Decoding Crochet Abbreviations for Beginners

There are many resources for crochet patterns, and each source uses slightly different crochet abbreviations. Don’t be discouraged by a pattern that is hard to decipher – many feel confused the first time they look at crochet instructions. You just need to find a way to read the abbreviations.

When you purchase a book of patterns, you will find a glossary of commonly used terms in the book. Sometimes the list of abbreviations is explained beside the pattern, but more often you must have to look in the very beginning or very end of the book to find the abbreviation key. The internet is also a great source for decoding a crochet pattern with abbreviations you are not familiar with. There are many online help tools, as well as forums of crochet hobbyists who are happy to lend a hand.

Most abbreviations are consistent among patterns, but there may be a few occasional inconsistencies. If you are using a vintage pattern, you might find abbreviations that you don’t recognize. Some stitches vary from pattern to pattern. The instructions will inform you of the specific stitch you should use through the crochet abbreviations.

Here is a list of some common crochet abbreviations to get you started:

Inches – (“)

Single Crochet - sc

Back Loop - BL

Bobble - Bo

Double Crochet - dc

Beginning - beg

Back Post - BP

Double Treble - dtr

Chain - ch

Chains - chs

Cluster - cl

Decrease - dec

Front Post - FP

Picot – p

Repeat - rep

Pattern - pat

Finished Object – FO

Increase - inc

Half-Double Crochet - half dc or hdc

Place (a) Marker - PM

Popcorn - pc

Stitch - st

Stitches - sts

Round - rnd

Skip - sk

Include - incl

Rounds – rnds

Space - sp

Unfinished Object - UFO

Together - tog

Treble or Triple Crochet - tr

Spaces - sps

Triple Treble Crochet - tr tr

Slip Stitch - sl st

Yarn Over - YO

If you see an asterisk (*) in crochet abbreviations, it means you should watch the pattern for the number of times to repeat that specific series of instructions. A number inside of paranthesis also denotes that you should repeat a series of instructions that many times. Brackets are used in the same fashion as paranthesis, to repeat instructions a specified number of times. An example of this kind of instruction would look like this:

[ch 4, sk 3 ch, sc] 3 times more

This translates to chain 4, skip 3 chains, single crochet, then repeat an additional 3 times, for a total of 4 complete series. The instructions will be given to you inside of the brackets, and then you will be told how many more times to repeat them.

Reading crochet abbreviations becomes simpler with practice; it is really just a shorthand version of the instructions. Before long, you will be able to read your patterns with ease, and you will be glad you joined the crochet community.

crochet abbreviations Information On Crochet Afghan Patterns

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