The Spanish word for knitting is "tejer"
Tejer is the verb meaning to knit or to weave in Spanish. It comes from the noun tejido, which means fabric or knitted material. When you are knitting, you are "tejiendo" (the present participle form). If you finished a scarf yesterday, you would say "tejí una bufanda" — past tense.
The word works across all Spanish-speaking regions without variation. Whether you are in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, or anywhere else Spanish is spoken, tejer is understood as the standard term for the act of knitting.
Key Takeaways
- The verb "tejer" means to knit, and "tejido" is the noun for knitted fabric or the act of knitting as a craft.
- Present tense forms include "tejo" (I knit), "tejes" (you knit), and "tejemos" (we knit), following regular -ER verb conjugation.
- A knitter is called a "tejedor" (male) or "tejedora" (female), though many Spanish speakers also use "tejedor" as a gender-neutral term.
- Knitting needles are "agujas de tejer" or straightforward "agujas," and yarn is "hilo" or "lana" depending on the fiber type.
Verb conjugation for tejer in common tenses
If you are learning Spanish and want to use knitting in conversation, here are the forms you will encounter most often. The verb tejer follows the regular pattern for -ER verbs, so once you learn it, you can explore the same endings to other similar verbs.
| Tense | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| Present indicative (yo) | Tejo | I knit |
| Present indicative (tú) | Tejes | You knit |
| Present indicative (él/ella) | Teje | He/she knits |
| Present indicative (nosotros) | Tejemos | We knit |
| Preterite (yo) | Tejí | I knitted |
| Preterite (tú) | Tejiste | You knitted |
| Present participle | Tejiendo | Knitting |
The preterite forms (tejí, tejiste, tejió) are used when you completed a knitting project in the past. The present participle "tejiendo" appears in continuous tenses: "estoy tejiendo un suéter" means "I am knitting a sweater."
Words for knitting tools and materials
When you talk about knitting in Spanish, you will need the names for the things you use. Agujas means needles — the word is the same whether you are talking about one needle or two. You might hear "agujas de tejer" (knitting needles) to be specific, but "agujas" alone is understood in context.
Hilo is the general word for thread or yarn. Lana specifically means wool yarn, and it is the most common type of yarn for knitting. If you are working with cotton yarn, you would say "hilo de algodón." A ball of yarn is a "ovillo" or a "madeja" (skein).
Other useful words: a punto is a stitch, montar puntos means to cast on, and cerrar puntos means to bind off. A patrón is a knitting pattern, and aumentar and disminuir mean to increase and decrease stitches.
How to describe yourself as a knitter
If you knit, you are a tejedor (if you are male) or a tejedora (if you are female). In modern Spanish, especially in writing and formal speech, many people use "tejedor" as a gender-neutral term as well. You might also hear someone say "soy una persona que teje" — "I am a person who knits" — which avoids gender altogether.
To say you enjoy knitting, you would say "me encanta tejer" (I love knitting) or "me gusta tejer" (I like knitting). If knitting is your hobby, you can say "tejer es mi pasatiempo" (knitting is my hobby).
Regional differences and related words
Tejer is used the same way across Spanish-speaking countries, but some regions have additional or older terms. In some parts of Spain, you might hear tricotar (from the English "tricot"), though tejer is still the standard. This borrowed word is less common in Latin America.
Crochet, which is related to knitting but uses a single hook instead of two needles, is called ganchillo in Spain and crochet in much of Latin America. The verb is "hacer ganchillo" (to do crochet) or straightforward "crochetear" in some regions. Weaving, which also uses the verb tejer, is distinguished by context — a weaver is a "tejedor de telar" (loom weaver).
Using knitting vocabulary in conversation
If you are talking to a Spanish speaker about your knitting projects, here are some natural sentences you might use. "Estoy tejiendo un suéter azul" means "I am knitting a blue sweater." "Tejí esta bufanda el año pasado" means "I knitted this scarf last year." "¿Quieres que te enseñe a tejer?" means "Do you want me to teach you to knit?"
When asking someone about their knitting, you might say "¿Cuánto tiempo llevas tejiendo?" (How long have you been knitting?) or "¿Qué estás tejiendo ahora?" (What are you knitting now?). These questions follow the same patterns as asking about any other hobby or activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a difference between tejer and tricotar?
Tejer is the standard Spanish word for knitting everywhere. Tricotar is a borrowed word from English (tricot) that appears mainly in Spain and some older texts, but tejer is always correct and understood. Use tejer unless you are in a very specific regional context where tricotar is the local preference.
What do you call a knitting pattern in Spanish?
A knitting pattern is a "patrón" or a "patrón de tejido." You might also see "instrucciones de tejido" (knitting instructions). When you are following a pattern, you say "estoy siguiendo un patrón" (I am following a pattern).
How do you say "cast on" and "bind off" in Spanish?
To cast on is "montar puntos" (literally, to mount stitches). To bind off is "cerrar puntos" (to close stitches) or "rematar" (to finish). These are the terms you will see in Spanish knitting patterns and instructions.
Can I use tejer to talk about weaving?
Yes — tejer is the verb for both knitting and weaving. The context makes the difference clear. If you need to be specific, a weaver is a "tejedor de telar" (loom weaver) and knitting is "tejido a mano" (hand knitting) or "tejido con agujas" (needle knitting).
What is the difference between hilo and lana?
Hilo is the general word for yarn or thread of any kind. Lana specifically means wool. If you are knitting with cotton, acrylic, or another fiber, you would say "hilo de algodón," "hilo acrílico," and so on. Lana is used when the yarn is wool or when you are speaking generally about yarn for knitting.