Crochet Abbreviations: The Complete US & UK Glossary
67 crochet abbreviations with their full US names and UK equivalents, grouped by what they do. Bookmark this page — or let our decoder expand any whole pattern for you.
Written crochet patterns are dense with shorthand: "ch 4, 2 dc in next ch-sp, sk 1, rep from * across." Once you know the abbreviations, that line is a simple sentence. The tables below list every abbreviation our tools recognize — the same dictionary that powers the pattern decoder — with the full US term and the UK equivalent wherever the two systems differ.
One warning before the tables: US and UK patterns use the same letters for different stitches.A UK "dc" is a US "sc". Patterns almost always state which system they use — find that note before you make a single stitch. Reading a charted diagram instead of a written pattern? The same stitches are drawn as symbols on our crochet symbols chart.
Basic stitches
The core stitch vocabulary. Note the US/UK column — this is where the two terminology systems diverge the most.
| Abbreviation | Full term (US) | UK equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| ch | chain | same |
| sl st | slip stitch | same |
| slst | slip stitch | same |
| sc | single crochet | double crochet (dc) |
| hdc | half double crochet | half treble (htr) |
| dc | double crochet | treble (tr) |
| tr | treble crochet | double treble (dtr) |
| dtr | double treble crochet | triple treble (trtr) |
| esc | extended single crochet | same |
| edc | extended double crochet | same |
Special & texture stitches
Post stitches, clusters and decorative stitches. These names are shared between US and UK patterns more often than the basic stitches.
| Abbreviation | Full term (US) | UK equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| fpdc | front post double crochet | same |
| bpdc | back post double crochet | same |
| fptr | front post treble crochet | same |
| bptr | back post treble crochet | same |
| cl | cluster | same |
| pc | popcorn | same |
| puff | puff stitch | same |
| shell | shell stitch | same |
| v-st | V-stitch | same |
| vst | V-stitch | same |
| picot | picot (small pointed loop) | same |
Actions
Verbs of the pattern language — what to do, rather than which stitch to make.
| Abbreviation | Full term (US) | UK equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| yo | yarn over | same |
| yoh | yarn over hook | same |
| sk | skip | same |
| rep | repeat | same |
| inc | increase (work 2 stitches into the same stitch) | same |
| dec | decrease | same |
| sc2tog | single crochet 2 together (decrease) | same |
| hdc2tog | half double crochet 2 together (decrease) | same |
| dc2tog | double crochet 2 together (decrease) | same |
| tog | together | same |
| m1 | make 1 (increase) | same |
| pm | place marker | same |
| f/o | fasten off | same |
| fo | fasten off | same |
| join | join (usually with a slip stitch) | same |
Structure & instructions
The scaffolding words: loops, spaces, rounds, sides, and where exactly to put your hook.
| Abbreviation | Full term (US) | UK equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| st | stitch | same |
| sts | stitches | same |
| sp | space | same |
| sps | spaces | same |
| ch-sp | chain space | same |
| lp | loop | same |
| lps | loops | same |
| rnd | round | same |
| rnds | rounds | same |
| rem | remaining | same |
| beg | begin / beginning | same |
| cont | continue | same |
| foll | following | same |
| alt | alternate | same |
| approx | approximately | same |
| blo | back loop only | same |
| flo | front loop only | same |
| bl | back loop | same |
| fl | front loop | same |
| tbl | through back loop | same |
| fp | front post | same |
| bp | back post | same |
| mr | magic ring (adjustable ring) | same |
| rs | right side | same |
| ws | wrong side | same |
| gauge | gauge (tension) | same |
| sm | stitch marker | same |
Colors
Colorwork shorthand — which yarn to pick up next.
| Abbreviation | Full term (US) | UK equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| mc | magic circle — or main color in colorwork patterns | context decides |
| cc | contrasting color | same |
| ca | color A | same |
| cb | color B | same |
Decode a whole pattern at once
Looking terms up one by one works — but pasting the pattern somewhere smart is faster. Our free crochet abbreviations decoder takes an entire written pattern and expands every abbreviation into plain English in place, flagging the terms where US and UK meanings differ. It runs entirely in your browser; the pattern never leaves your device.
And once you can read the pattern, check its math: the pattern stitch checker re-computes every round's stitch count against the instructions and shows the arithmetic for any round that doesn't add up.
Common questions
What is the difference between US and UK crochet abbreviations?
The abbreviations look the same but mean different stitches. UK terms are shifted one step up: a UK double crochet (dc) is a US single crochet (sc), a UK treble (tr) is a US double crochet (dc), and so on. Every pattern uses one system — check where it was published or look for a note like 'US terms' before you start, because guessing wrong changes every stitch in the project.
What does sc mean in crochet?
In US patterns, sc is single crochet: insert hook, yarn over, pull through (two loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both. In UK patterns the same physical stitch is called double crochet (dc) — a frequent source of confusion when a pattern's origin is unknown.
What do asterisks and brackets mean in a crochet pattern?
They mark repeats. Instructions between two asterisks (* ... *) or inside brackets [ ] or parentheses ( ) are worked again as many times as the pattern says — 'rep from * 5 times' or '[2 dc, ch 1] 6 times'. Brackets are also used at the end of a row to give the stitch count, as in '(24 sts)'.
How do I read a crochet pattern full of abbreviations?
Expand the abbreviations first, then read the row as a sentence: stitch counts apply to the abbreviation right after them, so '2 sc in next st, sc 4' means two single crochet in one stitch followed by one in each of the next four. Paste the whole pattern into our free Pattern Decoder to see every abbreviation expanded into plain English automatically.
Why do some patterns use ch-sp instead of ch?
ch is the chain stitch itself; ch-sp (chain space) is the gap created underneath one or more chains on a previous row. When a pattern says 'sc in next ch-sp', you work around the chain strand into the open space, not into a specific chain stitch.