Glossary of Knitting & Crochet Terms

0-9

4ply: term used to describe a specific weight of yarn. Fingering / 4ply weight yarns have an average gauge of 34 to 25 stitches per 4” / 10 cm using needles of approximately 2.25 to 3.50 mm. Also called Fingering in American English.

Aran: Term used to describe a specific weight of yarn. Aran weight yarns are slightly heavier than worsted weight yarns and have an average gauge of 16 to 14 stitches per 4” / 10 cm using needles of approximately 5.00 to 6.00 mm.

The term Aran can also refer to a style of knitting that originated from the Aran Islands, Republic of Ireland. Aran jumpers and cardigans are traditionally off-white and with intricate cable patterns on the body and sleeves.

Blocking: There are 2 mains types of blocking, wet blocking and steam blocking. The first consists of hand-washing your finished item prior to blocking while the second consists of applying steam with an iron. Both methods aim to relax the fibres, making each stitch a little more even, plump and the overall fabric drapier. Wet blocking is a little bit safer as you do not need to worry about the heat of the iron damaging the fabric.

Bounce: Bounce refers to the elasticity of a yarn. Bouncy yarns are plied and with a lot of twist. They have a good recovery rate meaning that when stretched they naturally return back to their original length. They create fabrics with a lot of structure and a crisp stitch definition.

Chunky: A term used to describe a specific weight of yarn. Chunky weight yarns have an average gauge of 13 to 10 stitches per 4” / 10 cm using needles of approximately 6.00 to 8.00 mm.

Darning: The practice of mending a hole in knitted fabric by interweaving yarn. There are multiple mending techniques, click here to learn more about them.

Double Knitting: term used to describe a specific weight of yarn. DK weight yarns have an average gauge of 23 to 20 stitches per 4” / 10 cm using needles of approximately 3.50 to 4.00 mm.

Also a technique in knitting which creates a double sided piece with two ‘right’ sides.

Double Pointed Needles (DPNs): Short straight needles with points at both ends. Used for knitting in the round. Eg. Socks or sleeves

Drape: Refers to the fluidity of the yarn and the fabric it creates, how it moves and flows over the body. Factors such as the fibre content or the spinning technique impact the drape of a yarn. Single plied yarn, with little twist typically have more drape. Similarly fibres like silk, linen, tencel or alpaca have inherently more drape.

Fingering / 4ply: term used to describe a specific weight of yarn. Fingering / 4ply weight yarns have an average gauge of 34 to 25 stitches per 4” / 10 cm using needles of approximately 2.25 to 3.50 mm.

Gauge: refers to the number of stitches and rows counted over 10 cm / 4 inches. Also known as tension.

Heavy: refers to the thickness of a yarn. The thicker the yarn the heavier it is.

Intarsia: A knitting technique used to create motifs with multiple colours. Unlike with stranded-knitting the yarn isn’t carried across the back of the work. It is usually knitted flat although it is also possible to work it in the round. It lends itself particularly well to big standalone motifs.

Lace: A term used to describe a specific weight of yarn. Lace weight yarns have an average gauge of 40 to 35 stitches per 4” / 10 cm using needles of approximately 1.50 to 2.50 mm.

Light: type of yarns that trap and hold pockets of air. Lofty yarns knit up in light fabrics with great insulating properties. Woollen spun are usually the loftiest as the fibres aren’t combed prior to spinning and are therefore naturally less dense and more airy

Ply: structurally speaking plys correspond to the strands that make up a yarn. Yarns can be formed of one to multiple ply twisted together.

In Australian and New Zealand terminology the number of ply refers to the weight of a yarn. 8 ply being a DK, 10ply a worsted and so on. In these cases the yarns described aren’t necessarily structurally made up of those specific number of plys.

Seamless construction: way of constructing a piece of knitwear completely in the round and, with no seaming involved.

Sport: A term used to describe a specific weight of yarn. Sport weight yarns have an average gauge of 25 to 22 stitches per 4” / 10 cm using needles of approximately 3.25 to 3.75 mm.

Sticky: A term used to describe yarn with grip. Sticky yarn are particularly suited to stranded knitting as they make the various strands stick to each other making it easier to manage your tension and your floats.

Stranded knitting: Stranded-knitting, also called colourwork, is a technique used to create knitted motifs with multiple colours. Usually worked in the round, the floats are carried across the back of the work. Traditional stranded motifs include XOX, stars, flowers & peeries. Many countries and communities have their own traditional stranded knitting styles, motifs and techniques. The term Fair-isle is commonly used as a generic term for stranded knitting which comes from the Scottish island of Fair Isle.

Super Chunky: term used to describe a specific weight of yarn. Super chunky weight yarns have an average gauge of 9 to 7 stitches per 4” / 10 cm using needles of approximately 10.00 to 15.00 mm

Swatch: A square of knitted or crocheted fabric used to measure the tension of your knitting. To insure maximum accuracy it best to measure your gauge over 4” / 10 cm. Your swatch should be at least 12 cm x 12 cm in order to take your measurement over the central stitches – as those around the borders will be tighter and therefore inaccurate.

Twist: during spinning each ply of yarn is given a certain amount of twist and in turn, the multiple plys of yarn are twisted together to give the yarn definition, bounce and durability. Twist creates energy and tension in the yarn which in turn increase its strength and elasticity.

Weight (yarn weight): A term used to describe the thickness of a yarn. In UK terminology the weights are from light to heavy; lace, 4ply/fingering, sport, DK, worsted, aran, chunky and super chunky.

Woollen spun: refers to a yarn that has been spun using the woollen-spinning method. Unlike with worsted spinning, here fibres aren’t combed prior to spinning. It results in yarns that retain the lofty and air trapping qualities of the natural fleece. These yarns are particularly warm, light and adaptable in gauge.

Worsted: term used to describe a specific weight of yarn. Worsted weight yarns are slightly lighter than aran and have an average gauge of 19 to 17 stitches per 4” / 10 cm using needles of approximately 4.50 to 5.50 mm.

Worsted spun: refers to a yarn that has been spun using the worsted-spinning method. With this spinning method, fibres are combed prior to spinning. Combing align the fibres parallel to each other and remove the shorter staples. It results in yarns that are smooth and dense, with good stitch definition and drape.