Vintage knitting abbreviations and old terms: a decoder
Old patterns talk in shorthand. There's a full stop (period) after every abbreviation, "wool" where we'd now say "yarn", and phrases like "work straight", "reverse shapings" and "at the same time" that assume you already know what to do. Go back to the Victorians and it gets stranger: "seam", "narrow", "thread over".
This page decodes the terms you're most likely to meet in British and American patterns from the 1840s to the 1980s. Keep it open while you knit.
One rule first: if your pattern has its own abbreviations list, that list wins. Publishers didn't all use terms the same way, and a few abbreviations changed meaning over time. We've flagged those below.
The full stops don't change anything, by the way. Mid-century patterns usually wrote k.2 tog. and st.st.; modern ones write k2tog and st st. Same stitches.
UK and US terms at a glance
Most vintage patterns you'll find were written in UK terms. If you learned to knit from American patterns, start here.
| UK | US |
|---|---|
| tension | gauge |
| cast off | bind off |
| stocking stitch (st.st.) | stockinette stitch (St st) |
| moss stitch | seed stitch |
| double moss stitch | moss stitch / Irish moss |
| work straight | work even |
| yarn forward / wool forward / y.r.n. / y.o.n. | yarn over (yo) |
| knit up | pick up and knit |
| jumper | sweater (pullover) |
| 3-ply | light fingering |
| 4-ply | fingering |
| double knitting (DK) | DK / light worsted (no exact match) |
| Aran | worsted (Aran is slightly thicker) |
| chunky | bulky |
| No. 10 needles | US 3 / 3.25 mm |
| No. 8 needles | US 6 / 4 mm |
Old UK needle numbers run the opposite way to US numbers: the larger the old UK number, the thinner the needle. Always convert via millimetres.
Mid-century abbreviations (roughly 1930s–1980s)
Basic stitches and fabrics
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Modern equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| k. | knit | k | |
| p. | purl | p | Very early texts may say "pearl" |
| st(s). | stitch(es) | st(s) | |
| st.st. | stocking stitch: knit right-side rows, purl wrong-side rows | st st / stockinette (US) | In the round, knit every round |
| g.st. | garter stitch: knit every row | g st | Each ridge = 2 rows |
| rib | ribbing, e.g. "k.1, p.1 rib" | rib (e.g. 1x1 rib) | Knit the knits and purl the purls |
| moss st. | moss stitch: k.1, p.1, with the stitches alternating every row | seed stitch (US) | A UK "moss" is a US "seed" |
| double moss st. | as moss, but alternates every 2 rows | moss stitch or Irish moss (US) | Easily muddled, so check the row instructions |
| patt. | pattern | patt / pat | "Keep patt. correct" = keep the stitch pattern lined up while shaping |
| R.S. / W.S. | right side / wrong side | RS / WS |
Yarn overs and "wool" terms
UK patterns have several names for a yarn over. Each one tells you which way to wrap the yarn, depending on the stitches either side. Older patterns say "wool", later ones "yarn". They all make an extra stitch (and usually a hole), just like a US "yo".
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Modern equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| w.fwd. / wl.fwd. | wool forward | yfwd / yo | Between two knit stitches: bring the wool to the front, then knit the next stitch so it goes over the needle. But "w.fwd." can also simply mean "bring the wool to the front" (for example before slipping a stitch), so check whether the stitch count goes up |
| y.fwd. / y.f. | yarn forward | yo | Same as w.fwd. |
| w.o.n. / y.o.n. | wool / yarn over needle | yo | Usually between a purl and a knit stitch |
| w.r.n. / y.r.n. | wool / yarn round needle | yo | Usually before a purl stitch (often between two purls) |
| y.f.r.n. | yarn forward and round needle | yo | Between a knit and a purl stitch |
| w.bk. / y.b. / wl.bk. | wool / yarn back | yb / wyib | Take the yarn to the back; no stitch made |
| wl.frt. / y.f. (before a slip) | wool / yarn in front | wyif | Moves the yarn only; no stitch made |
Increases and decreases
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Modern equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| inc. | increase | inc | If no method is given, knitting into the front and back of the same stitch (kfb) is the usual choice, but check the abbreviations list: some patterns define it differently |
| m.1 | make one | M1 (lifted-strand increase) or yo | Changed meaning over time. Most mid-century patterns define it as picking up the strand between stitches and knitting into the back of it. In 19th- and early 20th-century patterns, "make 1" usually meant a yarn over. If a lace pattern has lots of "m.1" and no yarn overs, read them as yarn overs |
| dec. | decrease | dec | Usually k.2 tog. unless stated |
| k.2 tog. | knit two together | k2tog | Leans right |
| p.2 tog. | purl two together | p2tog | |
| sl. | slip | sl | The usual modern rule is to slip purlwise unless told otherwise, and knitwise when the slip is part of a decrease. Older patterns often don't say, so use that rule unless the abbreviations list says otherwise |
| p.s.s.o. | pass slipped stitch over | psso | Usually "sl.1, k.1, p.s.s.o.", a left-leaning decrease |
| s.k.p.o. / sl.1, k.1, p.s.s.o. | slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over | skpo / ssk (similar) | |
| tog. | together | tog | As in k.2 tog., p.3 tog. |
| t.b.l. | through back of loop(s) | tbl | Twists the stitch; "k.2 tog. t.b.l." leans left |
| k.b. / k.1 b. | knit into back of stitch | k tbl | Ambiguous in some patterns: "k1b" can mean "knit into the stitch below" in others. Check the list |
| p.b. / p.1 b. | purl into back of stitch | p tbl | Same caution as k.b. |
Words for working through the pattern
| Abbreviation / term | Meaning | Modern equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| alt. | alternate | alt / every other | "Dec. at each end of every alt. row" = every other row, usually right-side rows |
| beg. | beginning | beg | |
| cont. | continue | cont | |
| foll. | following | foll | "Next and every foll. 4th row": see the worked example below |
| rem. | remaining | rem | |
| rep. | repeat | rep | |
| tw. | twice | 2 times | |
| in. / ins. | inch / inches | in | 1 in = 2.54 cm |
| " | inches | in | A 34" bust = 86 cm |
| work straight | work without shaping | work even (US) | Keep the stitch pattern going, no increases or decreases |
| work even | work without shaping | work even | The usual US wording for "work straight" |
| cast off | finish the live stitches | bind off (US) | |
| cast off loosely in rib | bind off while working the stitches as they appear (knit the knits, purl the purls) and keep it loose | bind off loosely in pattern | Keeps a ribbed edge stretchy. Using a larger needle in the right hand helps |
| knit up | pick up stitches along an edge and knit them | pick up and knit | Common in UK neckband instructions |
| same as for / work as for | repeat the instructions for another piece | work as for | "Work as for back to armhole" |
| reverse shapings / reversing shapings | work the second piece as a mirror image | reverse shaping | See below |
| at the same time | two sets of instructions happen together | at the same time | Read ahead before starting: see below |
| to fit bust | the body measurement the garment is designed for | to fit / size | Not the finished size: compare with the "actual measurement" if one is given |
| measures | actual garment measurement | finished measurement | If only "to fit" is given, the finished size must be worked out from the stitch counts |
| tension | stitches and rows per inch (or per 10 cm) | gauge (US) | Older patterns often give stitches only, or per 1 inch |
Yarn and quantities
| Term | Meaning | Modern equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ply | the number of strands twisted together to make a yarn | yarn weight | Once a guide to thickness; now just a weight name in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. A modern DK may contain many strands |
| 2-ply | very fine | lace | |
| 3-ply | fine | light fingering | Common in 1930s–50s patterns, rarer now |
| 4-ply | fine | fingering | |
| D.K. / double knitting | medium | DK; nearest US is light worsted | Australia calls it 8-ply |
| Aran | medium-heavy | worsted | US worsted is usually a little thinner than Aran |
| chunky | heavy | bulky | |
| oz. / ozs. | ounce(s) | grams | 1 oz = 28.35 g. Many old patterns give quantities in 1 oz balls |
| skein | in older UK patterns, a loop of yarn wound and tied, much like a hank; in the US, a common word for any ball or pull-skein | skein | Usage varies, so go by the weight or length |
| hank | a large loop of yarn, twisted or tied | hank | Wind it into a ball before knitting |
| ball | yarn wound to be knitted from directly | ball |
Victorian and early terms (roughly 1840s–1910s)
Victorian writers often spelled terms out in full or used a single letter. Usage varied from book to book, so if there's a glossary at the front, read it.
| Term / abbreviation | Meaning | Modern equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| plain / knit plain | knit | k | "Knit plain" in the round produces stockinette |
| pearl / purl | purl | p | |
| seam / s. | purl | p | "Knit two, seam two" = k2, p2 rib. Some early texts treat "pearl", "seam" and even "rib-stitch" as the same thing. Caution: in other patterns "s." means slip |
| narrow / n. | decrease by knitting two together | k2tog | |
| widen | increase by bringing the yarn round the needle and knitting into it on the next row | yo (used as an increase) | |
| thread over / th.o. / o. / over | bring the thread over the needle to make a new stitch | yo | |
| make 1 / m. | yarn over (usually); occasionally a hidden increase | yo or M1 | See the m.1 note above |
| slip / sl. / s. | move a stitch to the other needle without working it | sl | |
| slip and bind / sl. and b. / s.b. | slip 1, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over | skpo / ssk | Also used to bind off |
| turn | in very early texts, sometimes a pair of rows; in heel and later instructions, turn the work round before the row is finished | turn (short rows) | Sock patterns: "turn the heel" = shape it with short rows |
| cotton | the working thread | yarn | Many early patterns were written for cotton thread, so glossaries refer to "the cotton" |
| pins / needles numbered | needle sizes by wire gauge (higher number = finer needle) | metric mm | See our old needle sizes guide |
The three phrases that trip everyone up
Vintage patterns pack a lot into one sentence. These three cause most of the unpicking.
"Each end of next and every following 4th row"
Shape on the very next row, then on every 4th row after that. So you shape on one row and work three rows plain in between.
Worked example. A sleeve has 60 stitches. The pattern says: "Inc. 1 st. at each end of next and every foll. 4th row until there are 80 sts."
- Each shaping row adds 2 stitches. You need 80 − 60 = 20 more, so that's 20 ÷ 2 = 10 increase rows.
- They fall on rows 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33 and 37.
- So the increases are finished on row 37, which is 1 + (9 × 4). The pattern will then usually say "work straight until sleeve measures…".
Write the row numbers down and tick them off as you go. If the pattern gives a measurement for the end of the shaping, check it: 37 rows at, say, 9 rows to the inch is just over 4 in.
"Every alt. row" is the same idea with a gap of one row: shape, work 1 row, shape.
"Reverse shapings"
On a cardigan, the pattern often writes out the left front in full, then says "work right front to match, reversing all shapings". Whatever happened at the beginning of a row on the first front now happens at the end of the row, and the other way round. Neck shaping worked at the start of right-side rows moves to the start of wrong-side rows, or the end of right-side rows. Buttonholes, if there are any, go on whichever front the pattern says.
To check, lay the finished first front face up and imagine turning it over sideways like the page of a book. The second front has to be that shape.
"At the same time"
Two sets of instructions run together, usually shaping on both edges: armhole decreases on one side, neck decreases on the other. The commonest mistake is finishing the first set before starting the second. The piece comes out the wrong shape and too long.
Read the whole section before you start. Then write yourself a simple row-by-row list:
| Row | Armhole edge | Neck edge |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | cast off 4 | dec. 1 |
| 2 | — | — |
| 3 | dec. 1 | — |
| 4 | — | — |
| 5 | dec. 1 | dec. 1 |
…and so on. Five minutes with a pencil saves a lot of ripping back.
If you'd rather not decode at all
Our patterns are rebuilt from the original written instructions and worked out for your size (US 4–24 / UK 8–28, 32–52 in bust), your yarn and your gauge. A knitter chose and checked every one. And if an abbreviation still has you stuck, email support@vintagetomodernknits.com and a real person will reply.
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Last updated 2026-10-11.