The table below encompasses the knitting abbreviations used by the US yarn industry designers and publishers. This is the industry platform or a backbone in a sense. Please use this as a foundation and build upon it.
| Abbreviation | Description |
| alt | alternate |
| approx | approximately |
| byo | backward yarn over |
| beg | beginning |
| bet | between |
| BO | bind off |
| cn | cable needle |
| CO | cast on |
| cont | continue |
| CC | contrasting color |
| dec | decrease |
| dpn | double-pointed needles |
| foll | follow |
| inc | increase |
| k | knit |
| kfb | knit 1 into front and back of a stitch; single knit increase |
| ksp | knit 1 stitch, slip this stitch from right needle to left needle, pass second stitch on left needle over first stitch and off left needle; return stitch to right needle; single right-leaning decrease |
| k2tog | knit 2 stitches together; single right-leaning decrease |
| k1B | knit stitch in row below |
| kwise | knitwise |
| LH | left hand |
| lp | loop |
| MC | main color |
| M1lp | make one left purlwise; single left-leaning purl increase |
| M1L | make one left; single left-leaning knit increase |
| M1p | make one purlwise; single purl increase |
| M1rp | make one right purlwise; single right-leaning purl increase |
| M1R | make one right; single right-leaning knit increase |
| M1 or M1K | make one stitch knitwise; single knit increase |
| m | marker |
| p2sso | pass 2 slipped stitches over |
| psso | pass slipped stitch over |
| pat or patt | pattern |
| pm | place marker |
| prev | previous |
| p | purl |
| pfb | purl 1 into front and back of a stitch; single purl increase |
| p2tog | purl 2 stitches together; single decrease |
| pwise | purlwise |
| rem | remaining |
| rep | repeat |
| rev St st | reverse stockinette stitch |
| RH | right hand |
| RS | right side |
| rnd | round |
| sl | slip |
| sl1k | slip 1 knitwise |
| SKP | slip 1 knitwise, knit 1, pass slip stitch over knit stitch; single left-leaning decrease |
| SK2P | slip 1 knitwise, knit 2 together, pass slip stitch over knit 2 together; double left-leaning decrease |
| sl1p | slip 1 purlwise |
| S2KP2 | slip 2 stitches as if to knit 2 together, knit 1, pass 2 slipped stitches over knit stitch; centered double decrease |
| ssk | slip 2 stitches knitwise, knit these 2 stitches together through back loops; single left-leaning decrease |
| ssp | slip 2 stitches knitwise, return these 2 stitches to left needle and purl them together through back loopsl; single left-leaning decrease |
| SSPP2 | slip 2 stitches knitwise, return these 2 stitches to left needle and then slip them as if to p2tog through back loops, purl 1, pass 2 slipped stitches over purl stitch; centered double decrease |
| sssk | slip 3 stitches knitwise, knit these 3 stitches together through back loops; double left-leaning decrease |
| sssp | slip 3 stitches knitwise, return these 3 stitches to left needle and purl these 3 stitches together through back loops; double leftleaning decrease |
| sm | slip marker |
| sl st | slip stitch |
| st | stitch |
| St st | stockinette stitch |
| tbl | through back loop |
| tfl | through front loop |
| tog | together |
| wyib | with yarn in back |
| wyif | with yarn in front |
| w&t | wrap and turn |
| WS | wrong side |
| yb | yarn back |
| yfwd or yf | yarn forward |
| yo | yarn over |
| yon | yarn over needle |
| yrn | yarn round needle |