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Knitter’s Slang: Knitting Terms You Need to Know

August 17, 2015 by AllFreeKnitting 14 Comments

knitter slangI was recently writing about a project I was working on over on the AllFreeKnitting Facebook page, and used a couple of shorthand terms.  I quickly realized that some of our newer knitters might not know these knitting terms that I had used as they are more of a popular “knitter’s slang”, so I thought that it might be a fun post to share with you all.  These are the most common knitting terms that the more seasoned knitters on social media use– but, trust me, there are more.. and a whole set related to just crochet as well.

Knitter's Slang

 

So now when you are talking about your newest knit hat pattern on Facebook or down at the LYS, you’ll be “in the know” and can keep up with the conversation.  And don’t worry if you have to frog that free knit sweater pattern, you’ll be able to cast-on again and get a beautiful FO before you know it.  🙂


 

Cake:  Yarn wound into a cylindrical shape where both top and bottom are flat and there is a center yarn to pull out.
DPN: Double Pointed Needles
DS: Destash (sell or trade unwanted yarn)
EOR: End Of Row or Every Other Row
FLASHING: Similar to pooling below, but more linear in design
FO: Finished Object
frog: To rip back (for the sound “rip it, rip it”) by removing the needles and undoing all your hard work
frog pond: a storage place for knitted items waiting to be frogged
FSOT: For Sale or Trade
Gifted: The act of giving yarn/items to another for free
ISO: In Search Of
KAL: Knit ALong
KIP: Knit In Public
LYS: Local Yarn Store
muggle: non-knitter
OTN: On The Needles
PIF: Pay It Forward
Pooling: When one color in a Variegated yarn bunches together in an area.
Puddling: similar to pooling, but more like a blotch.
RAK: Random Act of Kindness, a small gift to a fellow knitter
SABLE: Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy
SEX: Stash Enhancement eXperience, aka buying yarn
Tink:Tink is knit spelled backwards.  To undo knit stitches by reversing the knitting motion, effectively un-knitting the stitch.
TOAD: Trashed Object Abandoned in Disgust
UFO: UnFinished Object (usually an abandoned or neglected WIP)
Vanilla: An easy, plain pattern.
WIP: Work In Progress
WPI: Wraps Per Inch (number of times yarn will wrap loosely around ruler or similar tool in one inch; more wraps indicates thinner yarn)
yarn barf: a big lump of yarn that comes out of a new ball of yarn
Yarnie: independent dyer or spinner with a small business, lover of all that is yarn

 

Have you heard other “knitter’s slang” that I should include here?  Share below, and I’ll update the post!

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Comments

  1. Kiti Williams says

    August 17, 2015 at 12:39 pm

    PIGS – Project In Grocery Sack

    Reply
  2. Penny Cole says

    August 18, 2015 at 3:40 am

    I am trying to crochet the Tunisian baby blanket but am very confused with the pattern. First stripe – triangles – no problem – then there is a block of pattern about “squares” – then the second stripe which indeed is squares. So where does this bit between the first and second stripes fit in? Can anyone help please?

    Reply
  3. Margaret says

    September 1, 2015 at 1:53 am

    You mention a whole set of slang terms that are related to crochet as well as these listed in knitter’s slang in your article “Knitter’s Slang: Knitting Terms You Need to Know”. Where would I find these terms? I have run into an odd one or two lately for crochet and had quite a time finding out the meaning. A Crochet Slang article as suggested in your article would be appreciated. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Stitch&Unwind says

      September 1, 2015 at 1:49 pm

      You’re right Margaret – that is in the works… stay tuned.

      Reply
  4. Mary says

    January 27, 2016 at 10:37 pm

    Yarn Bombing: Decorate a public monument/place with yarn decorations.

    Reply
  5. Pam S says

    February 9, 2016 at 9:27 am

    OKD – obsessive knitting disorder!
    PHD – Projects half
    Lifeline – waste yarn woven into stitches for a safety net

    Reply
  6. hannah says

    August 5, 2016 at 9:37 pm

    What is P-INC? I can’t figure it out… on some Web sites it says “purl increasing” and on others it says otherwise….

    Reply
  7. Sandie says

    February 21, 2017 at 1:14 pm

    Please share to the Facebook group Ravelry free pattern (knit only) as well. Thanks!

    Reply
  8. Shawnalee Whitney says

    April 18, 2017 at 3:28 pm

    Potato chip knitting (or crochet) — a project or pattern that you’re willing to knit or crochet again and again

    Reply
  9. Shawnalee Whitney says

    April 19, 2017 at 11:09 pm

    “Yarn Crawl” is another good term, a trip where knitters get together and hit several LYSs over the course of a day (or two or three…)

    Reply
  10. Penandra says

    April 20, 2017 at 4:33 am

    FLY – From Leftover Yarn

    Reply
  11. Crystal says

    December 21, 2017 at 6:19 pm

    Yarn chicken: a “game” knitters (and crocheters) play when they are nearing the end of a particular quantity of yarn and the knitter keeps working on the project in the hopes they will have just enough yarn to finish the project. Sometimes, the knitter is successful, and sometimes it results in an epic fail, being just a few inches or feet shy of actually being able to complete the project.

    Reply
  12. ritainalaska says

    April 6, 2018 at 12:13 am

    let’s not forget ‘fart’ … fiber acquisition road trip!

    Reply
  13. Lindsey says

    March 22, 2019 at 1:39 am

    HOTN – Hot off the Needles

    Reply

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