Crochet abbreviations vary between countries. Always check where a pattern comes from, so you know what its abbreviations actually mean.
This is the single most useful thing a crocheter can know, and it causes more confusion than any other aspect of the craft.
The problem
US and UK crochet use the same words for different stitches. They are offset by one:
| US term | UK equivalent |
|---|---|
| single crochet (sc) | double crochet (dc) |
| half double crochet (hdc) | half treble (htr) |
| double crochet (dc) | treble (tr) |
| treble (tr) | double treble (dtr) |
So a UK double crochet is a US single crochet. A pattern worked in the wrong convention produces stitches of entirely the wrong height, and a fabric that looks nothing like the photograph.
Worse, the pattern will still “work” – you will get a piece of crochet. It will simply be the wrong size and the wrong texture, and the cause is not obvious unless you know to look.
How to tell which one a pattern uses
Most patterns state it. Look at the top, near the abbreviations list.
Look for sc. Single crochet exists in US terminology and not in UK. If a pattern uses sc anywhere, it is US.
Look for dtr or miss. Double treble and “miss a stitch” are UK usage; US patterns say “skip”.
Check the hook sizing. US patterns give hook sizes as letters (H-8, J-10); UK and European patterns give metric only.
Check the yarn weight names. “Worsted” is US; “aran” and “double knit” are UK.
Converting
If you have a UK pattern and think in US terms, shift every stitch name down one step in the table above – and the other way for the reverse.
Write the conversion on the pattern before you start rather than doing it in your head as you go. Doing it mentally over a long pattern is how mistakes creep in.
Beyond stitch names
Other differences worth knowing: UK patterns may use “tension” where US patterns say “gauge”, and “yarn round hook” (yrh) where US says “yarn over” (yo).
These are less dangerous because they are clearly unfamiliar rather than falsely familiar.
The general rule
Read the abbreviations section of every pattern, even when you are experienced. It takes thirty seconds and it prevents the most common and most frustrating error in crochet.
