Stitches
Crochet Abbreviations and Terms (US and UK)
US and UK crochet terms use the same names for different stitches, offset by one: a US single crochet is a UK double crochet, a US double crochet is a UK treble. If a pattern does not say which it uses, look for "sc" — that abbreviation exists only in US terminology, so any pattern containing it is American. A UK pattern will use "dc" as its most basic stitch and will never mention sc at all.
Two people can follow the same crochet pattern with the same yarn and the same hook and produce visibly different fabrics, purely because one read it in US terms and the other in UK terms. This page is the reference for both.
The US to UK conversion
The two systems use the same words for different stitches, shifted by one place. This is the table that matters most:
| US term | US abbr | UK term | UK abbr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slip stitch | sl st | Slip stitch | sl st |
| Single crochet | sc | Double crochet | dc |
| Half double crochet | hdc | Half treble crochet | htr |
| Double crochet | dc | Treble crochet | tr |
| Treble crochet | tr | Double treble | dtr |
| Double treble | dtr | Triple treble | trtr |
| Triple treble | trtr | Quadruple treble | quadtr |
Slip stitch is the one point of agreement. Everything above it is offset.
The practical danger is that “dc” is valid in both systems and means different things. A UK pattern’s dc is short and dense; a US pattern’s dc is roughly twice the height. Work a US pattern reading dc as the UK stitch and your piece comes out around half as tall as it should, with completely different drape.
Telling which system a pattern uses
Many patterns online do not say. Three reliable tells:
- Look for “sc”. Single crochet does not exist in UK terminology. If the pattern contains sc anywhere, it is US.
- Gauge or tension? US patterns say gauge. UK patterns say tension. Same concept.
- Hook sizes. Letters with numbers (H-8, I-9) are US. Plain numbers or millimetres only are UK or European.
If a pattern’s shortest stitch is dc and there is no sc anywhere, it is UK.
The full abbreviation list
Standard US abbreviations, as used by the Craft Yarn Council and on this site:
| Abbr | Means |
|---|---|
| ch | chain |
| ch-sp | chain space |
| sl st | slip stitch |
| st(s) | stitch(es) |
| sc | single crochet |
| hdc | half double crochet |
| dc | double crochet |
| tr | treble crochet |
| dtr | double treble crochet |
| yo | yarn over |
| sk | skip |
| sp | space |
| rep | repeat |
| beg | beginning |
| rem | remaining |
| inc | increase |
| dec | decrease |
| tog | together |
| BLO | back loop only |
| FLO | front loop only |
| FPdc | front post double crochet |
| BPdc | back post double crochet |
| RS / WS | right side / wrong side |
| RND / R | round / row |
| MC / CC | main colour / contrast colour |
| sc2tog | single crochet two together (a decrease) |
| PM | place marker |
| approx | approximately |
Reading the punctuation
Symbols carry as much instruction as the abbreviations do.
Asterisks mark repeats. *sc in next st, ch 1; rep from * to end means work that
sequence over and over to the end of the row. A double asterisk marks a repeat nested
inside another.
Brackets and parentheses group stitches. (dc, ch 2, dc) in next st means all of that
goes into one stitch. [sc, dc] 3 times means work that pair three times.
A number at the end of a row is the stitch count. Row 4: sc in each st across. (24)
means you should have 24 stitches when you finish. This is the single most useful thing in
any pattern — check it every row, and you will catch an error within one row instead of
discovering it twenty rows later.
Turning chains at the start of a row bring the yarn up to the height of the stitch you are about to work. Whether that chain counts as a stitch varies between designers, and a good pattern always says. If it counts, you work into it at the end of the next row; if it does not, you skip it. Getting this wrong is the usual reason a piece gradually gains or loses width.
Post stitches
FPdc and BPdc — front post and back post double crochet — are worked around the vertical post of the stitch below rather than into the top loops. They pull that stitch forward or push it back, and alternating them is what creates ribbing and basketweave textures.
They are worth learning early. They are no harder than a normal double crochet, and they are the basis of most textured stitch patterns, including the waffle stitch.
Common questions
What is the difference between US and UK crochet terms?
They are offset by one stitch. A US single crochet is a UK double crochet, a US double crochet is a UK treble crochet, and so on up the scale. The names are identical but they refer to different stitches, which is why working a US pattern with UK terms produces a piece with the wrong height, the wrong gauge and the wrong drape. Both systems are internally consistent — neither is wrong — but you must know which one a pattern is written in before you start.
How do I tell if a pattern is US or UK terms?
Look for "sc". Single crochet exists only in US terminology, so any pattern using sc is American. A UK pattern has no single crochet at all — its shortest stitch is double crochet (dc), which is the same physical stitch as a US sc. Two other tells: US patterns say "gauge" where UK patterns say "tension", and US patterns give hook sizes as letters (H-8) where UK patterns use numbers or millimetres.
What does yo mean in crochet?
Yarn over — wrapping the working yarn over the hook from back to front before pulling it through a loop or a stitch. It is the fundamental action that builds stitch height: a single crochet uses no starting yarn over, a double crochet uses one, a treble uses two, and a double treble uses three. UK patterns often write it yoh or yrh (yarn round hook), which means exactly the same thing.
What does an asterisk mean in a crochet pattern?
It marks the start of a repeat. "*sc in next st, ch 1; repeat from * to end" means work everything from the asterisk onward, over and over, until you reach the end of the row. Two asterisks (**) mark a nested repeat inside a larger one. Brackets and parentheses do the same job — instructions inside them are worked as a group, and the number after them tells you how many times.
What does "sc2tog" mean?
Single crochet two together — a decrease that turns two stitches into one, reducing the stitch count by one. You work the first stitch until two loops remain on the hook, then the second stitch until three loops remain, then pull the yarn through all three at once. Any stitch can be worked this way: dc2tog, hdc3tog and so on follow the same principle.