Your Essential Guide to Crochet Terms and Abbreviations

Dive deep into the world of crochet terms with our comprehensive guide, demystifying abbreviations and providing clear stitch instructions to elevate your crafting journey.

Embarking on the colorful crochet journey often feels like unlocking a whole new world woven with creativity, patterns, and, yes, a touch of yarn lingo.

Whether you’ve found yourself paused mid-pattern, bewildered by an unfamiliar abbreviation, or simply curious about the shorthand scribbles on your latest project card, you’re not alone.

In the tapestry of crochet, it’s essential to become fluent in its unique language.

Welcome to your definitive guide to crochet terms and abbreviations—your Rosetta Stone for every twist, turn, and stitch in the crochet universe. Let’s unravel the mysteries together!

Crochet Pattern Glossary

Crochet patterns often use shorthand language, with abbreviations and symbols that can confuse beginners. This glossary includes common terms you will encounter in crochet patterns.

Common Crochet Terms and Abbreviations

Term	Abbreviation	Description
Chain	ch	A basic crochet stitch that often forms the foundation of the work.
Slip Stitch	sl st	A stitch used to join work, move yarn across groups of stitches, or finish off.
Single Crochet	sc	A basic crochet stitch.
Half Double Crochet	hdc	A stitch that is between a single crochet and a double crochet in height.
Double Crochet	dc	A basic crochet stitch that is taller than a single crochet.
Treble Crochet	tr	A taller stitch than the double crochet.
Double Treble Crochet	dtr	A stitch that is two times taller than a treble crochet.
Triple Treble Crochet	trtr	A stitch that is three times taller than a treble crochet.
Skip	sk	To pass over a stitch or stitches without working into them.
Space	sp	The hole or gap created by chain stitches in the previous row.
Yarn Over	yo	Wrapping the yarn over the crochet hook.
Together	tog	To combine stitches and work them as one.
Repeat	rep	To do something again a specified number of times or until the end.
Round	rnd	A set of stitches worked around in a circle.
Row	row	A set of stitches worked across back and forth.
Stitch	st	A loop of yarn created by the crochet hook.
Increase	inc	To make one or more new stitches in the work.
Decrease	dec	To eliminate one or more stitches from the work.
Magic Ring	MR	A technique used to start crocheting in the round with no hole in the center.
Back Loop Only	blo	Crocheting into the back loop only of a stitch.
Front Loop Only	flo	Crocheting into the front loop only of a stitch.
Fasten Off	FO	To secure the yarn at the end of the project.
Right Side	RS	The front or “public” side of the work.
Wrong Side	WS	The back or “non-public” side of the work.
Stitch Marker	SM	A tool used to mark specific stitches or rows.

Crochet Stitch Instructions

Please note: The below instructions are for right-handed crocheters. If you’re left-handed, the motions remain the same but are mirrored. The descriptions provided offer a general idea; individual patterns might have slight variations, so always refer to the pattern’s specific instructions when available.

Chain (ch):

• Make a slipknot on your hook.
• Yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook.

Slip Stitch (sl st):

• Insert hook into the desired stitch.
• Yarn over and pull up a loop.
• Pull this loop through the loop already on your hook.

Single Crochet (sc):

• Insert hook into the desired stitch.
• Yarn over and pull up a loop.
• Yarn over again and pull through both loops on the hook.

Half Double Crochet (hdc):

• Yarn over and insert the hook into the desired stitch.
• Yarn over and pull up a loop (you should have three loops on your hook).
• Yarn over again and pull through all three loops on the hook.

Double Crochet (dc):

• Yarn over and insert the hook into the desired stitch.
• Yarn over and pull up a loop (three loops on hook).
• Yarn over and pull through the first two loops (two loops remain on the hook).
• Yarn over again and pull through the remaining two loops.

Treble Crochet (tr):

• Yarn over twice and insert the hook into the desired stitch.
• Yarn over and pull up a loop (four loops on hook).
• Yarn over and pull through the first two loops (three loops remain).
• Yarn over again and pull through the next two loops (two loops remain).
• Yarn over one last time and pull through the remaining two loops.

Double Treble Crochet (dtr):

• Yarn over three times and insert the hook into the desired stitch.
• Yarn over and pull up a loop (five loops on hook).
• Yarn over and pull through the first two loops.
• Continue to yarn over and pull through two loops until one loop remains on the hook.

Triple Treble Crochet (trtr):

• Yarn over four times and insert the hook into the desired stitch.
• Yarn over and pull up a loop (six loops on hook).
• Yarn over and pull through the first two loops.
• Continue to yarn over and pull through two loops until one loop remains on the hook.

Increase (inc):

• Work two or more stitches into the same stitch or space.

Decrease (dec):

• This can vary based on the stitch, but generally, it involves working two or more stitches together. For example, for a single crochet decrease (sc2tog):
  • Insert hook into the next stitch.
  • Yarn over and pull up a loop (two loops on hook).
  • Insert hook into the following stitch.
  • Yarn over and pull up a loop (three loops on hook).
  • Yarn over and pull through all three loops.

Magic Ring (MR):

• Make a loop with your yarn, ensuring the tail end of the yarn is positioned behind your working yarn.
• Insert your hook into the loop from front to back.
• Yarn over and pull up a loop.
• Chain as many as your pattern requires (e.g., ch 1 for sc, ch 2 for hdc, etc.).
• Work your stitches into the ring as instructed.
• Pull the yarn tail to close the ring tightly.

Back Loop Only (blo):

• Normally, you’d insert the hook under both the front and back loop of the stitch. For BLO, insert the hook only into the back loop of the stitch and complete your stitch as usual.

Front Loop Only (flo):

• Insert your hook only into the front loop of the stitch and complete your stitch as usual.

Together (tog):

• This term is used in conjunction with stitch names to signify that multiple stitches should be worked together as one (similar to the decrease). For example, “double crochet two together” (dc2tog) means to decrease over two stitches using the double crochet stitch.

This glossary should cover most of the terms and abbreviations that you will encounter as a beginner.

Intermediate Crochet Terms & Definitions

Here are some crochet stitch terms, abbreviations and definitions for more advanced crocheters.

Bobble (bo)

• Abbreviation: bo
• Instructions:
  • Yarn over, insert hook into the stitch.
  • Yarn over again, and pull up a loop.
  • Yarn over and pull through two loops (two loops left on hook).
  • Repeat the above steps for the desired number of times (usually 4 or 5) in the same stitch.
  • Yarn over and pull through all loops on the hook.
  • Secure the bobble with a chain stitch.

Cluster (Cl)

• Abbreviation: Cl
• Instructions:
  • Yarn over, insert hook into the stitch.
  • Yarn over and pull up a loop.
  • Yarn over and pull through two loops.
  • Repeat the above steps into the same stitch for the number of times specified in the pattern.
  • Yarn over and pull through all loops on the hook.

Front Post (FP)

• Abbreviation: FP or FPtr for Front Post treble crochet, FPdc for Front Post double crochet, etc. depending on the stitch.
• Instructions (for FP double crochet – FPdc):
  • Yarn over.
  • Instead of inserting the hook into the top of the stitch, insert it from front to back to front around the post of the stitch in the row below.
  • Yarn over and pull up a loop, then complete the double crochet as usual.

Back Post (BP)

• Abbreviation: BP or BPtr for Back Post treble crochet, BPdc for Back Post double crochet, etc. depending on the stitch.
• Instructions (for BP double crochet – BPdc):
  • Yarn over.
  • Instead of inserting the hook into the top of the stitch, insert it from back to front to back around the post of the stitch in the row below.
  • Yarn over and pull up a loop, then complete the double crochet as usual.

Popcorn (pc)

• Abbreviation: pc
• Instructions:
  • Make a number of double crochets (usually 4 or 5) into the same stitch or space.
  • Drop the loop from the hook.
  • Insert your hook from front to back under the top 2 loops of the first double crochet of the group.
  • Grab the dropped loop with your hook and pull it through the stitch.

Puff Stitch (ps)

• Abbreviation: ps
• Instructions:
  • Yarn over and insert hook into the stitch or space.
  • Yarn over and pull up a loop to the height of the stitch you are making (usually the height of a double crochet).
  • Repeat this process for the number of times specified in the pattern (commonly 3-4 times) in the same stitch.
  • Yarn over and pull through all loops on the hook.
  • Close the puff stitch with a chain stitch.

Remember, the exact technique or number of yarn overs and repeats might slightly vary based on pattern instructions, so always refer to the pattern you are working on.

Keep this guide handy when working on a crochet project; over time, you will start to memorize the terms and won’t need to refer to the glossary as often.

Happy crocheting!