How Do You Read a Knitting Pattern?

Read a knitting pattern in two passes: first check the size, materials, gauge and notes; then follow the instructions one row or round at a time. Keep the abbreviation key beside you and mark your place as you go. You do not need to memorize every knitting abbreviation before beginning.

If you are new to the basic stitches, start with our how-to-knit guide. If you can already cast on, knit and purl, the next skill is learning which parts of the page apply to your project. Here is how to separate size choices, stitch instructions and repeats.

Choose your size before following the numbers

Look for the size list and finished measurements. A garment’s finished measurements may differ from your body measurements because of ease, the extra room or stretch intended in the fit. Follow the designer’s sizing guidance rather than choosing only by a familiar clothing label.

Suppose a pattern lists Small (Medium, Large) and later says cast on 44 (50, 56) stitches. For Medium, choose 50: the second number overall, not the second number inside the parentheses. Keep that same position when reading yarn quantities, lengths and stitch counts.

Tin Can Knits explains this multi-size convention and recommends highlighting the numbers for your size. Check each section heading too: instructions marked for only certain sizes may not apply to you.

Check materials and the gauge statement

Before casting on, gather the specified yarn quantity for your size, needles and notions such as markers or a tapestry needle. Note different needle sizes or cable lengths used in different sections. Purl Soho’s pattern-reading guide explains why yarn quantities and needle recommendations need to be read alongside gauge.

Gauge tells you how many stitches and rows fit within a stated measurement in a specified stitch pattern. For example, 20 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches describes both width and height. It does not mean your whole project contains 20 stitches.

Make a swatch in the stated stitch pattern and follow the pattern’s blocking instructions before measuring. Needles are a starting recommendation: your knitting may require a different size to match. Purl Soho’s gauge tutorial explains that knitters have different tensions and that blocking can change gauge.

Translate abbreviations using the pattern’s own key

Common abbreviations include:

• k / p: knit / purl
• st / sts: stitch / stitches
• CO / BO: cast on / bind off
• rep: repeat
• rnd: round
• k2tog: knit two stitches together
• pm / sm: place marker / slip marker

Lion Brand’s glossary is a useful reference. However, your pattern’s definitions take priority, especially for special stitches and increases. The Craft Yarn Council’s abbreviation list notes that designers may define abbreviations beyond the standard list.

Read numbers as part of the instruction: k3 means knit three successive stitches. k2tog means work two stitches together into one, reducing the stitch count by one.

Know whether you are reading rows or rounds

Flat knitting is worked back and forth in rows, usually turning at each row’s end. Circular knitting proceeds in rounds around the piece. A beginning-of-round marker helps identify where each circuit ends. Circular needles can also hold flat knitting, so the needle type alone does not decide the method.

RS means right side, the intended outward-facing side; WS means wrong side, the reverse. The Craft Yarn Council defines these terms. They do not mean right-hand and left-hand needles.

Read the pattern’s side labels rather than assuming every first row is a right-side row. “End with a WS row” means finish working that wrong-side row before moving on.

Decode repeats with a 12-stitch example

Asterisks mark a sequence to repeat; brackets can group instructions to work a stated number of times. Parentheses can also group repeats, so context matters. The Craft Yarn Council explains these repeat symbols.

Here is an original practice instruction for a row starting with 12 stitches:

Row: K2, [p1, k3] twice, p2.

Work it in four steps:

1. Knit the first 2 stitches.
2. Purl 1, then knit 3.
3. Purl 1, then knit 3 again.
4. Purl the final 2 stitches.

The count is 2 + 4 + 4 + 2 = 12. There are no increases or decreases, so 12 stitches remain.

The same row could be written:

Row: K2, *p1, k3; rep from * to last 2 sts, p2.

Only repeat the section beginning at the asterisk. The opening k2 is worked once. Stop when two unworked stitches remain, then follow the final p2. “Twice” means two total repetitions; “twice more” means two additional repetitions.

Check your count and leave yourself a clear stopping point

A stitch count at a row’s end is a checkpoint, not another instruction to knit that many stitches. Count after shaping rows and before starting a new section. If the count is wrong, check the repeat boundaries and any missed increases or decreases before continuing.

Mark a row complete only after finishing it. When putting the project away, write something specific, such as “Row 6 finished; Row 7 next; second repeat.”

If the instructions still do not add up, check the designer’s current pattern page and errata, meaning published corrections. Purl Soho maintains an errata page, for example. Confirm your version before undoing several rows, and ask the designer for help if a genuine ambiguity remains.