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. Don’t slip any stitches. Don’t do the “regular” stitch for th pattern.
Just 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 worked two short rows and on the next short row it states to knit to marker and work 1 to 23 sets as charted. Problem: sets 1 to 11 indicate no st. Should I be cutting the yarn and attach again on st 12?
No, DO NOT CUT THE YARN. Just skip over any no-stitch symbols until you get to the next real stitch.
See the two charts above? And how both charts are really charting the same knitting? It’s just that the second chart doesn’t have any no-stitch symbols. But the knitting is EXACTLY THE SAME.
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 k0 then p1k1 how do I do the k0 I dont understand if I just slip the first stitch k0 on to the needle then start with the p1 plz help me
K0 means that you do nothing. So, yes, the first stitch that you make would be a p1.
When you say ignore or skip them for a no stitch, are they slipped to the other needle or dropped? For instance K6 purl2 no stitch K6. How do i get to the last K6? What do i do with the no stitch so i can continue to knit the last K6?
You literally do nothing. No slipping, no dropping, nothing.
So, you asked how to work a K6, p2, no stitch, k6.
That would be: K6, p2, k6
I’m none the wiser. What does ‘do absolutely nothing’ mean? My pattern is k1, do nothing, k1, do nothing, k3 – how do I get from do nothing to next stitch? Thanks
In your example, you would k1, k1, k3. Said another way, you’d knit 5 (1 + 1 + 3)
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.
I was given a Japanese knitting book for Christmas. The third pattern has “no stitch” in a few places. Do I just slip these, or is there some thing else. The chart has knit or pearl (depending on the RS or WS) right before and a YO right after the no stitch. The no stitch indications on the chart are also lined up 6 rows at a time. Do I just slip them?
No, you do nothing. You go to the next real stitch. You don’t slip them, drop them or do anything else.
Neither the yarn nor the needles will move at all when you come across a no-stitch.
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?
A different way of explaining it is that there isn’t a stitch on your left needle. The block is just a place holder to allow the stitches that do exist to line up. Say I cast on 10 stitches, but I’m going to increase later until I have 15 stitches total. My chart needs to have 15 blocks I. Each row, so at the beginning, five blocks will be placeholders labeled “no stitch.” When I increase the number of stitches on my needles, the number of placeholder “no stitch” boxes will decrease until I have the maximum number of stitches that the pattern calls for. Inversely, if I decrease the number of stitches on my needles, the number of no stitch boxes will increase to compensate for the stitches that no longer exist.
Most charts keep the center stitches of each row stacked over the top of each other (that is, the center column of boxes is the center row of stitches). If you didn’t have any no-stitch boxes, the center column of stitches wouldn’t be a straight center column on your chart.
You got it!
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?