Crochet and knitting abbreviation lookup
Type an abbreviation or a stitch name. Each entry gives the US name, the UK name and what you actually do with your hook or needles.
63 abbreviations
| Abbr. | US term | UK term | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| beg | beginning | beginning | The start of the row or round. |
| blo | back loop only | back loop only | Work into the loop farther from you only. It leaves a ridge on the front. |
| bo | bind off | cast off | Finish the live stitches so they do not unravel: work 2, lift the first over the second, repeat. |
| bobble | bobble | bobble | Several unfinished double crochets (US) in one stitch, closed together. It pops out on the side facing away from you. |
| bpdc | back post double crochet | back post treble (bptr) | A double crochet worked around the post of the stitch below from the back, so it sits back. |
| c4b | cable 4 back | cable 4 back | Slip 2 to a cable needle held in back, knit 2, knit the 2 from the cable needle. The cable leans right. |
| c4f | cable 4 front | cable 4 front | Slip 2 to a cable needle held in front, knit 2, knit the 2 from the cable needle. The cable leans left. |
| ch | chain | chain (ch) | Yarn over and pull through the loop on the hook. Chains make the foundation and the turning height. |
| ch-sp | chain space | chain space | The space under one or more chains from the row before. Work into the space, not into the chains themselves. |
| cn | cable needle | cable needle | A short needle that holds stitches in front or behind while you cross them for a cable. |
| co | cast on | cast on | Put the first stitches on the needle. The pattern may name a method, such as long-tail. |
| dc | double crochet | treble (tr) | Yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop (3 loops), then (yarn over, pull through 2) twice. In a UK pattern, dc means the US single crochet. |
| dc2tog | double crochet 2 together | treble 2 together (tr2tog) | A decrease: work a double crochet into each of the next 2 stitches up to the last pull-through, then yarn over and pull through all loops. In a UK pattern, dc2tog is the US sc2tog. |
| dec | decrease | decrease | Remove stitches, usually by working two together. The pattern or its notes say which decrease to use. |
| dpn | double-pointed needles | double-pointed needles | Short needles with points at both ends, used in sets of 4 or 5 to knit small tubes such as socks. |
| dtr | double treble crochet | triple treble (trtr) | Yarn over three times, insert hook, pull up a loop, then (yarn over, pull through 2) four times. |
| flo | front loop only | front loop only | Work into the loop closer to you only. |
| fo | fasten off | fasten off | Cut the yarn and pull it through the last loop to secure it. |
| fpdc | front post double crochet | front post treble (fptr) | A double crochet worked around the post of the stitch below from the front, so it sits forward. Used for ribbing and cables. |
| fsc | foundation single crochet | foundation double crochet (fdc) | Makes the chain and the first row of single crochet at the same time, which gives a stretchier edge. |
| garter st | garter stitch | garter stitch | Knit every row when working flat. Ridged on both sides and lies flat. |
| gauge | gauge | tension | How many stitches and rows fit in a measured square, usually 4 in (10 cm). Matching it is what makes the size come out right. |
| hdc | half double crochet | half treble (htr) | Yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop (3 loops), yarn over, pull through all 3. |
| inc | increase | increase | Add stitches. In crochet it usually means 2 stitches in the same stitch; in knitting the pattern names the method (kfb, m1 and so on). |
| k | knit | knit | Insert the right needle front to back through the stitch, wrap the yarn, pull the new loop through. |
| k2tog | knit 2 together | knit 2 together | A right-leaning decrease: knit the next 2 stitches together as one. |
| kfb | knit front and back | knit front and back (inc) | An increase: knit into the front of the stitch, then into the back of the same stitch before dropping it. |
| m1 | make 1 | make 1 | An increase: pick up the bar between stitches and knit into it. M1L and M1R say which way it leans. |
| m1l | make 1 left | make 1 left | Lift the bar between stitches from front to back and knit it through the back loop. Leans left. |
| m1r | make 1 right | make 1 right | Lift the bar between stitches from back to front and knit it through the front loop. Leans right. |
| mr | magic ring | magic ring (also magic loop) | An adjustable loop you crochet into and then pull closed, so a piece worked in the round starts with no hole. |
| p | purl | purl | With yarn in front, insert the right needle back to front through the stitch, wrap, pull the new loop through. |
| p2tog | purl 2 together | purl 2 together | A decrease on the purl side: purl the next 2 stitches together as one. |
| pm | place marker | place marker | Put a stitch marker on the needle (or in the stitch, in crochet) to mark a spot. |
| psso | pass slipped stitch over | pass slipped stitch over | Lift the slipped stitch over the stitch (or stitches) just worked and off the needle. |
| pu | pick up | pick up | Draw new loops through the edge of the knitting, for example to add a button band. |
| puff | puff stitch | puff stitch | Several loops pulled up in the same stitch, then closed together into one soft bump. The pattern says how many. |
| rem | remaining | remaining | Stitches left on the needle or still to be worked. |
| rep | repeat | repeat | Work the given instructions again. Read what is inside * * or ( ) and how many times. |
| rnd | round | round | One full circuit when working in the round, as opposed to a row worked back and forth. |
| rs | right side | right side | The side of the work that shows when the piece is worn or used. |
| sc | single crochet | double crochet (dc) | Insert hook, yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both. |
| sc2tog | single crochet 2 together | double crochet 2 together (dc2tog) | A decrease: pull up a loop in each of the next 2 stitches (3 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through all 3. |
| sk | skip | miss | Leave the next stitch unworked and go on to the one after it. |
| sk2p | slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over | sl1, k2tog, psso | A double decrease that removes 2 stitches and leans left. |
| skp | slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over | slip 1, knit 1, psso (skpo) | A left-leaning decrease: slip 1, knit 1, then lift the slipped stitch over the knit one. |
| sl | slip | slip | Move a stitch from one needle to the other without working it. Knitting patterns say whether to slip knitwise or purlwise. |
| sl st | slip stitch | slip stitch (ss) | Insert hook, yarn over, pull through the stitch and the loop on the hook in one go. Used to join and to move along without height. |
| sm | slip marker | slip marker | Move the marker from the left needle to the right when you reach it. |
| sp | space | space | The gap under a chain or between stitches, as in ch-sp (chain space). |
| ssk | slip, slip, knit | slip, slip, knit | A left-leaning decrease: slip 2 stitches knitwise one at a time, put them back on the left needle and knit them together through the back loops. |
| st st | stockinette stitch | stocking stitch | Knit the right-side rows and purl the wrong-side rows (or knit every round in the round). Smooth Vs on the front. |
| st(s) | stitch(es) | stitch(es) | A single loop on the needle or one worked crochet stitch. Stitch counts are often given at the end of a row. |
| tbl | through the back loop | through the back loop | Work into the back leg of the stitch, which twists it. |
| tch | turning chain | turning chain | The chains at the start of a row that bring you up to the height of the stitches. Whether it counts as a stitch is in the pattern notes. |
| tog | together | together | Work the named stitches as one, which decreases. |
| tr | treble crochet | double treble (dtr) | Yarn over twice, insert hook, pull up a loop (4 loops), then (yarn over, pull through 2) three times. In a UK pattern, tr means the US double crochet. |
| w&t | wrap and turn | wrap and turn | For short rows: slip the next stitch, bring the yarn around it, slip it back, and turn the work. |
| wip | work in progress | work in progress | A project you have started and not finished. |
| ws | wrong side | wrong side | The inside or back of the work. |
| wyib | with yarn in back | with yarn back (wyib) | Hold the working yarn away from you while you slip or work the stitch. |
| wyif | with yarn in front | with yarn forward (wyif) | Hold the working yarn toward you while you slip or work the stitch. |
| yo | yarn over | yarn over hook (yoh) in crochet, yarn forward (yfwd) or yarn round needle (yrn) in knitting | Wrap the yarn over the hook or needle. In knitting a yarn over makes a new stitch and a small hole, used in lace. |
The US and UK crochet shift
Same stitches, names one step apart. Read more in US vs UK crochet terms.
| US | UK |
|---|---|
| single crochet (sc) | double crochet (dc) |
| half double crochet (hdc) | half treble (htr) |
| double crochet (dc) | treble (tr) |
| treble (tr) | double treble (dtr) |
| double treble (dtr) | triple treble (trtr) |
| skip | miss |
| gauge | tension |
Abbreviation questions
Why does dc mean different stitches in US and UK patterns?
The two systems name stitches by counting different parts of the stitch. UK names count the loops on the hook after you pull up the first loop, so every crochet stitch name is one step apart: US single crochet is UK double crochet, US double is UK treble, and so on.
How do I tell if a crochet pattern uses US or UK terms?
Look for single crochet (sc): only US patterns use it. Words like tension, miss and yoh point to UK terms. Many designers also say which terms they use near the abbreviations list.
Are knitting abbreviations different in the UK?
Mostly not. The stitches share names; the differences are words such as bind off (US) and cast off (UK), gauge and tension, and stockinette and stocking stitch.