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Knitting abbreviations in English, German and French

By Marlpin · Updated · 35 abbreviations

Common knitting abbreviations side by side in English, German and French.

Patterns abbreviate almost everything, and each language does it its own way. This table puts 35 common abbreviations side by side in English (US and UK), German and French, with the words they stand for, so you can knit from a pattern written in another language.

The table

Bold is the abbreviation as patterns print it, with the full words under it. Italics mean that language has no standard abbreviation, so patterns spell it out. Brands differ, and the legend in your pattern always wins.

English (US, UK)GermanFrench
Basics
st, stsstitch, stitchesMMasche, Maschenm.maille, mailles
kknitrerechtsend., endr.endroit
ppurllilinksenvenvers
rowRReihergrang
rndroundRdRundetour
RSright side, right-side rowHinr.Hinreiheend.endroit du travail
WSwrong side, wrong-side rowRückr.Rückreiheenvenvers du travail
Decreases and increases
k2togknit two together2 M re zusstr.2 Maschen rechts zusammenstricken2 m. ens. end.2 mailles ensemble à l'endroit
p2togpurl two together2 M li zusstr.2 Maschen links zusammenstricken2 m. ens. env.2 mailles ensemble à l'envers
ssk, skpleft-leaning decreaseUK: skpo2 M re überzogen zusstr.1 M abheben, 1 M re, die abgehobene M überziehens.s.surjet simple
yoyarn overUK: yfwd, yon, yrnUUmschlagjeté
M1, M1L, M1Rmake oneaus dem Querfaden 1 M re verschränkt herausstrickenaugmentation intercalaire
kfbknit front and backaus 1 M 2 M herausstrickentricoter 2 fois la même maille
incincreasezun.zunehmenaugm., aug.augmenter
decdecreaseabn.abnehmendim.diminuer
Stitch actions
slslipabh.abhebenglis., gl.glisser
tblthrough the back loopverschr.verschränkttorse
pssopass slipped stitch overüberz.überziehenpasser la maille glissée par-dessus
togtogetherzus.zusammenens.ensemble
Cast on, bind off, fabrics
COcast onanschl.anschlagenmonter les mailles
BObind off, cast offUK: cast offabk.abkettenrab.rabattre
St ststockinette, stocking stitchUK: st stglatt reglatt rechtsjersey end.jersey endroit
g stgarter stitchkraus rekraus rechtspoint mousse
ribRippenmuster, Bündchencôtes
Pattern words
reprepeatwdh.wiederholenrép.répéter
follfollowingfolg.folgendesuiv.suivant
remremainingrestl.restlicherest.restant
approxapproximatelyca.circaenv.environ
pmplace markerMarkierung setzenplacer un marqueur
smslip markerMarkierung versetzenpasser le marqueur
MC, CCmain colour, contrast colourHf, KfHauptfarbe, Kontrastfarbecouleur principale, couleur contrastante
LH, RHleft-hand, right-hand needlelinke, rechte Nadelaiguille gauche, aiguille droite
gaugeUK: tensionMaschenprobeéchantillon
w&twrap and turnwenden, oft mit Doppelmaschetourner
work evenUK: work straightohne Zu- und Abnahmen weiterstrickencontinuer tout droit

Five traps to watch for

  1. French "env" and "env." are different words. Phildar's list gives "env" for envers (purl, or the wrong side) and "env." for environ (approximately) (Phildar).
  2. French "end." does two jobs. It means a knit stitch and the right side of the work, so read which one the sentence needs.
  3. German "re" and "li" name the stitch, not the side. "Re" is knit and "li" is purl; the side of the row is Hinreihe or Rückreihe.
  4. German "MM" depends on the brand. Rico uses it for Mittelmasche, the centre stitch (Rico), while DMC writes "Mm" for a stitch marker (DMC).
  5. US and UK English differ too. US bind off is UK cast off, gauge is tension, stockinette is stocking stitch, and a US yarn over can be yfwd, yon or yrn in a UK pattern (Let's Knit).

Some rows group techniques that lean the same way but aren't worked the same: ssk, skp, the German überzogene Abnahme and the French surjet simple (Bergère de France). German patterns also often turn short rows with a Doppelmasche rather than a wrap and turn. When a pattern defines a stitch, follow its definition.

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