Craftuary Academy · beginner guide
Crochet patterns shorten every stitch name: ch is chain, sc is single crochet, inc means two stitches in one, and dec means two stitches worked together. UK patterns use the same stitches under names shifted by one, so a UK "double crochet" is a US single crochet.
| US | Meaning | UK name |
|---|---|---|
| ch | chain · 3D lesson | ch |
| sl st | slip stitch · 3D lesson | ss |
| sc | single crochet · 3D lesson | dc (double crochet) |
| hdc | half double crochet | htr (half treble) |
| dc | double crochet | tr (treble) |
| tr | treble crochet | dtr (double treble) |
| inc | increase: 2 sc in the same stitch · 3D lesson | inc |
| dec / invdec | decrease: 2 stitches worked together into 1 (invdec: through the front loops only) · 3D lesson | dec |
| MR | magic ring (adjustable ring) · 3D lesson | MR |
| rnd / R | round · 3D lesson | rnd |
| st(s) | stitch(es) | st(s) |
| BLO / FLO | back loop only / front loop only | BLO / FLO |
| yo | yarn over | yrh (yarn round hook) |
| sk | skip | miss |
| rep | repeat | rep |
| ( ) or [ ] | work what is inside as a group, as many times as the number after it says · 3D lesson | ( ) or [ ] |
| FO | fasten off · 3D lesson | FO |
| gauge | how many stitches and rows fit in 4 in / 10 cm | tension |
Look for "sc". It only exists in US terms, so a pattern that uses sc is American. A UK pattern starts amigurumi with "dc" where a US one says "sc". If a toy comes out loose and tall, you may be reading UK terms as US. The free converter rewrites a pasted UK pattern in US terms.
Rd. 3: (fM, Zun) x6 (18) means work one single crochet and one increase, six times over, and you should finish with 18 stitches. The Reading a round lesson walks through it.
sc is single crochet in US terms. In UK patterns the same stitch is called double crochet (dc).
The stitches are the same but the names are shifted by one: US single crochet is UK double crochet, US double crochet is UK treble, and US half double is UK half treble.
inc means increase: work 2 stitches into the same stitch, so the round grows by one stitch.