Crochet Stitch Abbreviations

Hey, it’s Sara

Patterns look like secret code until the abbreviations click. I’m Sara — this is the cheat sheet I still glance at when a designer gets creative.

These are US terms (used on this site). UK terms differ: UK dc = US sc, UK tr = US dc.

Core abbreviations

• ch — chain
• sl st — slip stitch
• sc — single crochet
• hdc — half double crochet
• dc — double crochet
• tr — treble (triple) crochet
• st(s) — stitch(es)
• sp — space
• rep — repeat
• rnd — round
• RS / WS — right side / wrong side
• FLO / BLO — front loop only / back loop only
• inc — increase (usually 2 sts in one st)
• dec / sc2tog — decrease (two stitches together)

Common combinations

• sc2tog — single crochet two together (one decrease)
• (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) — classic granny corner in one space
• *sc, 2 sc in next*; rep around — increase round for circles
• ch-sp — the space under a chain (not a stitch top)

How to read them in a pattern

1. Skim the whole abbreviation list the designer provides — some use personal shortcuts.
2. Parentheses ( ) = work all of that into the same place.
3. Asterisks * * = repeat the section between them.
4. Brackets often group a sequence that’s done a number of times.

How I read a pattern line without getting lost

I read one instruction at a time and translate punctuation into actions. Parentheses usually group stitches worked together or show the stitch count at the end. An asterisk marks a repeat. “Around” means keep repeating through the round; “across” means work to the end of a row.

For example, *sc, inc; repeat from * around (18) means single crochet once, work an increase in the next stitch, then repeat that two-stitch sequence until the round ends. The final 18 is your check. If you have 17 or 19, fix the count before moving on.

For a complete worked example, use the notation alongside my pattern-reading guide.

Three pattern lines, translated

Abbreviations that change where the hook goes

BLO and FLO change which loop of the stitch you work under. ch-sp sends the hook into the open space made by chains instead of into the V-shaped top of a stitch. sk means skip, so do not accidentally work into the skipped stitch on the same pass.

2 sc in next st and sc2tog sound similar when you are reading quickly, but they do opposite things: the first increases the stitch count by one; the second combines two stitches into one and decreases the count by one.

US vs UK terms: the trap worth checking first

US and UK crochet use some of the same words for different stitches. In particular, US sc = UK dc, US dc = UK tr, and US tr = UK dtr. If a pattern seems dramatically taller or shorter than its photo, check the terminology before changing your tension.

When a designer supplies an abbreviation key, use that key over any generic chart. For practice reading a whole set of instructions, continue with my how to read crochet patterns guide.