Crochet Abbreviations Cheat Sheet (US Terms, with UK Equivalents)
Patterns are written in shorthand to save space, and once you know about thirty abbreviations you can read most of them. This cheat sheet groups the standard US abbreviations by what they do, and shows the UK names where they differ.
5 min readPublished
This profile is a development placeholder, not a real person, and claims no credentials. See our contributors.
The short version
- These abbreviations follow the Craft Yarn Council's standard list, in US terminology.
- UK patterns use the same abbreviations for different stitches, so check which terms a pattern uses.
- Patterns may define special abbreviations of their own, usually at the start.
- Abbreviations can combine: "sc2tog" is single crochet two together.
How to use this cheat sheet
The abbreviations below come from the Craft Yarn Council's standard list, which most US publishers and designers follow. They use US terminology.
Two warnings before you start:
- UK patterns use some of the same letters for different stitches. In a UK pattern, "dc" means what US patterns call single crochet. See the conversion table at the end, or our full US vs UK terms guide.
- Designers sometimes invent their own abbreviations for special stitches. Those are almost always explained at the beginning of the pattern.
The basic stitches
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ch | chain stitch |
| sl st | slip stitch |
| sc | single crochet |
| hdc | half double crochet |
| dc | double crochet |
| tr | treble (or triple) crochet |
| dtr | double treble crochet |
| trtr | triple treble crochet |
You'll also see extended versions, which are slightly taller and softer: esc (extended single crochet), ehdc, edc and etr.
Increases, decreases and "together" stitches
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| inc | increase (usually 2 stitches in the same stitch) |
| dec | decrease |
| tog | together |
| sc2tog | single crochet 2 stitches together |
| hdc2tog | half double crochet 2 stitches together |
| dc2tog | double crochet 2 stitches together |
| tr2tog | treble crochet 2 stitches together |
"Together" stitches are decreases: you start two stitches but finish them as one. The number tells you how many stitches are joined, so dc3tog joins three.
Loops and post stitches
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| lp | loop |
| BL or BLO | back loop or back loop only |
| FL or FLO | front loop or front loop only |
| tbl | through back loop |
| FP | front post |
| BP | back post |
| FPsc, FPhdc, FPdc, FPtr, FPdtr | front post single, half double, double, treble, double treble crochet |
| BPsc, BPhdc, BPdc, BPtr, BPdtr | back post single, half double, double, treble, double treble crochet |
Post stitches are worked around the body of a stitch instead of into its top. Our post stitch lesson shows how.
Textured stitches
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| bo | bobble |
| CL | cluster |
| pc | popcorn stitch |
| ps or puff | puff stitch |
| sh | shell |
How many stitches go into a shell or cluster varies from pattern to pattern, so these are nearly always explained in the pattern's special stitches section.
Pattern and position terms
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| alt | alternate |
| approx | approximately |
| beg | begin or beginning |
| bet | between |
| cont | continue |
| foll | following |
| prev | previous |
| rem | remaining |
| rep | repeat |
| rnd | round |
| sk | skip |
| sp | space |
| ch-sp | chain space |
| st | stitch |
| tch or t-ch | turning chain |
| yo | yarn over |
| yoh | yarn over hook |
| RS | right side |
| WS | wrong side |
| pat or patt | pattern |
"ch-" with a number refers to a chain or space made earlier, for example ch-1 space: the gap created by a chain 1 in the previous row.
Colors and markers
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| MC | main color |
| CC | contrasting color |
| m | marker |
| pm | place marker |
| sm or sl m | slip marker |
Stitch markers mark the first stitch of a round, a repeat, or a place where shaping happens. Locking markers or even a safety pin work fine.
US and UK names compared
UK patterns shift the names of most stitches up by one. The stitches are identical; only the names change.
| US term | UK term |
|---|---|
| slip stitch (sl st) | slip stitch (ss or sl st) |
| single crochet (sc) | double crochet (dc) |
| half double crochet (hdc) | half treble crochet (htr) |
| double crochet (dc) | treble crochet (tr) |
| treble crochet (tr) | double treble crochet (dtr) |
| double treble (dtr) | triple treble (trtr) |
| skip | miss |
| yarn over (yo) | yarn over hook (yoh) or yarn round hook (yrh) |
| gauge | tension |
A quick test: if a pattern is full of "sc," it's almost certainly in US terms. Modern UK patterns don't use the term single crochet at all (a few older UK books used it to mean slip stitch). Our US vs UK terms guide explains how to tell which system an unlabeled pattern uses.
Questions crocheters ask
Most US patterns follow the Craft Yarn Council's standard list, but designers can add their own for special stitches. Those are explained at the start of the pattern.
Related Crochet Calculators & Converters
Related Educational Guides & Tutorials
US vs UK Crochet Terms: Conversion Chart and How to Tell Them Apart
A UK double crochet is a US single crochet. Here's the full conversion chart, why the systems differ, how to spot which one a pattern uses, and how to convert without mistakes.
How to Read a Crochet Pattern: The Complete Guide
Every part of a crochet pattern explained, from skill levels and multiple sizes to repeats, stitch counts, shaping language, charts and schematics, plus what to do when something seems wrong.