Knitting Abbreviations

Here’s a quick list of the knitting abbreviations use in Nordic Hands and some pretty cast ons and bind offs for your projects.

ACBO  alternating color bind-off: On row before bind-off by k all sts, alternating MC and CC, then BO, alternating colors as in previous row.

ACCO alternating color cable cast on:

1. With MC, put a lark’s head knot on circ needle with bar at the back and tail on the left.
2. Insert right needle between the legs of the knot and pick up CC1 as if to knit. (See photo 1.) Pull CC1 through, then put this stitch back on the left needle as if to knit. (See photo 2.)
3. Insert right needle between last two stitches on left needle. Pick up MC from behind, pulling it forward and place back on the left needle as if to knit. (See photo 3.)
4. Bring CC1 from the left and in front of MC, insert needle between the stitches, pick up CC1 and put it on the left needle as if to knit.
5. Repeat rows 4 and 5 until you have the correct number of stitches plus one on the needle ending with CC1. (See photo 4.) Working yarns will twist as you proceed, so periodically suspend your work by holding both yarns and let them untwist. Before joining work in the round, drop first MC stitch (the left leg of the lark’s head knot).

BLCO  backward loop cast-on: Make a slip knot about 3″ from end of yarn and place on needle. Holding needle in right hand, bring yarn from needle behind tip of left index finger, rotate finger to your right to make a loop around finger. With needle, pick up loop on finger from below, then tighten on needle. Repeat for desired numbers of stitches.

BO       bind off

CC       contrasting color

brk       brioche knit

brp       brioche purl

ch        chain

cir        circular needle

cn        cable needle

CO      cast on

cont     continu(e)(ing)

dpn      double-pointed needle(s)

k          knit

k1tbl    knit 1 through back loop

k2tog   knit 2 together

kwise   knitwise; as if to knit

LTCO long-tail cast-on

m         marker

M1       insert left needle under running thread between stitches from front to back and knit this stitch through the back loop

M1P    insert left needle under running thread between stitches from front to back and purl this stitch through the back loop

MC      main color

p          purl

p2tog   purl 2 together

p5tog   purl 5 together

p7tog   purl 7 together

patt      pattern

pm       place marker

psso    pass slipped stitch over

pwise   purlwise; as if to purl

rep       repeat

rnd(s)  round(s)

RS       right side

sl         slip

slp       slip as if to purl

slyo     slip 1 yarnover

ssk      [sl 1 kwise] 2 times, insert left needle into front of these 2 sts and work them tog

ssp      [sl 1 kwise] 2 times, return 2 sts to left needle, p2tog tbl

st(s)     stitch(es)

tbl        through back loop

WS      wrong side

yo        yarnover

ytb       yarn to back of work

ytf        yarn to front of work

*           starting point of repeat

[ ]         work instructions as a group the specified number of times