What Does STS Mean in Knitting?

What Does STS Mean in Knitting?

So, you’re starting knitting! Great choice. You’ll come across many abbreviations that can be a little confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, these will make sense and become second nature soon enough.

The abbreviation stands for short-row shaping, and it’s a technique that has multiple uses. There isn’t just one way to do this type of shaping! We’ll explore some common ways knitters use this approach below.

What Does STS Mean in Knitting?

Knitting instructions generally use the abbreviation STS to mean stitch. When you are knitting patterns, you might see instructions like “knit 2 sts per inch” or “knit 3 sts per inch”. This means knit two stitches every one-inch diameter of your knitted piece, and then repeat that process three times for each pattern row on average.

In knitting, you will come across many abbreviations in patterns. For example: “SL ST” is a slip stitch; it means that the next step is to work single crochet into the first chain of your foundation row. The abbreviation for stockinette stitch (STS) can be confusing because every other letter stands for something else and you need to know what they mean before using them on their own or with another symbol.

Don’t get discouraged by all the different knitting abbreviations. With enough practice, learning them all will be second nature.