Crochet Abbreviations Decoded: Your Complete UK and US Glossary
One of the biggest stumbling blocks for new crocheters is decoding the abbreviations in patterns. It's made more complicated by the fact that UK and US patterns use different terminology for the same stitches — a difference that has caught out even experienced crocheters. This glossary gives you every common abbreviation, explained clearly in plain English.
The UK vs US Problem
The most important thing to know: UK and US crochet use the same stitch names but apply them to different stitches. The US single crochet (sc) is the UK double crochet (dc). The US double crochet (dc) is the UK treble crochet (tr). Always check at the top of a pattern whether it's written in UK or US terminology.
Common Abbreviations: UK and US Side by Side
ch — Chain stitch (same in both)
sl st — Slip stitch (same in both)
sc (US) / dc (UK) — Single / Double crochet — the shortest "real" stitch
hdc (US) / htr (UK) — Half double / Half treble crochet
dc (US) / tr (UK) — Double / Treble crochet — the most common stitch in patterns
tr (US) / dtr (UK) — Treble / Double treble crochet
dtr (US) / ttr (UK) — Double treble / Triple treble crochet
General Pattern Abbreviations
st(s) — Stitch(es)
sp — Space (as in chain space)
rep — Repeat
beg — Beginning
rem — Remaining
sk / miss — Skip (US) / Miss (UK) a stitch
tog — Together (as in sc2tog — single crochet two stitches together)
yo — Yarn over
pm — Place marker
RS / WS — Right side / Wrong side
MC / CC — Main colour / Contrast colour
inc / dec — Increase / Decrease
FO — Finish off (fasten off)
WIP — Work in progress
FLO / BLO — Front loop only / Back loop only
MR — Magic ring (magic circle)
Notes on Garment Patterns
Many garment patterns also include size abbreviations: XS, S, M, L, XL and so on. Instructions for different sizes are often given in parentheses in a specific order, e.g. XS (S, M, L, XL). Work only the number that corresponds to your size throughout the pattern.
Keep this guide bookmarked for your next project — and find your next pattern in our full crochet collection.