Crochet abbreviations
Every short form the patterns here use, and the standard set they are drawn from, with the meaning spelled out.
44 entries · 28 of them are used by a pattern on this site
| Short form | What it means | UK equivalent | Used by |
|---|---|---|---|
| beg | beginning | – | – |
| BL | back loop | – | 2 · Cat Claws Granny Square, Wild Pansy Flower Granny Square |
| BLO | back loops only | – | 2 · Wild Pansy Flower Granny Square, Enchanting Lizzie the Unicorn Amigurumi Crochet Pattern |
| bo | bobble stitch | – | 2 · Cherry Blossom Granny Square, Unique Window Flower Granny Square |
| bobble | bobble stitch | – | 1 · Sunburst Granny Square |
| bpdc | back post double crochet | bptr | – |
| ch | chain - the foundation for most crochet projects. | – | 17 · Easy crochet bolero pattern for girls, Crochet Scented Sachet Bag Pattern - Perfect for Gifting, Sunburst Granny Square, Happily Ever Afghan Block, Cat Claws Granny Square, Duck Granny Square, Two-Color Spiral Granny Square, Wild Pansy Flower Granny Square, Puff Stitch Sunflower Granny Square, Two-Color Basic Granny Square, Diagonal Two-Color Solid Granny Square, Cherry Blossom Granny Square, Unique Window Flower Granny Square, Adorable Lemon Mini Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Free Cow Amigurumi Pattern, Enchanting Lizzie the Unicorn Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Free Bunny Basket Crochet Pattern |
| ch-sp | chain space | – | 8 · Cat Claws Granny Square, Duck Granny Square, Two-Color Spiral Granny Square, Wild Pansy Flower Granny Square, Puff Stitch Sunflower Granny Square, Two-Color Basic Granny Square, Cherry Blossom Granny Square, Unique Window Flower Granny Square |
| cl | cluster | – | – |
| dc | double crochet - adds height and is useful for creating texture. | tr | 15 · Easy crochet bolero pattern for girls, Crochet Scented Sachet Bag Pattern - Perfect for Gifting, Sunburst Granny Square, Happily Ever Afghan Block, Cat Claws Granny Square, Duck Granny Square, Two-Color Spiral Granny Square, Wild Pansy Flower Granny Square, Puff Stitch Sunflower Granny Square, Two-Color Basic Granny Square, Diagonal Two-Color Solid Granny Square, Cherry Blossom Granny Square, Unique Window Flower Granny Square, Adorable Lemon Mini Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Free Bunny Basket Crochet Pattern |
| dc2tog | double crochet two stitches together | tr2tog | – |
| dec | decrease | – | 4 · Adorable Lemon Mini Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Free Cow Amigurumi Pattern, Enchanting Lizzie the Unicorn Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Crochet Tanja the Goldfish Amigurumi Pattern |
| dtr | double treble crochet | trtr | – |
| FL | front loop | – | 1 · Wild Pansy Flower Granny Square |
| FLO | front loop only | – | 2 · Cat Claws Granny Square, Wild Pansy Flower Granny Square |
| fo | fasten off | – | – |
| fpdc | front post double crochet | fptr | – |
| hdc | half double crochet | htr | 10 · Sunburst Granny Square, Cat Claws Granny Square, Duck Granny Square, Two-Color Spiral Granny Square, Puff Stitch Sunflower Granny Square, Diagonal Two-Color Solid Granny Square, Cherry Blossom Granny Square, Adorable Lemon Mini Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Enchanting Lizzie the Unicorn Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Free Bunny Basket Crochet Pattern |
| hdc2tog | half double crochet 2 stitches together | htr2tog | 1 · Cat Claws Granny Square |
| inc | increase | – | 10 · Cat Claws Granny Square, Duck Granny Square, Two-Color Spiral Granny Square, Wild Pansy Flower Granny Square, Unique Window Flower Granny Square, Adorable Lemon Mini Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Free Cow Amigurumi Pattern, Enchanting Lizzie the Unicorn Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Crochet Tanja the Goldfish Amigurumi Pattern, Free Bunny Basket Crochet Pattern |
| MR | magic ring | – | 1 · Free Bunny Basket Crochet Pattern |
| pc | popcorn | – | – |
| pm | place marker | – | – |
| puff | puff stitch | – | 1 · Sunburst Granny Square |
| rem | remaining | – | – |
| rep | Repeat | – | 4 · Easy crochet bolero pattern for girls, Cat Claws Granny Square, Duck Granny Square, Two-Color Spiral Granny Square |
| rnd | round | – | 2 · Enchanting Lizzie the Unicorn Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Free Bunny Basket Crochet Pattern |
| rs | right side | – | – |
| s | st - stitch(es) | – | 1 · Free Bunny Basket Crochet Pattern |
| sc | single crochet - a basic stitch that creates a tight fabric. | dc | 15 · Easy crochet bolero pattern for girls, Crochet Scented Sachet Bag Pattern - Perfect for Gifting, Happily Ever Afghan Block, Cat Claws Granny Square, Duck Granny Square, Two-Color Spiral Granny Square, Wild Pansy Flower Granny Square, Puff Stitch Sunflower Granny Square, Cherry Blossom Granny Square, Unique Window Flower Granny Square, Adorable Lemon Mini Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Free Cow Amigurumi Pattern, Enchanting Lizzie the Unicorn Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Crochet Tanja the Goldfish Amigurumi Pattern, Free Bunny Basket Crochet Pattern |
| sc2tog | single crochet 2 stitches together | dc2tog | 2 · Cat Claws Granny Square, Duck Granny Square |
| sc4tog | single crochet 4 stitches together | – | 1 · Cat Claws Granny Square |
| scBLO | single crochet back loop only | – | 1 · Free Bunny Basket Crochet Pattern |
| shell | shell stitch | – | – |
| sk | skip | miss | 3 · Cat Claws Granny Square, Duck Granny Square, Unique Window Flower Granny Square |
| sl st | slip stitch - used for joining rounds or finishing off. | sl st (ss) | 16 · Easy crochet bolero pattern for girls, Crochet Scented Sachet Bag Pattern - Perfect for Gifting, Happily Ever Afghan Block, Cat Claws Granny Square, Duck Granny Square, Two-Color Spiral Granny Square, Wild Pansy Flower Granny Square, Puff Stitch Sunflower Granny Square, Two-Color Basic Granny Square, Diagonal Two-Color Solid Granny Square, Cherry Blossom Granny Square, Unique Window Flower Granny Square, Free Cow Amigurumi Pattern, Enchanting Lizzie the Unicorn Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Crochet Tanja the Goldfish Amigurumi Pattern, Free Bunny Basket Crochet Pattern |
| sp | space | – | – |
| st | stitch | – | 13 · Sunburst Granny Square, Happily Ever Afghan Block, Cat Claws Granny Square, Duck Granny Square, Wild Pansy Flower Granny Square, Two-Color Basic Granny Square, Diagonal Two-Color Solid Granny Square, Cherry Blossom Granny Square, Unique Window Flower Granny Square, Adorable Lemon Mini Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Free Cow Amigurumi Pattern, Enchanting Lizzie the Unicorn Amigurumi Crochet Pattern, Crochet Tanja the Goldfish Amigurumi Pattern |
| sts | stitches | – | – |
| TLO | third loop only | – | 2 · Cat Claws Granny Square, Duck Granny Square |
| tog | together | – | – |
| tr | treble crochet | dtr | 6 · Cat Claws Granny Square, Duck Granny Square, Wild Pansy Flower Granny Square, Puff Stitch Sunflower Granny Square, Cherry Blossom Granny Square, Unique Window Flower Granny Square |
| wS | wrong side | – | – |
| yo | yarn over | yoh | 3 · Cat Claws Granny Square, Cherry Blossom Granny Square, Free Bunny Basket Crochet Pattern |
The caveat that matters
Two designers can use the same short form for two different stitches, and neither of them is wrong. The meaning printed beside each round on a pattern page is the one that pattern's own author gave, and it applies to that page only. This table is the general case; the key on the pattern is the specific one, and the specific one wins.
The entries with a dash in the last column are here because a pattern you take from somewhere else will use them. They are the standard set, not this site's own vocabulary.