Knitting Glossary

• Acrylic Fibre: any yarn made from a synthesized material; includes rayon, nylon, and most novelty yarns

• Animal Fibre: any yarn made from a part of an animal; includes wool, alpaca, mohair, cashmere, silk

• Bind off: the process of getting the stitches off the needles so that the project doesn’t unravel

• Blend: most yarns are made from a combination of fibres. The yarn is often referred to by whatever material is the highest percentage. For example, a yarn that was 60% wool, 25% alpaca, and 5% nylon would likely be referred to as a wool blend.

• Blocking: the process of dampening and drying knitted fabric to even out tension and set a finished, pleasing shape.

• Cast on: the process of getting the first stitches on the needles

• Continental knitting: the working yarn is held in the left hand. More common in Europe. Faster than English knitting

• Count (stitches): counting the number of stitches on your needles to check to make sure you have the correct number.

• English knitting: the working yarn is held in the right hand. More common in the UK, Canada, and the US. More YouTube videos (in English) use this style

• Felt: a process of wetting and agitating a knitted piece made of animal fibre so that the hairs hook onto each other. Felting shrinks the piece and increases its density.

• Garter stitch: the pattern formed when every row is knit on first the right side and then the wrong side of the fabric.

• Gauge: the number of stitches and rows per 5cm (2”) or 10cm (4”).

• Knit stitch (k): the most fundamental stitch in knitting. Creates a “v” shape.

• Knitted cast on: great for beginners because it is very similar to the knit stitch and creates a sturdy starting edge for your project

• Notions: all tools, other than needles, that are used in knitting

• Place Marker (PM): put a stitch marker that is slightly larger than your needle onto the right-hand needle

• Plant Fibre: any yarn made from a part of a plant; includes cotton, bamboo, linen

• Purl Ridge: an intentional row of purling on the right side of the fabric that interrupts stockinette stitch to create a ridge

• Purl stitch: the backside of a knit stitch and fundamental for knitting. It creates a small horizontal bump

• Read (your knitting): the skill of examining your knitting to count the number of completed rows and stitches

• Reverse Rib: The pattern formed with alternating, horizontal sections of stockinette and reverse stockinette

• Reverse Stockinette: The pattern formed when rows are purled on the right side and knit on the wrong side

• Ribbing (aka Rib stitch): a pattern created by alternating columns of knit and purl stitches

• Right side (RS): The outside, front, or “nice” side of your knitting. This is the part that is meant to be seen, like the outside of a sweater or hat.

• Slip Marker (SM): move the stitch marker from the left-hand needle to the right-hand needle by inserting the tip of the right-hand needle into the marker as if to purl, lifting, and transferring to the right-hand needle.

• Split stitch: a mistake that occurs when the needle pokes a hole through a stitch rather than working through the loop. It can create an extra stitch or a weak point in the fabric which snags and breaks more easily.

• Stitch marker: an "o" shaped notion used to help you read your knitting that can be slipped onto the needle between stitches. They are often used to mark the edges of sections in a larger pattern.

  • Locking stitch marker: a stitch marker that can be opened and closed, similar to a safety pin, which can be hooked onto the base of a completed stitch.

• Stockinette stitch: the pattern from when rows are knit on the right side and purled on the wrong side

• Swatch: The test square of stockinette you knit with the yarn and needles planned for a larger project to check the gauge

• Tail: the end of the yarn

• Tension: how tight the stitches are in your knitting, which is determined by how tightly you pull the working yarn as you knit (or purl) a stitch

• Weave in ends: The process of sewing the tails of the yarn into the knitted fabric so that they are hidden and the project doesn’t unravel.

• Weight: the thickness of the yarn

• Working yarn: the yarn that is attached to the ball

• Wrong side (WS): The inside, back, or “messy” side of your knitting. This part of the project is not meant to be seen and often looks very different from the front (right side) of the fabric.