What Does rib Mean in Knitting?
rib means ribbing.
Ribbing · Stitches & Fabrics
Ribbing explained
Alternating columns of knit and purl stitches, which makes a stretchy fabric used for cuffs, hems, and necklines. '1x1 rib' means k1, p1 across; '2x2 rib' means k2, p2 across.
How you might see it written
Patterns aren't always consistent. rib may also appear as ribbing, rib st, 1x1 rib, 2x2 rib, k1p1 rib, or k2p2 rib. The converter recognizes all of these.
Related abbreviations
Got a whole pattern to decode?
Paste it into the converter and every abbreviation gets expanded at once — including the repeats and row structure around them.
Convert a full pattern instead →