The elusive No Stitch in a chart – what do you do with it and why is it there?
We’ll answer all your questions about the No Stitch symbol and explain why it’s there.
What to Do with a No Stitch Symbol
A No Stitch symbol might look like a grey stitch or an X.
But either way, the key should tell you that it’s a No Stitch symbol.
Although you might not know what to do with a No Stitch symbol, it’s actually quite easy – you do NOTHING. That’s right – just ignore it. Skip past it to the next “real” stitch.
Why are there No Stitch Symbols?
The No Stitch symbol is there just for chart readability. It allows the correct parts to line up on top of each other.
Chart readability is the reason for No Stitch symbols. While technically not necessary, a chart would be A LOT more challenging to read if there weren’t any No Stitch symbols in it (but it needed them).
Here’s a chart with No Stitch symbols:
And here’s the same chart without them:
If the chart doesn’t have No Stitch symbols, you don’t see a picture of what the chart is making, and that’s a large part of why a chart exists.
When are No Stitch Symbols Used?
Typically, decreases or bind off’s are replaced in future rows with No Stitch symbols. This allows future rows to have the same number of stitches and things can line up nicely. See?
Don’t Fret the No Stitch Symbol
Many of our charts include No Stitch symbols and they shouldn’t discourage you from trying a pattern just because of them. Here are a few free patterns from Knotions. Give one of them a try!
I have read what everyone has written. Still no clue as to what “no stitch” means.
Do you just slip the stitch from one needle to the other? Then why not state : “Slip”?
Or is this just a way of writing “normal stitch”?
It’s actually neither. You do absolutely nothing. It’s just used to make the layout of the chart nicer. You don’t do anything at all. No slips. No normal knoy stitch. Nothing.
I am too completely stumped with the whole no stitch thing even after reading all the comments. I have one full knit row and then the patterned row starts (Knitting Luna gloves from the Harry Potter knitting book).
It says:work 30sts of the 1st row of the pattern which is fine and place a marker. That part I’m ok with. Then I have 10 no stitches and then a k st and then 10 no stitches again. Do the 10 no stitches stay on the needle? This is repeated for the first 5 rows until there are any increased stitches in the next rows.
I’m not quite following you. I’ll follow up with an email because I’d like to check out the chart (I should be able to help you that way)
I have 76 stitches in my pattern and 12 rows. When I get to the 12th row, the pattern says, “Don’t knit these stitches” This refers to the last three stitches of the final repeat. My active yarn is now three stitches behind my marker. How does one Ignore or Do Nothing. How do I move to the next row with my yarn behind. Seems to me I can drop them, not an option, or slip them to the right needle which I think would be a different symbol.
this is different than a no stitch. i’m going to email you privately and ask you to send me the chart (but please don’t attach it here).
i think i know what you need to do but i need to see the chart to know for sure.
how do you get the no stitch stitch from the left hand needle to the right hand needle?
You go to the next real stitch. That’s what’s telling you what to do with it. The no stitches are really just placeholders for later. So, you truly don’t do anything at all. You skip them and go to whatever the next actual stitch is.
Does that help?
Why are there no tutorial videos regarding to how to work a no stitch in a pattern. Im sorry but saying “do nothing” really doesnt explain anything. Im making a glove and have gotten to the thumb gusset. I have56 sts Im working with , Ive knitted 50 stitches, 6 sts left to start gusset. Gusset patter has 17 sts across with 19 rows. 1st row states “no stitch” across the 1st row? And 2nd ro states no stitches for 8 sts,then st 9 YO, 10-17 sts no stitch???? Sorry but not doing nothing still confuses me.
I’m not following your explanation.
BUT, you just skip those no stitch symbols. You don’t do anything with your needles until you get to the next non-No Stitch symbol (whatever that is – a K, a YO, a K2tog, whatever). Just treat them like they’re not there.
Does that help?
I think I agree with what you’re saying. “Do nothing ” isn’t really helpful. Does that mean start the pattern on the next stitch and pretend the black squares are not there? Or, skip over the alotted number of no stitch squares, but then how do you get the first stitch in the pattern off your left hook with the no stitches blocking the way? They’ll become dropped stitches. Ex. 8 no stitch squares then a yarn over and knit…you can’t knit the stitch off the left needle without getting those 8 stitches out of the way somehow.
you pretend the black squares are NOT THERE. that’s why this chart
and this chart 
are identical.
the black squares are only there to make the chart look more like a picture.
In your sample chart, there are no stitch symbols in row 1, then the next row has 2 stitches at tne beginning of the row. How do you get to them or where are they created?
I think you’re talking about this chart https://knotions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Chart-A-Ashes-of-Roses.png
Here are things if you wrote them out:
Row 1(RS): Yo, k1, yo, ktbl (4 sts)
Remember that the YO’s create stitches in the next row.
Row 3: Yo, k2tog, yo, knit and bead, yo, ktbl, yo. (7 sts)
Does that help?
No Stitch, I have knitted for years, I have never run into the term. Do I drop the stitch?
Nope, you just treat it the way you’re likely used to. You do absolutely nothing with it. It’s like it’s not there.
Do I drop the No Stitch? I added 8 stitches and there are 8 no stitch in the pattern. So to keep the pattern at 160 stitches I would drop the stitch.
I don’t know what pattern you’re working on, but you def don’t drop regular no stitches. And 8 dropped stitches in a row sounds odd.
Thank you , I’m not certain I’m 100% clear on the notion of the no stitch. Could you explain how around 10 functions. It states I repeat the pattern just four times so when it happens the rest of the round. I am definitely missing something about executing this pattern.
I’m not clear on your question. I suspect autocorrect wasn’t your friend 🙂
But, to try and help – the places where the no stitches are in the chart. You just skip over them and do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. So, in a 10 stitch repeat, if you had 3 no stitches, it would actually be 7 stitches.
Does that help?
Hi
If the chart said no stitches do you slip that st onto your right needle and don’t knit it.
Thanks
No – you ignore it. Just skip it on the chart and do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on your work.
The no stitches are there only for readability and to be sure that you’re seeing the stitches over their correct ones.
I have the same question. When I started my chart row 1 had 28 “no stitch” blocks. Now I’ve completed the 18 rows and am starting g my 2nd repeat of the chart What do I do with the extra stitches I have now on row 1?
I don’t know what pattern you’re doing. But if it added sts, can you work one additional repeat? Does the chart have an outline that’s a repeat?