Crochet abbreviations and UK to US crochet terms
Here are all of the crochet abbreviations and crochet conversion charts to help you understand most crochet patterns, including those that we feature in Simply Crochet magazine.
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.
- across to end of the row
- alt alternate/alternating
- approx approximate(ly)
- beg beginning
- bl insert hook under back loop only
how to crochet in the front and back loops - BPtr Back Post treble: yrh, starting from the back, insert hook from back to front to back around post of st in row below, complete as treble st.
How to crochet post stitches - ch(s) chain/chain stitch(es)
How to chain stitch and count your chains - ch-sp(s) chain space(s)
- ch- refers to ch made previously, eg. ch-3
- cl(s) clusters
- 4-tr cl (yrh, insert hook in sp/st, yrh & pull up loop, yrh & draw through 2 loops) 4 times, inserting hook in same sp/st, yrh & draw through all loops on hook
- cont continue
- dc double crochet
How to double crochet - dc2tog (insert hook in next st, yrh and draw a loop through) twice, yrh and draw through all 3 loops on hook
How to decrease in crochet stitches - dec decrease
How to decrease in crochet stitches - dtr double treble crochet
how to double treble crochet and beyond - dtr2tog work 2dtr together
- fl insert hook under front loop only
how to crochet in the front and back loops - foll/folls following/follows
- FPtr Front Post treble: work in opposite way to BPtr
How to crochet post stitches - htr half treble
How to make a half treble crochet stitch - htr2tog work 2htr together
- in next sts to be worked into the same stitch
- inc increase
How to increase in crochet stitches - LH left hand
- lp(s) loop(s)
- meas measures
- p or pc picot
- patt(s) pattern(s)
- pm place marker
- prev previous
- rem remain(s)/remaining
- rep repeat
- RH right hand
- rnd(s) round(s)
How to crochet in the round - RS right side
- sk skip
- sp(s) space(s)
- ss slip stitch
How to make a slip stitch - st(s) stitch(es)
- tbl through back loop
- t-ch(s) turning chain(s)
- tog together
How to decrease in crochet stitches - tr treble crochet
How to treble crochet - tr2tog (yrh, insert hook in next st, yrh and pull up loop, yrh and draw through 2 loops) twice, yrh and draw through all loops on hook
How to decrease in crochet stitches - ttr triple treble crochet
How to double treble crochet and beyond - WS wrong side
- yoh yarn over hook
- yrh yarn round hook
- * work instructions immediately foll *, then rep as directed
- [] or () work or repeat all instructions in the brackets as directed
Or print out and keep this handy crochet abbreviation chart to hand
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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.
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
Authors
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.
