Crochet abbreviations for beginners: the 25 you will meet first
The crochet abbreviations that turn up in almost every pattern, what each one asks your hook to do, and the symbols that sit around them.
· 3 min read
A crochet pattern looks like code the first time you open one: “ch 3, dc in next 2 sts, (dc, ch 1, dc) in ch-sp”. It reads much faster once you know about twenty-five abbreviations, and most patterns use the same ones.
All the stitch names below are US terms. If your pattern is in UK terms, the names shift by one step; our US vs UK guide explains how.
Basic stitches
| Abbreviation | Means |
|---|---|
| ch | chain |
| sl st | slip stitch |
| sc | single crochet |
| hdc | half double crochet |
| dc | double crochet |
| tr | treble crochet |
These six do most of the work. Each one is taller than the one before it: a single crochet is short and dense, a treble is tall and open.
Where to put the hook
| Abbreviation | Means |
|---|---|
| st(s) | stitch(es) |
| sp | space |
| ch-sp | chain space: the gap under a chain from the row before |
| blo | back loop only |
| flo | front loop only |
| sk | skip the next stitch |
| mr | magic ring, for starting in the round |
“Ch-sp” catches people out. When a pattern says “3 dc in next ch-sp”, you push the hook into the space under the chain, not into the chain stitches themselves.
Making it bigger or smaller
| Abbreviation | Means |
|---|---|
| inc | increase: usually 2 stitches in the same stitch |
| dec | decrease |
| sc2tog | single crochet 2 together, a decrease |
| dc2tog | double crochet 2 together, a decrease |
Many amigurumi patterns write “inc” and “dec” and define them once in the notes, so read the notes before you start.
Moving around the pattern
| Abbreviation | Means |
|---|---|
| rnd | round |
| rep | repeat |
| beg | beginning |
| rem | remaining |
| tog | together |
| RS / WS | right side / wrong side |
| tch | turning chain |
| fo | fasten off |
The symbols around the abbreviations
Abbreviations rarely appear alone. Three kinds of punctuation tell you how to group them:
- Asterisks. “*dc in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st; rep from * to end” means work the part after the asterisk again and again until you reach the end of the row.
- Parentheses or brackets. “(dc, ch 2, dc) in next st” means everything inside goes into one stitch. “(sc, ch 1) 3 times” means repeat the group three times.
- Numbers in parentheses at the end. “(36 sts)” is the stitch count you should have when the row is done. Count before you turn.
Size patterns also use parentheses for different sizes, like “ch 40 (44, 48)”. That is a different job, covered in how to read size brackets.
Where to look up the rest
Designers sometimes invent abbreviations for special stitches, such as “puff” or “cl” for a cluster. They always define them in the pattern’s stitch guide, usually on the first page. If yours does not, the Craft Yarn Council keeps a standard list.
For quick checks while you work, our abbreviation lookup lists more than sixty crochet and knitting abbreviations with their US and UK names. In the Yarnstep app, you can tap an abbreviation inside your own pattern to see its definition and a stitch diagram on the row you are working.
