A knitting pattern is a set of written instructions on how to construct items using knitting.

There are two basic forms of knitting patterns:

Some patterns include the entire instructions in both forms, as some knitters prefer one or the other.

Some patterns mix the forms to take advantage of the best of each. For example, a pattern's start and end may be described in text and a repeated design as a chart.

Each knitting pattern typically provides its own abbreviations and symbol keys or refers to a standard. There is no single authoritative source for knitting symbology and Knitting abbreviations, so multiple standards exist.

Both forms use the convention of sequential row numbers; a row counter is often used to keep track of progress through the pattern.

Text pattern details can vary from a general description to detailed stitch-by-stitch instruction. Knitting abbreviations are used for brevity.

Text patterns typically provide sequential instructions to be followed and may also include helpful advice.