On this page you will find tips and explanations for some of the techniques used in my patterns including links to clear video tutorials of some of the more complex techniques.
At the bottom of this page is a full glossary of abbreviations from all of my patterns.
3 Needle BO
3 needle Bind Off is a neat way to bind off two sets of live stitches from two separate needles together using a third needle, it is also called Grafting. You hold both needles holding live stitches in your left hand and your third needle in your right hand. Insert the tip of the third needle into the first stitch from one of your needles holding stitches and then into the first stitch from the other needle holding live stitches and knit the two stitches together. Repeat with the second stitches along on each needle. Pass the first stitch over the second on your third needle to bind it off. An excellent video demonstration of this technique can be found here.
Picking up Stitches
Picking up stitches neatly is an important skill to master to finish off your garments professionally. A very good tutorial on this technique for straight edges can be found here and for picking up stitches around the neckline here.
Reading Lace Charts
An excellent tutorial for reading lace charts can be found here.
Stretchy BO
A stretchy bind off is essential for many garments and is especially useful for binding off top-down lace shawls to allow you to block out the points dramatically. My favourite stretchy BO is as follows: *k2tog tbl, slip st back to LH needle; Rep from * to end. Cut yarn and thread it through the 1 remaining St.
Alt - Alternate
Beg - Beginning
BO - Bind Off (US term, English equivalent term: Cast Off)
C4B - Cable 4 Back - Right Leaning Cable - Slip next 2 Sts onto a cable needle and place to the back of your work. Knit next 2 Sts from main needle then knit the 2 Sts from the cable needle. A clear video tutorial of this technique can be found here.
C4F – Cable 4 Front - Left Leaning Cable - Slip next 2 Sts onto a cable needle and place to the front of your work. Knit next 2 Sts from main needle then knit the 2 Sts from the cable needle. A clear video tutorial of this technique can be found here.
C6B - Cable 6 Back - Right Leaning Cable - Slip next 3 Sts onto a cable needle and place to the back of your work. Knit next 3 Sts from main needle then knit the 3 Sts from the cable needle. A clear video tutorial of this technique can be found here.
C6F – Cable 6 Front - Left Leaning Cable - Slip next 3 Sts onto a cable needle and place to the front of your work. Knit next 3 Sts from main needle then knit the 3 Sts from the cable needle. A clear video tutorial of this technique can be found here.
CN - Cable Needle
CO - Cast On
Cont - Continue
Dec - Decrease
DPNs - Double Pointed Needles
Garter St – K every row when worked flat; K 1 round, P 1 round when worked in the round
Inc - Increase
K - Knit
K2tog – knit next 2 Sts together as one (1 St decreased) A clear video tutorial of this technique can be found here
K3tog – Knit next 3 Sts together as one (2 Sts decreased) A clear video tutorial of this technique can be found here
Kfb – Knit into the front and back of the same stitch to increase 1 St into 2 (1 St increased) A clear video tutorial of this technique can be found here
Kfbfbf – Knit into the front of the St but do not slip it off the LH needle, instead re-insert your RH needle into the back of the same St and knit into the back of the stitch, again, not slipping the St off the LH needle. Repeat once more knitting into the front and back of the same stitch again and finally one more time into the front of the St – you have just turned 1 St into 5.
LH - Left Hand
M1 - Make 1 St by picking up the horizontal St lying in between last St worked and next St to be worked. A clear video tutorial of this technique can be found here.
MB – Make Bobble: Knit into next St 5 times (Kfbfbf) – 1 St has been made into 5 Sts on your RH needle. Turn work so that WS is facing you and P across the 5 Sts. Turn work again so that RS is facing you and K across the 5 Sts. One by one, slip the 4 Sts over the St nearest the tip of the RH needle. You are left with 1 St on your RH needle. A clear video tutorial of this technique can be found here
MP– Make Popcorn: Knit into next St 5 times (Kfbfbf) – 1 St has been made into 5 Sts on your RH needle. One by one, slip the 4 Sts over the St nearest the tip of the RH needle. You are left with 1 St on your RH needle.
P - Purl
PM - Place Marker
Rep - Repeat
Rev St St - Reverse Stocking Stitch (P RS rows, K WS rows. Rev St St in the round: P every round)
RH - Right Hand
RS - Right Side
S2KP - Slip next 2 Sts together as if to knit, K1, pass both slipped Sts over (2 Sts Decreased) A clear video tutorial of this technique can be found here.
SK2P – Slip next St, K2tog then pass slipped St over (2 Sts Decreased) A clear video tutorial of this technique can be found here.
SKKP – Worked over 3 Sts – Slip next St, K next 2 Sts one by one, Pass slipped St over the 2 knitted Sts. (1 St Decreased)
SM - Slip Marker
SSK – Slip next 2 sts one by one knitwise then place tip of left hand needle through the fronts of both Sts and knit them together. (1 St decreased) A clear video tutorial of this technique can be found here.
St - Stitch
Sts - Stitches
St St - Stocking Stitch (K RS rows, P WS rows. St St in the round: K every round)
tbl - through the backs of loops. A clear video tutorial of how to k2tog tbl can be found here.
WS - Wrong Side
YO - Yarn Over. A clear video tutorial of this technique can be found here.
YRN – Yarn round needle – pass yarn from front over the top of the RH needle and back to the front again (one full loop created) ready to work a P stitch next.