Even experienced knitters sometimes need knitting terms defined for them. You'd think that once you mastered the basic PSO and ssk (and if you haven't, you should check out this article for basic knitting term abbreviations), you wouldn't have any trouble reading patterns. But think again: whenever I pick up a complicated pattern, I find myself double checking some of those abbreviations.

So benefit from my hard work hunting up every knitting term I find! Here are some uncommon but useful knitting terms explained in simple language.

cdd: Center Double Decrease. In other words, slip two stitches together, knit one, and then pass both of the slipped stitches over, still together.

cross 2 L: Cross two stitches left (if it's an R, then obviously the knitting term is the same but on the right). Slip two stitches purl wise (knit wise for right) onto a cable needle and keep it at the front (back) of the work while you knit the next few stitches. Then slide them off the cable needle back onto your work.

EON: end of needle

EOR: end of row

K1 tbl (sometimes also K1b): Knit the stitch through the back loop instead of the front.

k-b: Knit the stitch from the row below (don't confuse with k1b!)

kll: Knit left loop -- in other words, increase to the left. Krl is knit right loop.

M1: Make one -- in other words, increase or pick up a stitch.

pnso: Pass next stitch over. You'd think this knitting term would be obvious if you know psso means pass slipped stitch over, but I just sat there blinking the first time I saw it.

sk: skip

sk2p: Slip one, knit two together, and pass the slipped stitch over

SKP: Slip, knit, and pass. This is a less common version of sl1, k1, psso. Interestingly, if you're using an American pattern the knitting term "slip" is represented as s or sl, while in a Canadian pattern they use ss (for slip stitch).

won: wool over needle

wrn: wool round needle

wyib: with yarn in back

wyif: with yarn in front

yfon: yarn forward over needle (in other words, yarn over or yo).

Sometimes I think they make knitting terms this difficult on purpose. Regardless, here are some of the more uncommon knitting terms defined for your use.