Crochet abbreviations
Patterns are written in shorthand, and the same abbreviation can mean two different stitches depending on which side of the Atlantic the designer is on. Here is the whole list in one place.
Crochet patterns are compressed. A row that takes a paragraph to describe in plain English is written as ch 3, dc in next 5 sts, 2 dc in next st, rep from * to end. Once you read it fluently that density is a real advantage. Before then it is a wall.
The complication is that there are two naming systems. UK and US patterns use the same abbreviations for different stitches, which means a pattern can be perfectly clear and still produce completely the wrong fabric if you read it in the other convention.
The UK and US difference, in one sentence
UK names are all one step taller than US names. A US single crochet is a UK double crochet. A US double crochet is a UK treble. The stitch you make is identical. Only the word changes.
The quickest way to tell them apart
Look for sc. UK patterns have no single crochet at all, so if you see it anywhere in the instructions you are reading a US pattern. If the shortest stitch mentioned is 'dc', it is UK.
Abbreviations and their equivalents
The first column is the abbreviation as it appears in a pattern. The middle columns give the US and UK names, and the last says what the stitch actually does.
| Abbrev. | US term | UK term | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| ch | chain | chain | The starting loop chain most patterns begin with. |
| sl st | slip stitch | slip stitch | Joins rounds or moves the yarn along without adding height. |
| sc | single crochet | double crochet (dc) | The shortest common stitch; makes a dense fabric. |
| hdc | half double crochet | half treble (htr) | Between a single and a double in height. |
| dc | double crochet | treble (tr) | The workhorse stitch of most blankets and garments. |
| tr | treble crochet | double treble (dtr) | Taller again; makes an open, drapey fabric. |
| dtr | double treble | triple treble (trtr) | Used for very open lace and tall shells. |
| inc | increase | increase | Two stitches worked into the same stitch. |
| dec | decrease | decrease | Two stitches worked together to reduce the count by one. |
| sc2tog | single crochet 2 together | dc2tog | A specific decrease using two single crochets. |
| mr / mc | magic ring / magic circle | magic ring | An adjustable starting ring, standard for amigurumi. |
| BLO | back loop only | back loop only | Work into the back loop to create a ridge. |
| FLO | front loop only | front loop only | Work into the front loop; the mirror of BLO. |
| bpdc | back post double crochet | back post treble | Worked around the post from behind, for texture and ribbing. |
| fpdc | front post double crochet | front post treble | Worked around the post from the front. |
| st / sts | stitch / stitches | stitch / stitches | Refers to the stitches themselves. |
| rep | repeat | repeat | Work the bracketed instruction again. |
| sk | skip | miss | Pass over a stitch without working into it. |
| yo | yarn over | yarn over hook (yoh) | Wrap the yarn over the hook before pulling through. |
| rnd | round | round | A row worked in a circle rather than turned. |
Reading the punctuation
The symbols carry as much meaning as the letters:
- Asterisk (*) marks the start of a repeat. "Rep from * to end" sends you back to it.
- Brackets and parentheses group a sequence worked into one place, so (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in next st is a shell, all in a single stitch.
- A number in brackets at the end of a row is your stitch count. Check it. It is the cheapest error detection in crochet.
- Numbers before a stitch mean how many to work: 2 dc is two doubles, whereas dc2tog is a decrease.
Terms worth knowing beyond the stitches
Gauge (or tension) is how many stitches and rows you get in a 10cm square. If yours does not match the pattern, the finished size will not either, so change hook size rather than trying to work tighter. The hook size chart covers which sizes to try.
Working in the round means crocheting in a spiral or joined circle rather than turning at the end of each row. Amigurumi is nearly always worked this way, which is why a row counter matters more there, because there is no row line to count back along.
Right side and wrong side (RS/WS) tell you which face of the fabric is the outside. Patterns say when to turn, and marking the right side with a scrap of yarn early on saves confusion later.
Yarnova includes a terminology guide in its tool kit, so you can check an abbreviation without leaving the pattern you are working from.