Every crochet pattern on this site — and pretty much every pattern you’ll ever follow — leans on the same handful of abbreviations, hook sizes, and yarn terms. This crochet basics reference guide collects them all in one place, so instead of hunting through a pattern’s fine print, you can bookmark this page and check back whenever you need a quick refresher.
Brand new to crochet? Start with our beginner’s guide, then come back here as your go-to reference for abbreviations, hooks, and yarn weights.
Crochet Abbreviations Cheat Sheet (Crochet Basics Reference Guide)
These are the abbreviations you’ll see in almost every US-written crochet pattern, including the ones on this blog — keep this crochet basics reference guide bookmarked and you’ll rarely need to look them up elsewhere.
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ch | Chain |
| sl st | Slip stitch |
| sc | Single crochet |
| hdc | Half double crochet |
| dc | Double crochet |
| tr | Treble (triple) crochet |
| MR | Magic ring |
| inc | Increase (2 sc in the same stitch) |
| dec | Decrease (usually invisible decrease) |
| st(s) | Stitch(es) |
| rep | Repeat |
| BLO / FLO | Back loop only / Front loop only |
| yo | Yarn over |
| [ ] | Total stitch count at the end of a round or row |
| ( ) | Work the instructions inside as one group |
| * * | Repeat everything between the asterisks as many times as stated |
Video: How to Read a Crochet Pattern
Abbreviations make a lot more sense once you see a real pattern being read out loud, step by step:
Crochet Hook Size Chart
Hook sizes are labeled differently depending on the system, which trips up a lot of beginners when a pattern lists a letter and the hook you’re holding only shows a millimeter size. For the full official breakdown, the Craft Yarn Council’s hook size standards are the industry reference every US pattern is based on.
| Metric (mm) | US Size | UK Size |
|---|---|---|
| 2.25 mm | B/1 | 13 |
| 2.5 mm | C/2 | 12 |
| 3.0 mm | — | 11 |
| 3.5 mm | E/4 | 9 |
| 4.0 mm | G/6 | 8 |
| 4.5 mm | 7 | 7 |
| 5.0 mm | H/8 | 6 |
| 5.5 mm | I/9 | 5 |
| 6.0 mm | J/10 | 4 |
Yarn Weight Chart
| Weight Category | Also Called | Typical Hook Size |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – Lace | Thread | 1.5–2.25 mm |
| 1 – Super Fine | Sock, Fingering | 2.25–3.5 mm |
| 2 – Fine | Sport, Baby | 3.5–4.5 mm |
| 3 – Light | DK, Light Worsted | 4.0–5.5 mm |
| 4 – Medium | Worsted, Aran | 5.5–6.5 mm |
| 5 – Bulky | Chunky | 6.5–9 mm |
| 6 – Super Bulky | Roving | 9–15 mm |
Most of the amigurumi patterns on this site — like the Little Vampire Crochet Doll and the Teddy Bear Baby Bib — use DK weight cotton yarn with a 4.0 mm hook, which falls right in the middle of these charts.
US vs UK Crochet Terms
This is the single biggest source of confusion for beginners following patterns from different countries — the same stitch name means two different stitches depending on the system. Every pattern on this blog is written in US terms.
| US Term | UK Term |
|---|---|
| Single crochet (sc) | Double crochet (dc) |
| Half double crochet (hdc) | Half treble (htr) |
| Double crochet (dc) | Treble (tr) |
| Treble crochet (tr) | Double treble (dtr) |
| Gauge | Tension |
| Yarn over (yo) | Yarn over hook (yoh) |
Tip: if a pattern’s stitch counts look wrong for the picture, check whether it’s written in US or UK terms first — it’s the most common mix-up.
Related Guides
- How to Crochet: Complete Beginner’s Guide to Your First Stitches
- Basic Crochet Stitches: Complete Step-by-Step Guide
- How to Increase and Decrease in Crochet (Beginner Guide)
- How to Make a Magic Ring in Crochet (Step-by-Step)
- How To: Invisible Fasten Off in Crochet
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Need to figure out exactly how many skeins a project needs? Try our free yarn & skein calculator — enter your pattern’s yardage and it rounds up to the exact number of skeins to buy, plus the cost.
Keep learning: New to a technique used here? See our beginner guide to crochet increases and decreases and how to crochet a granny square.