How to read crochet pattern abbreviations

Keep this handy guide of crochet pattern abbrevaitions to hand when you're crocheting patterns from Simply Crochet, or other UK crochet patterns. If you're in the States, scroll down for our conversion chart for UK to US crochet terms and abbreviations as a few terms vary overseas. We've also included some handy links to tutorials underneath the relevant crochet abbreviations, and if you need any extra help check out our guide on how to read a crochet pattern.

Or print out and keep this handy crochet abbreviation chart to hand

Simply Crochet Magazine - crochet abbreviations list

How to convert UK to US crochet terms, or vice versa!

Crochet symbols UK to US crochet terms conversion

Whenever we use charts in our magazine we'll always include a key, and crochet charts almost always use the same symbols regardless of which terminology you are using. Our charts will always be in UK terminology, but here’s a basic key for all those of you who need to see both UK and US terms, and the different between the two.

Simply Crochet Magazine - crochet symbols UK chart

How to read crochet symbols

If you're trying to follow a pattern which uses crochet symbols, but aren't sure how to use them, check out our guide on How to read crochet charts

UK to US crochet terms and abbreviations conversions

All of Simply Crochet's patterns in the magazine and online are written in UK crochet terms, but if you follow US terminology the information and simple chart below can help you translate our patterns and others on the web into US crochet terms. It may seem a bit confusing at first, but an easy thing to remember is that UK terms don't have a single crochet stitch, so if you see that you know you're working from a US pattern. You can also think of UK terms as being one step up from US terms, so a US single crochet is a UK double crochet, a US double crochet is a UK treble crochet, and so on!

UK

• chain ch
• slip stitch ss
• double crochet dc
• half treble htr
• treble tr
• double treble dtr
• triple treble ttr

US

• chain ch
• slip stitch ss
• single crochet sc
• half double hdc
• double dc
• treble tr
• double treble dtr

Or print out and keep this handy UK to US crochet terms chart

Simply Crochet UK to US crochet abbreviation conversion chart

Authors

Matt SpiersDigital Assistant, Gathered

Matt Spiers is a crochet artist and designer who has been overseeing Gathered's crochet articles for over 2 years. He previously worked as Digital Assistant for Simply Crochet magazine and is our in house video editing pro. What started as a hobby a decade ago led to Matt developing a passion (and then a career) with crochet. As well as still regularly writing and designing for Simply Crochet magazine, Matt is a crochet artist in his own right, having displayed and created crochet installations at festivals and fibre events across the UK. You can keep up to date with Matt at @onemancrochet on Instagram.

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