Crochet Terms and Abbreviations

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Today I created for you a list of crochet terms and crochet abbreviations, which will hopefully make your life easier, so be sure to check it out! If you use crochet patterns, you know that they are full of strange letters, so it’s good to know what they all mean. Whether you are going to use them in your own crochet patterns, or in a conversation, no acronym will surprise you. I will try to add to this list whenever I find something new, but what you find here should be great for starters.



This list is not organized alphabetically, so if you want to find specific term quickly, please use CTRL+F or CMD+F for searching.

Basic Stitches Abbreviations

To learn more about basic crochet stitches, you can click on the links below, or check out THIS ARTICLE! Remember, that terms differ between US and UK, so each pattern will tell you which terms you are looking at.

ch(s)chain(s); ch-# refers to already existing chain, for example ch-1 space.

sl st slip stitch

scsingle crochet

hdc or half dc – half double crochet

dc – double crochet

tr treble crochet / triple crochet

dtr = double treble crochet

tr tr triple treble crochet

Basic Techniques Abbreviations

Below you will find a list of the most popular crochet techniques and their abbreviations, so keep them in mind.

inc – increase

dec or togdecrease or “together”, for example: hdc dec (half double crochet decrease), or hdc2tog (it means the same, but you can read it as “two half double crochets together”)

BL or BLO – “back loop” or “back loop only”; it may look like this: BLdc (back loop double crochet) or BLO dc (same here!)

FL or FLO – “front loop” or “front loop only”; it may look like this: FLdc (front loop double crochet) or FLO dc (same here!)

BP –back post“; adding BP before the name of the stitch will result in specific information, for example: BPdc – back post double crochet, BPdtr – back post double treble crochet, and so on.

FP – front post“; adding FP before the name of the stitch will result in specific information, for example: FPdc – front post double crochet, FPdtr – front post double treble crochet, and so on.

e- – extended stitch, for example: edc – extended double crochet, etr – extended treble.

pcpopcorn

bobobble

ps or puffpuff stitch

cl – cluster

TALKING ABOUT STITCHES…

Our growing website and library of free crochet patterns has some projects that might interest you, so if you want to know more about one of the coolest stitches, check out this article about How to Crochet Alpine Stitch!

→ Yes! Take me to this tutorial! ←How to Crochet Alpine Stitch

Abbreviations in Crochet Patterns

These are the most common general terms you will find in crochet patterns, so be sure you learn them by heart! Don’t worry though, because you will definitely remember them the more you use them.

st(s) – stitch(es)

rnd(s)round(s)

sp(s) – space(s)

alt – alternate

approx– approximately

ch-sp – chain space

beg – beginning

prev – previous

bet– between

cont – continue

foll – following

incl – include / including

rev – reverse

sk – skip

RS – right side; some projects have distinct right side, on which a pattern or structure appears.

WS – wrong side; as opposed to right side – check out the description above.

PM – place marker

YO – yarn over

Length and Weight

You can find these crochet abbreviations on yarn labels, or in pattern notes, regarding yarn types and how much you need for a project.

” or in – inches

yd – yards

mm – millimetres

m – meters

oz – ounce/ounces

g – grams

Repeat Symbols

rep – repeat.

Instructions within asterisks or parentheses should be repeated as many times, as it is indicated in the pattern. You can also use parentheses to indicate a group of stitches that should be worked in the same stitch or space, so be prepared for that, too. Examples:

* *

( ) 

[ ]  

{ }

You can sometimes find parentheses within parentheses – it means, that there is a module you need to multiply, within another, bigger module.

Informal Abbreviations used in Conversations

These terms appear most often in conversations, or as hashtags on social media.

FO – finished object.

UFO – unfinished object, but most likely put away and not worked on.

WIP – work in progress, that you are actually working on.

HOTH – hot off the hook, “freshly made”, your most recent work.

Working with Colors

CC – contrasting color

MC – main color

C# – for example: C1, C2, C5; indicates specific color used in particular pattern, but usually when the pattern requires lots of colors.

Tunisian Crochet Terms and Abbreviations

Tunisian crochet is one of the coolest techniques, because it combines the look of a knit and the process of crochet. It’s a fantastic way to achieve totally new effect without going out of your comfort zone too much, so be sure to try it! It’s quite easy to learn, but remember that you need special crochet hook for it.

etss – extended Tunisian simple stitch

FwP – forward pass

RetP – return pass

tdc – Tunisian double crochet

tfs – Tunisian full stitch

thdc – Tunisian half double crochet

tks – Tunisian knit stitch

tps – Tunisian purl stitch

trs – Tunisian reverse stitch

tsc – Tunisian single crochet

tss – Tunisian simple stitcht

slst – Tunisian slip stitch

ttr – Tunisian treble crochet

ttw – Tunisian twisted

You may also like: What is Temperature Blanket? Ideas and Resources

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Hi! My name is Kate, and I'm a crafter and textile designer. I come from a family of makers who never stop creating. Crochet, knitting, sewing... Handmade is definitely my thing! Make yourself at home and let's create something together!

13 COMMENTS

  1. How do you print off one of your free patterns? Also I have never heard the expression a cake of yarn, what is the definition of that or how much yarn is that?

    • Hi Gwen! Unfortunately I don’t have printable versions of my free patterns yet, but I’m working on it! Please subscribe to my newsletter if you haven’t already, so that I can notice you when it’s available. As to yarn cakes, please read my article on Yarn Ball Types, in which I explained differences between them 🙂

  2. I am relatively new at crocheting. I have started a Lacy shell-edged shawl featured in Crochet for Beginners. I have reached the rows beginning the border which is a leaf pattern. At the end of the row 1 it says 4tr in 3rd of 3ch, turn. I have 6 treble stitches left before I reach the middle which is the neck of shawl and where I will turn and go down the other side to bottom. This has to be correct because there are `13 rows of the leaf pattern and 3 more rows of a shell edge. I don’t understand what the pattern is asking. Can you help with this?

    • Hi Anne, I’m not sure what pattern you’re referring to, and it seems like the pattern isn’t mine. Please contact the author or provide more informations so I can be sure what project you’re working on.

  3. Iam making a mickey mouse amigurumi the pattern is in english but a few rows say to 1sh repeat 4 veces what is vecesIs this another language abbreviationis what does it mean hopefully u or someone can help me ty

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