You have found a beautiful pattern, the yarn is ready, the needles are waiting – and then you open the instructions. And suddenly there is something like this: "Rd 1: K2, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k1; rep from to last 2 sts, k2." Or in German: "Rd 1: 2 re, 1 U, 2 M überzogen zusammenstricken, 3 re, 2 M re zusammenstricken, 1 U, 1 re; ab bis zu den letzten 2 M wdh, 2 re."

For many knitters, the moment a pattern suddenly looks like a foreign language is one of the biggest stumbling blocks when starting out. Yet reading a knitting pattern is less about intuition and more about learning vocabulary – and once that vocabulary is in place, the cryptic secret code turns into a perfectly understandable work plan.

This article is your complete guide: how a knitting pattern is structured, which abbreviations you really need to know, how charts work, what the difference between German and English patterns is – and which traps to watch out for so you don't give up halfway through a project.

How a knitting pattern is structured

Before we dive into abbreviations, it is worth looking at the big picture. A good knitting pattern is like a cooking recipe: it has fixed components, and once you know where to find what, you will navigate it much faster.

The typical sections of a pattern:

  • Size chart – which sizes are available, with the finished measurements. Usually right at the top. Important: the finished measurements are not your body measurements, they are the measurements of the sweater. A sweater with positive ease is deliberately larger than the body.
  • Materials list – which yarn, how much of it, which yarn weight, plus needles, markers and notions.
  • Gauge – how many stitches and rows over 10 × 10 cm with the stated needle in the stated stitch pattern. This section decides whether your project ends up the right size or not. More on this in our article knitting a gauge swatch.
  • List of abbreviations – the short forms used in the pattern. Every good pattern should include one.
  • Pattern text – the actual step-by-step instructions. For sweaters, often divided into sections such as "cuff", "yoke", "body", "sleeves".
  • Chart – a graphic representation of the stitch pattern, where available. Some patterns are text only, some charts only, many have both.
  • Schematic / technical drawing – a small technical drawing with all the measurements. Extremely helpful, and often overlooked.

Our tip: read the whole pattern through once before you cast on the first stitch. Really, all the way through. Many mistakes happen because you start knitting and only notice on page 3: "Ah, the cuff is picked up later" – and by then it is too late.

Abbreviations: every knitter's vocabulary book

Abbreviations save space and keep patterns readable. Instead of "knit two stitches together, then make a yarn over, then knit three stitches" it simply says "k2tog, yo, k3". The key is: you don't have to know them by heart. You only need to know where to look them up – in the pattern's own list of abbreviations.

The most important German abbreviations

This table covers 90 % of what you will meet in German patterns:

  • M – Masche (stitch)
  • re – rechts (knit stitch)
  • li – links (purl stitch)
  • R – Reihe (row)
  • Rd – Runde (round)
  • Rdg / Rnd – Runde (alternative spellings, rare)
  • Anf – Anfang (beginning)
  • U / Umschl – Umschlag (yarn over)
  • abk – abketten (bind off)
  • M aufn – Maschen aufnehmen (pick up stitches)
  • M zun – Masche zunehmen (increase)
  • M abn – Masche abnehmen (decrease)
  • 2 re zus / re zus – knit 2 stitches together (right-leaning decrease)
  • 2 li zus / li zus – purl 2 stitches together
  • M üz / üz – slipped decrease (left-leaning: slip 1 stitch knitwise, knit the next, pass the slipped stitch over)
  • Wdh / wdh – Wiederholung / wiederholen (repeat)
  • Anschl – Anschlag (cast on)
  • RR – Randmasche (edge stitch)
  • HR – Hinreihe (right side row)
  • RR – Rückreihe (wrong side row) – depending on the pattern, RR can mean either, so read carefully
  • Arb – Arbeit (work)

The most important English abbreviations

Many of the loveliest modern patterns come from the English-speaking world – from designers such as Joji Locatelli, PetiteKnit, Melanie Berg or Veera Välimäki. Being able to read English patterns opens up a whole world. The most important abbreviations:

  • k – knit
  • p – purl
  • st / sts – stitch / stitches
  • r / rnd – row / round
  • RS – right side
  • WS – wrong side
  • yo – yarn over
  • k2tog – knit 2 together (right-leaning decrease)
  • p2tog – purl 2 together
  • ssk – slip, slip, knit (left-leaning decrease: slip 2 stitches individually knitwise, then knit them together through the back loops)
  • k2tog tbl – knit 2 together through back loop
  • m1 / m1L / m1R – make one / make one left / make one right (increase from the running thread, with a lean)
  • kfb – knit front and back (increase by knitting into the front and back of the same stitch)
  • pm – place marker
  • sm – slip marker
  • BO – bind off
  • CO – cast on
  • sl – slip
  • rep – repeat
  • rem – remaining

One important note: "k2tog" and "ssk" both look like decreases – they are decreases – but they lean in different directions. k2tog leans to the right, ssk to the left. In raglan yokes and lace patterns this symmetry is everything. Ignore the difference and you get knits that "somehow don't sit right".

Asterisks, brackets and repeats

Patterns use two systems to mark repeats:

Asterisk notation:
"k2, p1; rep from " means: knit 2 stitches, then purl 1 stitch, and repeat the whole thing from the asterisk. There is often an ending: "k2, p1; rep from until 3 sts remain, k3" – you knit the repeat until only 3 stitches are left, then finish with 3 knit stitches.

Bracket notation:
"(k2, p1) 5 ×" means: the instruction inside the brackets is worked five times in a row. That is the same as "k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1".

Both systems are often combined: "(k2, p1) 3 ×, k4; rep from ". Don't let that unsettle you – it is like nested folders in a set of instructions.

Reading charts

Charts are graphic representations of the stitch pattern. Each cell stands for one stitch, each line for one row. Symbols tell you which kind of stitch to work. For some people charts are the breakthrough – they see the pattern before they knit it. For others they are confusing at first. Both are normal.

The three golden rules

  1. Read charts from the bottom up. The first row is at the very bottom, not at the top as in text.
  2. Knitted flat: right side rows right → left, wrong side rows left → right. So you follow the direction of your needle. Odd row numbers (1, 3, 5) are usually right side rows, even ones (2, 4, 6) wrong side rows.
  3. Knitted in the round: always right → left. Because you never turn when knitting in the round, you go from right to left on every row.

The row numbers along the sides of the chart show you which side you are currently reading. On many charts, right side row numbers are on the right and wrong side row numbers on the left.

Understanding symbols

There is no globally standardised symbol system. Every pattern has its own key – and you have to read it before you start. But some conventions are almost universal:

  • Empty square (or dot) – knit stitch on the right side row (purl stitch on the wrong side row, i.e. stockinette stitch)
  • Square with a horizontal bar – purl stitch on the right side row (knit stitch on the wrong side row)
  • Circle – yarn over
  • Diagonal line to the left / – k2tog (right-leaning decrease)
  • Diagonal line to the right \ – ssk (left-leaning decrease)
  • Downward triangle – three stitches decreased together (double decrease)
  • Grey or hatched area – "no stitch": this square is skipped, it is only a placeholder so that the chart stays rectangular

Repeat markings

In longer patterns, repeats are often marked – usually by thick, red or coloured vertical lines in the chart. The area between those lines is the repeat: the part you work over and over across the row. Before and after it there are often edge stitches or beginning/ending stitches that are worked only once.

Practical tip: the ruler method

If you lose your place in charts easily (everyone does at the beginning), place a ruler or a strip of Post-it above the current row. That way you can see the rows you have already knitted below it and check how the pattern is developing, without being distracted by the next row. Magnetic chart boards are available to buy too – a sensible investment for anyone who works with charts a lot.

Gauge: the invisible hero of every pattern

A knitting pattern is essentially a mathematical recipe: "knit X stitches with yarn Y on needle Z and you get a garment with measurement M." For that equation to work out, your stitch density has to match the one stated in the pattern.

Gauge is the bridge between pattern and reality. It sounds like a chore, but it is the difference between a sweater that fits and one that ends up in the corner of the wardrobe. Because every knitter knits differently – some more tightly, some more loosely – "3.5 mm needle" does not necessarily produce the same stitch density for two people.

We have dedicated a whole article to the topic: Knitting a gauge swatch – why these 20 minutes can save your project. If you take only one section seriously when reading a pattern, take this one.

Yarn weight & needle size in the pattern

Every pattern states the recommended yarn weight – lace, fingering, sport, DK, worsted, aran, bulky. Alongside it comes the meterage (e.g. "400 m per 100 g"), which you need for yarn substitution. If you don't want to use the recommended yarn, or it is unavailable, you need an alternative yarn with a very similar meterage and character.

The basics of yarn weights and how to find a sensible alternative are in Yarn weights explained: from lace to bulky.

The stated needle size is a guideline, not a law. Your gauge decides which needle you actually need. If you have too many stitches over 10 cm, go up a needle size. With too few stitches, go down. More on this in Knitting a gauge swatch: why these 20 minutes can save your project.

English vs. German patterns: what you need to know

English patterns are often more precisely worded and follow stricter conventions than German ones – simply because the English-speaking knitting market is huge and platforms such as Ravelry have established a standard. A few differences worth knowing:

Terminology traps:

  • In US English, "yards" and "skein" are common. 1 yard ≈ 0.91 metres. Sometimes you will find figures in grams, sometimes in ounces.
  • "Worsted weight" is a frequent misunderstanding: in the US it means a yarn between DK and aran, not what is called "worsted" (worsted-spun) in Europe.
  • "Fingering" and "4-ply" usually mean the same yarn weight (our sock yarn range), but not always. 4-ply originally described a structure (4 strands plied together) and today is a weight designation – and not every 4-ply really has four plies.
  • "Aran weight" in the UK is slightly thinner than "worsted weight" in the US. The boundaries are fluid.

Abbreviation traps:

  • "ssk" (slip, slip, knit) and "skpo" (slip, knit, pass over) are almost, but not quite, the same – skpo has a slightly different structure.
  • "k1 tbl" (through back loop) means: knit the stitch through the back loop. Often used in twisted rib patterns.
  • "turn" – in short row patterns this literally means: turn the work around, even if you are in the middle of a row.

Our tip: we have our own knitting translator as a shop page. If you stumble over an English abbreviation, you will find the German equivalent there.

Common stumbling blocks

After hundreds of conversations with customers, a few typical misunderstandings have emerged that happen to experienced knitters too:

1. Ignoring the gauge swatch or knitting it too small. A 10 × 10 cm swatch is the minimum, 15 × 15 cm is more honest. And then wash and block it like the finished piece! A freshly knitted swatch lies.

2. Reading only the first part of the pattern. Some constructions (e.g. top-down sweaters with picked-up sleeves, a provisional cast-on for later changes) only make sense once you have an overview of the whole pattern. Read first, then knit.

3. Confusing the size chart with body measurements. You want a sweater in "M"? Look at the finished measurements, not at "M". One designer's M can be another's L. Measure your favourite sweater in the wardrobe and compare the numbers.

4. Panicking and ripping back when you make a mistake. Many mistakes are invisible or can be repaired more easily with a lifeline. Breathe, make tea, sleep on it. Almost everything can be rescued.

5. Taking the pattern literally even when something looks odd. If a row doesn't add up by your count (e.g. you count 48 stitches at the end and should have 50), the error is almost always yours – but not always. Check, compare with the schematic, count again. And sometimes patterns really do contain typos. On Ravelry there is an errata or comment section for almost every pattern, and it is worth checking.

Which yarn for your first pattern?

If you are working from a pattern for the first time, a yarn that makes life easy for you is worth it. In concrete terms:

  • Light, solid yarns – stitch structure and mistakes show up much better than on dark or heavily speckled ones.
  • Smooth, two-ply yarns – they split less than singles and are forgiving when knitting and ripping back.
  • Classic merinos in DK or sport – the most popular starting weight, because it grows quickly without becoming too coarse.

From our range, these are particularly suitable:

  • KFO Merino – a Danish classic in fingering weight. Clearly defined stitch definition, more than 50 muted colours. Ideal for shawls, accessories and light sweaters.
  • KFO Heavy Merino – the same colour philosophy, in DK weight. Probably the most pleasant way into sweaters and hats.
  • Malabrigo Rios – worsted merino, superwash, with the famous Malabrigo colour gradients. Quick to knit, forgiving, machine washable.
  • Sandnes Peer Gynt – a Norwegian classic, sport/DK weight. Very traditional, extremely durable, the first choice for all Scandinavian designs.

Which of these is best for you depends on the project – browse straight through our merino collection.

And now: no more getting lost

Reading a knitting pattern is neither witchcraft nor an innate talent. It is practice, like a second language. The first three patterns are hard work, the next five get easier, and at some point you leaf through a 12-page PDF and see at a glance what needs doing.

The most important piece of advice to close with: if you get stuck on a pattern, you are not stupid – you have an incomplete pattern in front of you, or a passage that every knitter has to read twice. Find allies – on Ravelry under the pattern, in knitting communities, with us in the shop. A second pair of eyes untangles nineteen knots out of twenty.

And when you are ready, let us know what you are knitting next. We look forward to it.

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