abb | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
|
Co | Cast on |
|
Bo | Bind off |
|
M | Place marker |
|
Sm | Slip marker |
|
Move marker left | |
|
Move marker right | |
|
Short row right | |
|
Short row left | |
|
Turn to wrong side | |
|
Turn to right side | |
|
K | Knit |
|
P | Purl |
|
K tbl | Knit through the back loop |
|
P tbl | Purl through the back loop |
|
Sl wyib | Slip stitch with yarn in back |
|
Sl wyif | Slip stitch with yarn in front |
11 Special Symbols
| Symbol | Abb | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
|
Bunny ears dec Bunny ears dec | |
|
N | Nupp |
|
Ssk nupp | |
|
K2tog nupp | |
|
B | Bobble |
|
K1 uls | Knit 1 under loose strand |
|
K1 uls | Knit 1 under 2 loose strands |
|
K1 uls | Knit 1 under 3 loose strands |
|
Cluster stitches | |
|
Wrap stitches | |
|
Yarn over, knit st/sts, pass yarn over over knitted st/sts |
12 Increase Symbols
| Symbol | Abb | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
|
M1 | Make one stitch (right/left) |
|
M1p | Make one purl-wide (right/left) |
|
LLI | Left lifted increase |
|
RLI | Right lifted increase |
|
LLIp | Left lifted increase (purled) |
|
RLIp | Right lifted increase (purled) |
|
incto2 | - (knit 1, purl 1) in one stitch - (purl 1, knit 1) in one stitch |
|
incto3 | Increase 1 to 3 |
|
incto3 | Increase 1 to 3 |
|
incto4 | Increase 1 to 4 |
|
incto5 | Increase 1 to 5 |
5 Yarn over symbols
| Symbol | Abb | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
|
Yo | Yarn over |
|
Yo x2 | Yarn over twice |
|
Yo x3 | Yarn over three times |
|
Kyok | Knit one, yarn over, knit one in the same stitch |
|
Pyop | Purl 1, yarn over, purl 1 in the same stitch |
16 Decrease Symbols
| Symbol | Abb | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
|
Ssk | Slip slip knit |
|
K2tog | Knit two stitches together |
|
Twisted ssk | Twisted slip slip knit |
|
Twisted k2tog | Twisted knit two stitches together |
|
Ssp | Slip slip purl |
|
P2tog | Purl two stitches together |
|
Sssk Sk2p |
Slip slip slip knit Slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over |
|
K3tog | Knit three stitches together |
|
Sssp | Slip slip slip purl |
|
P3tog | Purl three stitches together |
|
S2kp | Slip two stitches knitwise, knit one, pass slipped stitches over |
|
S2pp | Slip 2 purl 1 pass 2 slipped stitches over |
|
K4tog | Knit 4 together |
|
K5tog | Knit 5 together |
|
K7tog | Knit 7 together |
14 Gathered Symbols
| Symbol | Abb | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
|
2-2 | 2 into 2 gathered |
|
3-3 | 3 into 3 gathered |
|
5-5 | 5 into 5 gathered |
|
2-6 | 2 into 6 gathered |
|
5-7 | 5 into 7 gathered |
|
7-3 | 7 into 3 gathered |
|
2-2 tbl | 2 into 2 gathered through the back loop |
|
3-2 tbl | 3 into 2 gathered through the back loop |
|
3-3 tbl | 3 into 3 gathered through the back loop |
|
3-4 tbl | 3 into 4 gathered through the back loop |
|
5-2 tbl | 5 into 2 gathered through the back loop |
|
3-5 tbl | 3 into 5 gathered through the back loop |
|
5-3 tbl | 5 into 3 gathered through the back loop |
|
5-7 tbl | 5 into 7 gathered through the back loop |
14 Cable Symbols
| Symbol | Explanation |
|---|---|
|
1/1 Left cross |
|
1/1 Right cross |
|
1/1 Left purl cross |
|
1/1 Right purl cross |
|
2/2 Left cross |
|
2/2 Right cross |
|
2/2 Left purl cross |
|
2/2 Right purl cross |
|
2/1/2 Left cross |
|
2/1/2 Right cross |
|
3/3 Left cross |
|
3/3 Right cross |
|
3/3 Left purl cross |
|
3/3 Right purl cross |
