Knitting glossary

A synthetic fibre used in many washable yarns.

A medium yarn designation often heavier than worsted.

A tool that winds yarn into a usable cake.

Finishing live stitches to secure a knitted edge.

Washing or dampening knitting and shaping it to dry.

A textured pattern made by crossing groups of stitches.

A short holder for stitches during a cable crossing.

Creating the starting stitches for a knitted piece.

A wound yarn package that can feed from its middle.

Two needle tips connected by a flexible cable.

Repeated yarn colours collecting in visible patches.

The named colour combination of a yarn.

Combining stitches to reduce the stitch count.

Double knitting: a light yarn weight category.

How knitted fabric hangs and folds.

A batch identifier for yarn dyed together.

The difference between garment and body measurements.

A yarn winder driven by a motor.

A yarn containing more than one fibre type.

A fabric with ridges, made by knitting each flat row.

Stitches and rows measured over a set distance.

Yarn length relative to its weight.

A looped yarn package that needs winding before knitting.

Adding stitches to widen or shape knitting.

The largest numbered category in the standard yarn-weight system.

The basic stitch commonly abbreviated as k.

A fine yarn category for delicate fabrics.

Yarn made from flax fibres.

Forming knitted stitches on pegs instead of needles.

A yarn winder powered by turning a handle.

Wool from Merino sheep, commonly used for soft knitting yarns.

A needle diameter expressed in millimetres or a regional numbering system.

An individual strand twisted into a finished yarn.

The basic stitch commonly abbreviated as p.

A garment construction with diagonal shaping lines at the shoulders.

A sequence of stitches or rows worked again.

Alternating knit and purl columns that make stretchy fabric.

One circuit of stitches when knitting in the round.

The number of knitted rows per measured distance.

Yarn dyed to produce colour bands as it is knitted.

A packaged length of yarn; the shape can vary.

The number of stitches across a measured distance.

A fabric with knit V shapes on its right side.

A small knitted sample for checking gauge and fabric.

A rotating support that holds a hank while winding.

Yarn with multiple colours along its length.

A medium yarn category used in many garment patterns.

The length of yarn supplied or required.

Wrapping yarn over the needle to add a loop and an eyelet.

An alternative yarn checked against the pattern requirements.