Glossary

Abbreviations

Download a handy PDF file of commonly used abbreviations found in Interweave Knits and Knitscene . Click here to download.
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Attached I-cord (also known as Applied I-cord or I-cord Bind-Off)

An edging in which an I-chord is knitted and attached to the piece being finished at the same time.
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Backstitch

Insert threaded needle under two rows, right next to the selvedge, and up through both layers of fabric. Count back one row and insert the needle under the next two rows. Continue this circular motion-ahead two rows from where the working yarn emerged
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Backstitch Seam

Working from right to left, one stitch in from selvedge, bring threaded needle up through both pieces of knitted fabric (Figure 1), then back down through both layers a short distance (about a row) to the right of the starting point (Figure 2). *Bring
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Backward Loop Cast-On

*Loop working yarn and place it on needle backward so that it doesn't unwind. Repeat from *.
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Bar Increase

Knit into a stitch and leave it on the needle (Figure 1). Knit through the back loop of the same stitch (Figure 2). Slip both stitches off the needle (Figure 3).
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Binding Off

Explore bind-off methods in this tutorial by Ann Budd. 41041.aspx
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Binding Off Shoulder Seams Together

Place the front and back shoulder stitches onto two separate needles. Hold them in your left hand with the right sides of the knitting facing together. In your right hand, take another needle and insert the right-hand needle into the first stitch on each
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Blanket Stitch

Bring threaded needle out from back to front at the center of a knitted stitch. *Insert needle at center of next stitch to the right and two rows up, and out at the center of the stitch two rows below. Repeat from *.
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Buttonhole Stitch

Working into edge half-stitch of the knitted piece, *bring tip of threaded needle in and out of a knitted stitch, place working yarn under needle tip, then bring threaded needle through the stitch and tighten. Repeat from *, always bringing threaded needle
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Cable Cast-On

Begin with a slipknot and one knitted cast-on stitch if there are no established stitches. Insert right needle between first two stitches on left needle (Figure 1). Wrap yarn as if to knit. Draw yarn through to complete stitch (Figure 2) and slip this
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Cables, Starting and Stopping

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Cast-On

Casting on lays the foundation for your knitting project. It is the method by which stitches are formed that you then knit or purl to form your knitted item. Download this PDF to learn more about how to Cast-On . See also: Backward Loop Cast-On, Cable
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Chain Edge Cast-On

This method is worked with a crochet hook. It forms a tidy chain along the edge. Place a slipknot on a crochet hook. Hold the needle and yarn in your left hand with the yarn under the needle. *Place hook over needle, wrap yarn around hook, and pull the
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Chain Stitch

Bring threaded needle out from back to front at center of a knitted stitch. Form a short loop and insert needle back where it came out. Keeping the loop under the needle, bring needle back out in center of next stitch to the right.
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Channel Island Cast-On

Make a slipknot with two balls of yarn, leaving long tails (about 1" per stitch). The slipknot counts as one stitch. Cut one of the strands connected to a ball of yarn. Place the single strand over your left index finger and wrap the double strands
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Continental (Long Tail) Cast-On

Leaving a long tail (about 1z2" to 1" [1.3 to 2.5 cm] for each stitch to be cast on), make a slipknot and place on right needle. Place thumb and index finger of left hand between yarn ends so that working yarn is around index finger and tail
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Couching Stitch

Lay thread(s) to be covered on top of knitted background. Bring threaded needle out from back to front at side of thread(s). *Bring needle over thread(s) and insert it close to other side. Bring needle back out a short distance away. Repeat from *.
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Crochet Bind-Off

Insert crochet hook into first stitch on needle, as if to knit. Wrap yarn around hook (Figure 1), pull this loop through stitch on needle, and let stitch drop off needle. *Insert hook into next stitch as if to knit, wrap yarn around hook, pull loop through
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Crochet Chain

Make a slipknot on hook. Yarn over hook and draw it through loop of slipknot. Repeat, drawing yarn through the last loop formed.
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Crochet Provisional Cast-On

Make a crochet chain 4 stitches longer than the number of stitches you need to cast on. Pick up and knit stitches through back loops of the crochet chain. Pull out the crochet chain to expose live stitches when you're ready to knit in the opposite
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Cross-Stitch

*Bring threaded needle out from back to front at lower left edge of knitted stitch to be covered. Working left to right, insert needle at upper right edge of same stitch and bring it back out at lower left edge of adjacent stitch, directly below and in
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Daisy Stitch

Bring threaded needle out from back to front at center of a knitted stitch. *Form a short loop and insert needle back where it came out. Keeping loop under needle, bring needle back out in center of next stitch over. Beginning each stitch at the same
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Double Crochet

Yarn over hook, insert hook into a stitch, yarn over hook and draw a loop through (three loops on hook), yarn over hook (Figure 1) and draw it through two loops, yarn over hook and draw it through the remaining two loops (Figure 2). Figure 1 Figure 2
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Double Cross-Stitch

Work cross-stitch as described at left, then bring needle out at base of crossed yarn, over cross, and back in at top of cross, then out again at left side of cross and back in on right side. The double cross-stitch in the sample is worked over four knitted
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Duplicate Stitch

Horizontal: Bring threaded needle out from back to front at base of knitted stitch to be covered. *Working right to left, pass needle in and out under the row above it and back into base of same stitch. Bring needle back out at the base of next stitch
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Embroidery Stitches

See: Backstitch, Blanket Stitch, Buttonhole Stitch, Chain Stitch, Couching Stitch, Cross-Stitch, Daisy Stitch, Double Cross-Stitch, Duplicate Stitch, Fern Stitch, Fly Stitch, French Knot, Jacobean Couching, Running Stitch, Satin Stitch, Split Chain Stitch
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Gauge

To check gauge, cast on 30 to 40 stitches using recommended needle size. Work in pattern stitch until piece measures at least 4" (10 cm) from cast-on edge. Remove swatch from needles or bind off loosely, and lay swatch on flat surface. Place a ruler
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Grafting Garter Stitch

To graft garter stitch, place live stitches on needles held parallel. Thread tapestry needle with yarn and go through first stitch on front needle as if to purl, then first stitch on back needle as if to purl, leaving both stitches on the needles. *Then
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I-Cord

With double-pointed needle, cast on desired number of stitches. *Without turning the needle, slide the stitches to other end of the needle, pull the yarn around the back, and knit the stitches as usual; repeat from * for desired length. See Also : Attached
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Invisible Provisional Cast-On

Place a loose slipknot on needle held in your right hand. Hold waste yarn next to skipknot and around left thumb; hold working yarn over left index finger. *Bring needle forward under waste yarn, over working yarn, grab a loop of working yarn (Figure
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Invisible Ribbed Bind-Off

Cut yarn three times the width of the knitting to be bound off, and thread onto a tapestry needle. Working from right to left, insert tapestry needle purlwise (from right to left) through the first (knit) stitch (Figure 1) and pull the yarn through. Bring
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Invisible Seam

Working from the right side of the garment, place the pieces to be seamed on a flat surface, right sides up. Begin at the lower edge and work upward, row by row. Insert a threaded tapestry needle under the horizontal bar in the middle of the edge stitch
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Invisible Sewn Bind-Off

Cut yarn 5 times the width of the piece to be bound off, and thread on tapestry needle. With RS facing and working from right to left, bring needle kwise (from left to right) through first st and pull yarn through to back (Figure 1). Bring needle to front
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Jacobean Couching

Make long straight stitches (see page 10) on a knitted background parallel to each other and about 1z2" (1.3 cm) apart. Work another series of straight stitches on top of and at right angles to the previous ones. Then couch the resulting crosses
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Jogless Jog (Meg Swansen's)

Knitting color stripes in the round can result in jogs at the "seam" line where each new round begins. In Meg Swansen's Knitting (Interweave, 1999), Meg offers an ingenious technique for eliminating these jogs when working solid-color stripes
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Kitchener Stitch

Step 1: Bring threaded needle through front stitch as if to purl and leave stitch on needle. Step 2: Bring threaded needle through back stitch as if to knit and leave stitch on needle. Step 3: Bring threaded needle through same front stitch as if to knit
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Knit Stitch: English Method

1. Cast on 20 stitches (or enough to practice several stitches). 2. Hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left hand, the empty needle in your right hand. Hold the needles a few inches from the tips, between your thumb and first couple of fingers
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Knitted Cast-On

Place slipknot on left needle if there are no established stitches. *With right needle, knit into first stitch (or slipknot) on left needle (Figure 1) and place new stitch onto left needle (Figure 2). Repeat from *, always knitting into last stitch made
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Knitting In Reverse

To avoid constant turning of the work, you can knit and purl from the same side. To purl from the knit side: With RS facing and yarn in back, insert left needle into first st on right needle from front to back, wrap yarn over top of needle and then around
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Lifted Increases (RLI, RLPI, LLI, LLPI)

Nearly invisible increase.
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Long-Tail Cast-On

See: Continental Cast-On
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Make One

See: Make One Left
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Make One Left

With left needle tip, lift strand between needles from front to back (Figure 1). Knit lifted loop through the back (Figure 2). For a purlwise increase (M1L pwise), purl the lifted loop instead of knitting it. A left slanting increase.
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Make One Purlwise

With left needle tip, lift strand between last knitted stitch and first stitch on left needle, from back to front (Figure 1). Purl lifted loop (Figure 2).
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Make One Right

With left needle tip, lift strand between needles from back to front (Figure 1). Knit lifted loop through the front (Figure 2). For a purlwise increase (M1R pwise), purl the lifted loop instead of knitting it. A right slanting increase.
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Managing Yarn in Colorwork

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Mattress Stitch Seam

With RS of knitting facing, use threaded needle to pick up one bar between first two stitches on one piece (Figure 1), then corresponding bar plus the bar above it on other piece (Figure 2). *Pick up next two bars on first piece, then next two bars on
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Middle East Wrap Cast-On (a.k.a Turkish Cast-On)

Snugly wrap the working yarn counterclockwise around two needles. Bring the yarn forward between needles, back to front (Figure 1). Knit across stitches on upper needle (Figure 2). Rotate the work and knit across the same number of stitches on the other
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One Row Buttonhole

For a 3(4, 5) st buttonhole. Work to where you want the buttonhole to begin, bring the yarn to the front, slip the next stitch purlwise, and then return the yarn to the back. 1. *Slip the next stitch. Then on the right needle, pass the second stitch over
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Overhand Seam

Hold pieces to be seamed with right sides together. Working close to the edge, from right to left, *bring threaded needle from back to front through both layers. Repeat from *.
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Pick Up Stitches Purlwise

With WS facing and working from right to left, insert right needle under selvedge stitch from farside to nearside, wrap yarn as to purl (Figure 1), and pull loop through (Figure 2).
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Pom Pom

Cut two circles of cardboard, each 1z2" (1.3 cm) larger than desired finished pom-pom width. Cut a small circle out of the center and a small edge out of the side of each circle (Figure 1). Tie a strand of yarn between the circles, hold circles together
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Provisional Cast-On

See: Invisible Provisional Cast-On
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Purl Stitch: English Method

Step 1: As with the knit stitch, start by holding the needle with the stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right. (This tutorial demonstrates the English method of purling.) Step 2: Pull the working yarn in front of the needles. Insert
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Raised Increase

See: Make One Left, Make One Right, Make One Purlwise
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Reading Charts

Unless otherwise indicated, read charts from the bottom up. On right-side rows, read charts from right to left. On wrong-side rows, read charts from left to right. When knitting in the round, read charts from right to left for all rows.
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Reverse I-Cord

Work as regular I-cord, but pull the yarn around the front of the work.
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Reverse Single Crochet

Working from left to right, insert the crochet hook into a knit edge stitch, draw up a loop, bring the yarn over the hook, and draw this loop through the first one. *Insert the hook into the next stitch to the right (figure 1), draw up a loop, bring the
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Running Stitch

Working small straight stitches, pass the threaded needle over one knitted stitch and under the next to form a dashed line. The stitches can be worked in equal or varying lengths, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
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Satin Stitch

Work closely spaced straight stitches in graduated lengths as desired, entering and exiting in center of or at side of knitted stitches.
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Sewn Bind-Off

Cut yarn three times the width of knitting to be bound off, and thread onto a tapestry needle. Working from right to left, *insert tapestry needle purlwise (from right to left) through first two stitches (Figure 1) and pull yarn through. Bring tapestry
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Short Row: Wrapping Stitches

How to work partial rows.
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Single Crochet

How to work a single crochet stitch.
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SKP Decrease

This decrease produces a fairly pronouced left-slanting decrease. Slip one stitch knitwise, knit the next stitch, and then use the point of the left needle to pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch and off the right needle.
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Slip Stitch Colorwork

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Slip Stitch Crochet

Insert hook into stitch, yarn over hook and draw loop through stitch and loop on hook.
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Slip Stitch Crochet Seam

How to work a slip-stitch crochet seam.
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Slipknot

A slipknot is a knot that tightens up easily once you place it on the needle. 1. With the tail end of the yarn in your palm, wrap the working yarn around your index and middle fingers, and lay the working yarn across the tail end, forming an X. 2. Spread
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Split Chain Stitch

Work as for stem stitch, bringing needle out from back to front at center of a knitted stitch, piercing the working thread with each stitch.
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SSK Decrease

How to work a slip-slip-knit decrease.
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SSP Decrease

How to work a slip-slip-purl decrease.
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Steeks

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Stem Stitch

How to work a decorative, embroidered stem stitch.
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Straight Stitch

How to work a decorative, emroidered straight stitch.
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Three Needle Bind-Off

How to work a three-needle bind-off. Great for shoulder stability.
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