In the knitting world, there is no official list of standard abbreviations.
In the knitting world, there is no official list of standard abbreviations. I once knit many rows of a pattern that contained "make one" only to discover that the author and I were not using the same technique. The author had very clearly stated what her version was but I had failed to read those instructions.
There are a few generally accepted ones such as K for knit, and P for purl. This lack of standards means that you must read the entire pattern to make sure that the author is using the same technique that you know. Those instructions are sometimes in the very beginning before the pattern starts or in a note section at the very end. The abbreviation and technique can also be detailed in the pattern just before that instruction is first used.
Keep in mind that there can be variations from country to country as to what a term means - such as moss stitch. A designer may use her own unique set of abbreviations. A wise knitter will read the whole pattern not only just the beginning and end. Sometimes definitions are hidden in the middle of the pattern too an may be contrasry to your normal definition.
The Yarn Craft Council has a nice list of common abbreviations for a more complete list. Some abbreviations used in this series as well some newer acronyms follow:
* to * repeat instructions between *'s as many times as instructed
( ) also repeat as many times as indicated - ususally used as 2nd layer of repeats
BO bind off
CO cast on
Dec decrease
Inc increase
k knit
k2tog knit two stitches together
KAL knit along
LYS local yarn shop
p purl
PSSO pass slip stitch over
PU pick up
pm place marker
RS right side
sm slip marker
sl st slip next stitch as if to purl to right needle (rarely the stitch is slipped as if to knit)
SKPSSO slip first stitch as if to purl, knit next stich, pass the slippes stitch over the knit stitch
SSK slip a stitch as if to knit, slip 2nd stitch as if to knit, knit 2 slipped stitches together
st stitch
st st stockinette stitch
tbl through back loop
tink unravel knitting (knit spelled backwards)
YO Yarn Over
WS wrong side
yo yarn over
