Unravelling Ravelry

For those of you who have found my blog via my “Unravelling Ravelry” class, or form my “Social Media for Crafters” lecture, here is a bonus glossary of Yarn speak that could help you navigate the online world of crafting. Enjoy!

BIL = Brother in Law
BTW = By the way
BFL = Blue-Faced Leicester
CAL = Crochet-A-Long (like a knitalong but crochet 😀 )
CIP = Crocheting in Public
DD = Dear/Darling Daughter
DH = Dear/Darling Husband
DIL = Daughter in Law
DP = Dear/Darling Partner
DS = Dear/Darling Son
DW = Dear/Darling Wife
EZ = Elizabeth Zimmerman
ETA = Edited to add
FIL = Father in Law
FO = Finished Object
Frog/Frogging = Ripping back your knitting/crochet (so called because you “rip it”)
Frog Pond = the final resting place of all abandoned projects
FWIW = For what it’s worth
HTH = Hope that helps
IIRC = If I Recall/Remember Correctly
IMHO = In my humble opinion
ISO = in search of
IYKWIM = If you know what I mean
IYSWIM = If you see what I mean
KAL = Knit-A-Long (lots of people joining together to make the same project)
KF = Kaffe Fassett
KIP = Knitting in Public
Lace Barf = What your lace looks like before blocking
Lifeline = threading a piece of string through the live stitches on your needle in case you have to frog back.
LMAO = Laughing my arse off
LMAOROF = Laughing my arse off, rolling on floor
LOL = Laugh out loud
LYS = Local Yarn Store (i.e. wool shop!)
LYSO = Local Yarn Shop Owner
MIL = Mother in Law
OH = Other Half
OOC = Out Of Curiosity
OP = Original Post(er)
OTH = On The Hook
OTN = On The Needles
PIW = Project(s) in Waiting
PM = Private Message
Pooling = When one colour in a variegated yarn bunches together in an area
ROFLOL = Rolling on the floor laughing out loud
ROTFLMAO = Rolling on the floor, laughing my arse off
SABLE = Stash accumulated beyond life expectancy
SEX = Stash Enrichment eXercise/eXpedition
SIL = Sister in Law
SnB =Stitch and Bitch
SO = Significant Other
TBH = to be honest
Tink/Tinking = unpicking your knitting stitch by stitch (from the word “knit” reversed, because you are knitting backwards)
TOAD = Trashed Object Abandoned in Disgust (see Frog Pond)
UFO = Unfinished Object
VLT = Victorian Lace Today (a splendid book of lace shawls and scarves)
WIP = Work in Progress
WPI = Wraps Per Inch (number of times yarn will wrap loosely around ruler or similar tool in one inch; more wraps indicates thinner yarn)
Yarn Barf = a big lump of yarn that accidentally gets pulled out of a new centre-pull ball, when you’re trying to find the end
YMMV = Your mileage may vary