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Thursday, January 22, 2009

Knitting Lingo

Every once in awhile I come across a knitting term that I have no idea what it means. Now I'm not talking actual knitting terms like knit, purl, or yarn over, I'm talking knitting slang or lingo. So for others who are sometimes confused and may want to know what "frogging" is or decide if you want to do a KAL, here are some knitting terms that you may find helpful ( from the Ravelry Knittinglingo page)

Ambistitcherous Having the ability to knit in two different styles

BeauFO A beautiful Finished Object
BFL blue-faced leicester, a breed of sheep
Bicraftual Someone who both crochets and knits
Bistitchual The ability to knit in two styles eg. English and Continental
BMFA Blue Moon Fiber Arts (yarn company)
BSJ Baby Surprise Jacket (pattern)

CAL Crochet ALong
CIP Crocheting In Public
Clap Clapotis (pattern)
Colorway The name or number assigned by a manufacturer to the color (or multi-colored combination) of a yarn
CPH Central Park Hoodie (pattern)
CPY Crystal Palace Yarns (yarn company)
CTH Cherry Tree Hill (yarn company)

Darn Overs (DOs) - The one’s you forget and have to tink back to. AKA @&%^#&%@!!
DB Debbie Bliss (designer and yarn company)
DPN Double Pointed Needles
DS Destash (sell unwanted yarn)

EOR End Of Row or Every Other Row
EZ Elizabeth Zimmermann (designer)

FO Finished Object
frog To rip back (for the sound “rip it, rip it”) by removing the needles from the project and pulling on the loose end of the yarn; also applies to crochet
Generally used when mistake is found below the row you are currently working, or when completely un-doing an entire project or piece. (see Tink)
frog pond a storage place for knitted and crocheted things waiting to be frogged
FSOT For Sale Or Trade

Gifted The act of giving yarn/items to another for free.
GOFO A GOrgeous Finished Object

ISO In Search Of

KAL Knit ALong
KIP Knit(ting) In Public
KL Knitting Loom
KP Knit Picks (yarn company)

LK Loom Knitting
LPW Lamb's Pride Worsted (yarn)
LYS Local Yarn Store
LYSO Local Yarn Store Owner

MK Machine Knit(ting)
muggle non-knitter

NoTN Not On The Needles
NWT New With Tags

OTH On The Hooks
OTN On The Needles

PIF Paying It Forward (or Pay It Forward)
PIGS Projects In Grocery Sacks
Pooling When one color in a Variegated yarn bunches together in an area.
Puddling According to the Yarn Harlot, similar to pooling, but more like a blotch.

SABLE Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy
SEX Stash Enhancement eXperience = buying yarn
SIP
sock(s) in progress
Skank
funny way of saying skein of yarn (skein+hank=skank)
STR
Socks That Rock (yarn)
SWTC
South West Trading Company (yarn company)

Tink To undo knitted stitches by reversing the knitting motion, effectively un-knitting the stitch. Used when fixing an error on the same row you are knitting. (tink is knit spelled backwards) (see also Frogging)

TOAD Trashed Object Abandoned in Disgust

UFO UnFinished Object (usually a WIP that has been abandoned or neglected)

WIM Work In Mind
WIP Work In Progress
WoTA
Wool of the Andes (yarn)
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 (yarf?) a big lump of yarn that accidentally gets pulled out of a new center-pull ball, when you’re trying to find the end
Yarnie independent dyer or spinner with a small business

7 comments:

  1. "Yarf" Ahahahaha! Thanks for the list. I saw ISO being mentioned a zillion times in a de-stashing group on Ravelry and was utterly confused.

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  2. Ive also wondered what half of these meant I would try to figure it out, love this! now I can start using them now that I know what they mean :) Thanks!

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  3. If I can learn to knit backwards then I can truly be ambidextrousstitcherous!! Love it.

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  4. Thanks for all the time and trouble have printed these and have them after all the other abbreviations!

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  5. I'd love to see an acronym for mistakes that "Can't be see when riding by on a galloping horse," i.e. those little mistakes that we should relax about because no one will really notice them. It's a phrase often used for encouragement at fiber arts guild. Fun list!

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    1. I've got some suggestions! Only Obvious When Staring OOWS. As in: Never mind the OOWS your daughter will love it.
      or COBSUC, Can Only Be Seen Up Close. As in: It's only a little COBSUC no one will ever know but you. Or, Damn that COBSUC, I really need to get over it.

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