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 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.
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?