US and UK crochet terms

Crochet patterns come in two main dialects. The stitches are the same, but the names are shifted by one. A single crochet in one system is a double crochet in the other. If you do not check which a pattern uses, you can end up making the wrong stitch for the whole project.

The naming shift

The US system names stitches by the number of yarn overs and the height. The UK system uses an older naming scheme, which sits one step apart. The only stitches that agree are chain and slip stitch.

| Stitch | US name | UK name | |---|---|---| | Chain | ch | ch | | Slip stitch | sl st | ss (sometimes sl st) | | Shortest stitch | single crochet (sc) | double crochet (dc) | | Middle-short | half double crochet (hdc) | half treble (htr) | | Medium | double crochet (dc) | treble (tr) | | Tall | treble crochet (tr) | double treble (dtr) | | Taller | double treble (dtr) | triple treble (trtr) |

Read the table across: a US sc is a UK dc, a US dc is a UK tr, and so on. The same row gives the same stitch.

How to tell which a pattern uses

Check these things before you start.

1. The abbreviations list. This is the best clue. If it lists sc, hdc and dc, it is likely US. If it lists dc, htr and tr with no sc, it is likely UK.
2. A note near the start. Many designers write “US terms” or “UK terms”.
3. The stitch pictured or described. If the pattern gives a sample or a swatch size, you can compare it with your own work.
4. The designer. US designers use US terms. UK designers often use UK terms, but many now write in US terms for a wider audience. Do not rely on this alone.
5. Missing stitches. A pattern with “dc” and no “sc” is probably UK.

If you still cannot tell, work a small piece and compare it with the photo.

Gordon’s tip: Write the system on the front page of your pattern in pen. Gordon has chewed more than one pattern, and a clear note survives anything.

Reading crochet shorthand

Crochet patterns are short and tightly written. A line may look like this:

“Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc in first 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * to end.”

Take it piece by piece.

• Ch 1, turn. Make one chain and turn your work.
• Sc in first 3 sts. Work one single crochet in each of the first three stitches.
• 2 sc in next st. Work two single crochets into the same stitch. This is an increase.
• Asterisk to the semicolon. The part between the asterisk and the instruction to repeat is a group. Repeat it as many times as told.

Other things you will see:

• Brackets or parentheses. “(sc, ch 2, sc) in next st” means all three actions go in the same stitch.
• A number after a bracket. “[sc, dc] 3 times” repeats the group three times.
• Stitch counts in brackets at the end of a row. “(24 sts)” tells you how many stitches you should have. Use it to check yourself.
• sk. Skip a stitch or space.
• sc2tog. Single crochet two stitches together, a decrease.

Practice

Find a short pattern or stitch sample. Before you work it, write out the abbreviations in your own words and note whether it is US or UK. Work a few rows. If the fabric looks taller or shorter than expected, you may have used the wrong system, and the table above will tell you what to change.