Crochet patterns are written in a kind of shorthand. Once you know the abbreviations, a pattern that looked like secret code becomes a friendly set of instructions. Keep this page bookmarked.
US vs UK terms: the big gotcha
American and British patterns use the same names for different stitches. A UK “double crochet” is a US “single crochet”. Always check which terms a pattern uses, usually stated near the top. All Granny Loops patterns use US terms.
| US term | UK term |
|---|---|
| single crochet (sc) | double crochet (dc) |
| half double crochet (hdc) | half treble (htr) |
| double crochet (dc) | treble (tr) |
| treble crochet (tr) | double treble (dtr) |
| slip stitch (sl st) | slip stitch (ss) |
| chain (ch) | chain (ch) |
| skip | miss |
Common abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| beg | beginning |
| BLO / FLO | back loop only / front loop only |
| ch | chain |
| ch-sp | chain space |
| dc | double crochet |
| dec | decrease |
| hdc | half double crochet |
| inc | increase (2 stitches in the same stitch) |
| MR | magic ring |
| rep | repeat |
| rnd(s) | round(s) |
| RS / WS | right side / wrong side |
| sc | single crochet |
| sc2tog | single crochet 2 together (a decrease) |
| sk | skip |
| sl st | slip stitch |
| sp | space |
| st(s) | stitch(es) |
| tog | together |
| tr | treble crochet |
| yo | yarn over |
Symbols you will see
- * (asterisk) marks the start of a section to repeat: “*sc, inc; rep from * 5 more times”.
- ( ) or [ ] group stitches worked together or into the same stitch: “(3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in corner”.
- (18) at the end of a round is the stitch count you should have. Count often!
Granny’s tip: Put a stitch marker in the first stitch of every round. It saves so much frogging (that is crochet slang for ripping back your work: “rip it, rip it”).
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