How to Read Knitting Patterns When Repeats Get Confusing

Before working a crowded instruction, check the pattern’s abbreviations, stitch notes, and repeat-symbol key. A note may specify whether edge stitches belong to a repeat. The designer’s instructions take priority over familiar conventions.

An *asterisk () usually marks where a sequence begins: “k2, p2; repeat from ” means work k2, p2 again from the asterisk, not from the start of the row. Brackets [ ]** often enclose a block to work a stated number of times, as in “[k1, p1] 3 times.” They may also mark a smaller repeat inside a larger one.

Parentheses ( ) can group several actions worked into one stitch, such as “(k1, yo, k1) in next st.” Elsewhere, they may show stitch counts for different sizes. Check the stitch notes and the chosen size before deciding what they mean. When symbols appear together, identify the innermost group first, then read the instruction around it to see how often that group is worked.

In k2, *p2, k2; repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2, the asterisk marks the start of the repeating sequence. It does not include the k2 before it, and the final k2 is not part of the repeat either. Separating those pieces before knitting makes the instruction easier to follow:

• Setup: k2 once.
• Repeat: p2, k2 as many full times as the stitch count allows.
• Ending: k2 once, after the repeats stop.

The phrase “to last 2 sts” is a stopping point, not another stitch instruction. After the setup, work the first p2, k2, then return to the asterisk and work that same sequence again only while four stitches remain available before the final two. Once just two stitches are left, stop repeating and knit them.

For example, on a row of 12 stitches, the setup uses two stitches, leaving ten. Two stitches are reserved for the ending, leaving eight for two complete p2, k2 sequences. The row reads: k2 | p2, k2 | p2, k2 | k2. The dividers are just a way to see the sections; they are not part of the pattern.

If a repeat would run into the reserved ending stitches, pause rather than working half a repeat. Recheck the stitch count and the instruction before continuing.

Consider this instruction for a 25-stitch row:

K2, [p1, k2] twice, k1; repeat from until 2 sts remain, k2.

Start with the instruction inside the brackets: purl one, then knit two. That uses three stitches. The word twice applies to the whole bracketed group, so work p1, k2, p1, k2 before moving on to the k1. Purling once and then knitting two stitches twice would change the stitch pattern.

Next, look at the asterisk. Everything from * through k1 forms one seven-stitch repeat: six stitches from the bracketed group, plus one knit stitch. The opening K2 happens only once, before that repeat begins.

“Twice” and “until 2 sts remain” answer different questions. The bracketed group is worked exactly twice each time the seven-stitch repeat is worked. The larger repeat has no fixed number of turns; it continues while there are enough stitches for another complete seven-stitch group, leaving the specified two stitches untouched for the final k2.

On 25 stitches, the count is two opening stitches, three seven-stitch repeats, and two ending stitches: 2 + 21 + 2 = 25. If the next full repeat would run into the reserved ending stitches, stop rather than working part of it. If the stitch count does not divide cleanly this way, check the row’s starting count and the pattern wording before knitting on.

A repeat should fit the stitches available for it—not necessarily the entire row. First subtract any stitches worked once at the beginning and end. Then divide what remains by the number of stitches in one full repeat.

For example, consider a row that says: K2, *K2, P2; repeat from * to last 2 sts, K2. On 20 stitches, the opening K2 uses two stitches and the final K2 reserves two more. That leaves 20 − 2 − 2 = 16 stitches for the four-stitch K2, P2 repeat. 16 ÷ 4 = 4 full repeats. After the fourth repeat, exactly two stitches remain for the final K2.

If the division leaves a remainder, resist working part of a repeat just to use up the stitches. A count of 19 in this example leaves 15 stitches between the edges: three full repeats plus three stitches, with one stitch missing for a fourth. Check the stitch count, the previous row’s increases, and whether the instructions specify a different edge treatment for the size being made. When choosing the right size in a sweater pattern, it is especially easy to follow one size’s stitch count but another size’s row instructions.

The arithmetic is a check, not a substitute for the written directions. If the pattern explicitly names stitches to work after the repeats, set those aside before dividing; otherwise, a perfectly good row can appear not to fit.

Once the stitch count checks out, work the row in three parts: the setup stitches, the repeated group, and the ending stitches. Keep the ending stitches untouched until the instruction calls for them.

For example, on a 20-stitch row that says “K2, K1, P2, K1; repeat from to last 2 stitches, K2,” knit the first two stitches once. Then work K1, P2, K1 one time and pause. Six stitches have been worked in total, leaving 14 on the needle: 12 for three more repeats and two for the ending.

That pause is a useful check. The completed group should use four stitches and match the instruction exactly, including the order of knits and purls. If it does not, fix that group before continuing; an error is much easier to find while the repeat is still fresh.

For a long row, a tally mark after each completed repeat can prevent losing the place. A removable marker between repeats can serve the same purpose, especially when the fabric makes the groups hard to see. Markers are not stitches: slip past a marker when needed, but never include it when counting the stitches left before the ending. Once only the reserved stitches remain, work the final instruction once.

A chart’s outlined box marks the stitches to repeat. Squares outside the box are usually worked once, not included in every repeat. Before starting a row, count the stitches outside the box and check how many times the boxed section fits across the stitches available.

Reading direction matters. In a flat project, right-side rows commonly run from right to left across the chart, while wrong-side rows run from left to right. Charts worked in the round commonly read from right to left on every round. Row numbers can help identify where each row starts, but the chart key and the pattern’s written directions take precedence over these conventions.

For example, suppose a chart row has two stitches to the left of a six-stitch repeat box and one stitch to its right. Across 21 stitches, the box fits three times: 2 + (3 × 6) + 1 = 21. Read from right to left, the single stitch on the right comes first; read from left to right, the two stitches on the left come first. Either way, the boxed section is worked three times.

Check each new row rather than assuming its squares behave exactly like the last. Increases, decreases, and “no stitch” squares can change what needs to be counted; the key explains how to treat them.