Crochet Abbreviations: Ultimate Guide to Abbreviations and Terms | thecrochetfox.com

Crochet Abbreviations: Ultimate Guide to Abbreviations and Terms

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Familiarizing crochet abbreviations and terms is another crucial skill that will prove useful in this craft.

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At first glance, it can be a little intimidating. But no matter how many crochet abbreviations and terms there are, you have nothing to worry about. As long as you have a handy guide at your disposal, you will be able to start working, one project at a time.

Just like knitting, crochet also has a whole set of abbreviations and terms. You will find some of them quite easy to remember. While some others will take a few tries before you get used to them.

That is why I made this compilation of crochet abbreviations and terms. It’s divided into categories according to their use for your convenience. You will also see that some crochet techniques and stitch pattern tutorials contain links to useful tutorials.

In addition, crochet pattern books will specify crochet abbreviations at the beginning of a pattern.

Finally, the definitions I included in this compilation are US crochet terminology. It is essential to note that some US terminologies may differ from UK and Canada terminologies. You will also find a few of them listed in this article.

Standard Crochet Abbreviations

Typically, design patterns and books follow a standard set of crochet abbreviations. Plus, they often indicate whether they use it’s US/Canada or UK definitions.

Moreover, you can refer to the Special Abbreviations section, usually at the beginning or end of the pattern, if you come across unusual combination of stitches.

For a more complete list of common crochet terms and abbreviations that you can refer to, check out this chart.

Abbrev.

Term

Abbrev.

Term

ALT

alternate

HDC

APPROX

approximately

HDC2TOG

half double crochet 2 stitches together

BEG

begin/beginning

INC

increase

BET

between

LP

loop

BL/BLO

back loop/back loop only

M

marker

BO

bobble

MC

main color

BP

back post

PAT

pattern

BPDC

back post double crochet

PC

popcorn stitch

BPDTR

back post double treble crochet

PM

place marker

BPHDC

back post half double crochet

PREV

previous

BPSC

back post single crochet

PS/PUFF

puff stitch

BPTR

back post treble crochet

REM

remaining

CC

contrast color

RND(S)

round(s)

CH

REP

repeat

CH-SP

chain space

RS

right side

CL

cluster

SC

CONT

continue

SH

shell

DC

SC2TOG

single crochet 2 stitches together

DC2TOG

double crochet 2 stitches together

SC DEC

single crochet decrease

DEC

decrease

SK

skip

DTR

double treble

SL ST

slip stitch

EDC

extended double crochet

SM/SL M

slip marker

EHDC

extended half double crochet

SP

space

ESC

extended single crochet

ST

stitch

ETC

extended treble crochet

TBL

through back loop

FL/FLO

front loop/front loop only

TCH/TC-H

turning chain

FOLL

following

TOG

together

FP

front post

TR

FPDC

front post double crochet

TRTR

triple treble crochet

FPDTR

front post double treble crochet

TR2TOG

treble crochet 2 stitches together

FPHDC

front post half double crochet

WS

wrong side

FPSC

front post single crochet

YO

yarn over

FPTR

front post treble crochet

YOH

yarn over hook

FSC

foundation single crochet

Common Measurements and Terms

In addition to the standard abbreviations listed above, there are also what the crochet community considers as instructional and measurement symbols and abbreviations.

As the name suggests, these are symbols and abbreviation that each represent a certain crochet instruction or technique.

You will also encounter them quite often in patterns. Some, specifically the measurements, you might already be familiar with. But some might not be too familiar, so when you do see them, it’s crucial to know what to do.

The next chart will show you the most common of these symbols and abbreviations, and their corresponding instruction or measurement.

Symbol/Abbrev.

Term/Meaning

*

repeat instructions following the asterisk as directed

**

Repeat instructions between two asterisks as many times as indicated / repeat at specified locations

( )

work instructions within parentheses as many times as indicated / work group of stitches all in the same stitch or space

[ ]

work instructions within brackets as many times as indicated

{ }

work instructions within brackets as many times as indicated

in / “

inch

cm

centimeter

g

gram

m

meter

mm

millimeter

oz

ounce

yd

yard

FO

finished object

incl

include / including / inclusive

rev

reverse - usually used with other abbreviations, i.e. rev sc (reverse single crochet)

UFO

unfinished object or set aside - used in written conversation more so than in patterns

WIP

work in progress - indicates that a work is in progress

What is Tunisian Crochet?

Tunisian crochet is a type of crochet that works multiple loops on the hook at the same time.

To do this, it requires an elongated hook known as the Afghan hook, typically 11 inches to 14 inches long. That’s approximately 28 cm to 35 cm in the metric system. Whereas traditional crochet makes use of crochet hooks that are 6 inches (about 15 cm) long.

Here is where it becomes interesting. The Tunisian crochet combines some of the crochet techniques with knitting techniques. Both of which effectively complement each other, that is why it has its own set of stitches and techniques.

In fact, this type of crochet creates a fabric that’s less stretchable than what you would normally get with traditional crochet. In addition, it results in gorgeous textures, as well as a neater, more natural border on the fabric.

Tunisian crochet is also known by different names, like Railroad Knitting, Cro-hooking, and Shepherd’s Knitting. But it is more commonly referred to as Afghan Crochet.

Tunisian Abbreviations

As a subset of the traditional crochet, Tunisian crochet has its own set of stitches and abbreviations. For those who want to master the techniques, this is where it all starts.

Abbrev.

Term

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 stitch

TSLST

Tunisian slip stitch

TTR

Tunisian treble crochet

TTW

Tunisian twisted

WIP

work in progress - indicates that a work is in progress

Final Tips

As I mentioned previously, the charts in this article use the US crochet definitions.

However, note that pattern designers and publishers in the US, Canada, and the UK may use different abbreviations to mean the same instruction.

On the other hand, some use the same abbreviation to mean different instructions. Hence, the inconsistencies that you might find in some of the patterns, especially in the newer ones.

The chart below will show you an example of these differences.

US/Canada and UK Terms and Abbreviations

US / Canada

UK

SL ST

slip stitch

SS

slip stitch

SC

DC

double crochet

HDC

HTR

half treble

DC

TR

treble

TR

DTR

double treble

DTR

double treble

TRTR

triple treble

US

UK / Canada

YO

yarn over

YOH

yarn over hook

gauge

tension

If you need a full guide on this, you can look it up here: Crochet Terms: The Differences Between US and UK Crochet Terms Explained.

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