Crochet Abbreviations Explained

This handy printable and pinnable abbreviations guide is just what you need to keep those crochet abbreviations straight. Whether you are brand new to crochet or just need a reminder, this helpful chart will help you keep things straight. We recommend printing out this chart and keeping it with your crochet supplies so you don't have to run back to your computer every time an abbreviation on a crochet pattern is confusing. Click the button or image below to download your free copy.

There's a seemingly endless number of crochet stitches and so there may be a few missing from this list. However, we know it includes all of the common stitch abbreviations and many of the special stitches. If the pattern you are looking at has a unique or special stitch, there's a very good chance that it will be explained.
Note that you may see slight variations in capitalization or abbreviation. When there are multiple common abbreviations, they are included. These are listed in alphabetical order.

BO - bobble
CH - chain
CL - cluster
DC - double crochet
DTR - double treble/triple crochet
EDC - extended double crochet
EHDC - extended half double crochet
ESC - extended single crochet
ETC - extended treble/triple crochet
HDC - half double crochet
PC - popcorn stitch
PS/PUFF - puff stitch
SC - single crochet
SH - shell
ST - stitch
TR - treble/triple crochet
TRTR - triple treble/triple crochet

Below, find more detailed explanations and tutorials on how to do the stitch for the more popular and common stitches:

1.  Make a slip knot and place it on your hook. Hold your hook in your right hand.
2.  Using your hook, pull yarn (from the skein of yarn, not your tail) through your slip knot loop. You've just made one chain stitch.
3.  Repeat step 2 to make as many chains as your pattern calls for.
 

1.  Insert your hook into center of your next working chain. Grab yarn (known as a yarn over) and draw through the chain stitch and up onto the hook so that you have two loops on your hook.
2.  Using your hook, grab yarn and draw it through both loops on your hook, leaving just one loop on your hook. You've made one single crochet stitch.
3.  Repeat steps 1 and 2 as many times as your pattern calls for.
 

1.  Yarn over, then insert your crochet hook into the center of your next working chain. Yarn over and draw through the chain stitch and up onto the hook so that you have three loops on your hook.
2.  Yarn over and pull through all three of your loops. You've just made one half double crochet stitch. 
3.  Repeat steps 1-2 as many times as your pattern calls for. 
 

1.  Yarn over, then insert your crochet hook into the center of your next working chain. Yarn over and draw through the chain stitch and up onto the hook so that you have three loops on your hook.
2.  Yarn over and pull through two of the loops on your hook, leaving two loops on your hook.
3.  Yarn over again and pull through both loops on your hook, leaving just one loop. You've just made one double crochet stitch. 
4.  Repeat steps 1-3 as many times as your pattern calls for. 
 

1.  Yarn over twice and then insert your hook into the center of your next working chain. Yarn over and draw up a loop so that you have four loops on your hook. 
2.  Yarn over and pull through two of the loops on your hook, leaving three loops on your crochet hook.
3.  Yarn over again and pull the yarn through two loops, leaving two loops on your hook.
4.  Yarn over for the last time and pull the yarn through both loops on your hook so that you only have one loop. You've just made one triple/treble crochet stitch.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 as many times as your pattern calls for. 
 

Now that we have gone over the main stitch abbreviations, the rest are more instructional. There are a few that involve stitch names and actions involving particular stitches, others are simple commands or explanatory for the pattern. Once again, we want to note that you may see slight variations in capitalization, abbreviation, or explanation. When there are multiple common abbreviations, they are included. These are listed in alphabetical order.

ALT - alternate
APPROX - approximately
BEG - begin/beginning
BET - between
BL/BLO - back loop or back loop only
BP - back post
BPDC - back post double crochet
BPDTR - back post double treble/triple crochet
BPHDC - back post half double crochet
BPSC - back post single crochet
BPTR - back post treble/triple crochet
CC - contrasting color
CH- - refer to chain or space previously made, e.g., ch-1 space
CH-SP - chain space
CONT - continue
DC2TOG - double crochet 2 stitches together
DEC - decrease
FL/FLO - front loop or front loop only
FOLL - following
FP - front post
FPDC - front post double crochet
FPDTR - front post double treble/triple crochet
FPHDC - front post half double crochet
FPSC - front post single crochet
FPTR - front post treble/triple crochet
HDC2TOG - half double crochet 2 stitches together
INC - increase
LP - loop
M - marker
MC - main color
PAT/PATT - pattern
PM - place marker
PREV - previous
REM - remaining
REP - repeat
RND - round
RS - right side
SC2TOG - single crochet 2 stitches together
SK - skip
SL ST - slip stitch
SM/SL M - slip marker
SP - space
TBL - through back loop
TCH/T-CH - turning chain
TOG - together
TR2TOG - treble/triple crochet 2 stitches together
WS - wrong side
YO - yarn over
YOH - yarn over hook
* - repeat the instructions following the single asterisk as directed
* * - repeat instructions between asterisks as many times as directed or repeat at specified locations
{ } - work instructions within brackets as many times as directed
[ ] - work instructions within brackets as many times as directed
( ) - work instructions within parentheses as many times as directed or work a group of stitches all in the same stitch or space

Below, find more detailed explanations and tutorials on how to do the action for the more popular and common instruction abbreviations:

1. Bring the yarn over the hook of your crochet hook so that the hook can catch the yarn
2. Draw it through the loop. 
 

1. Insert your hook into the center of your next working chain.
2. Yarn over and draw up a loop through all the loops on your hook. You've just completed one slip stitch.
3. Repeat steps 1-2 as many times as your pattern calls for. 
 

To skip a stitch means to leave it completely unworked and move on to the next one.
 

To work a stitch decrease, you will crochet a certain number of stitches together (according to your pattern), reducing the number of stitches available to work into for the next row.
 

To work a stitch increase, you will crochet a certain number of extra stitches into a single stitch (according to your pattern), increasing the number of stitches available to work into for the next row.
 

1.  Insert your hook into center of your next working chain. Grab yarn (known as a yarn over) and draw through the chain stitch and up onto the hook so that you have two loops on your hook.
1.  With those two loops on your hook, repeat step one into the next stitch. You will now have three loops on your hook.
2.  Using your hook, grab yarn and draw it through all three loops on your hook, leaving just one loop on your hook. You've just single crocheted two stitches together. 
 

Work just as a normal double crochet stitch, only instead of working into the next chain space, you work around the vertical post, around the front. Insert your hook from the front of your work to the back and then back out to the front, moving from right to left. 
​

Work just as a normal double crochet stitch, only instead of working into the next chain space, you work around the vertical post, around the back. Insert your hook from the back of your work to the front and then back out to the back, moving from right to left. 
​

Back loop only stitches, when repeated for a project, can produce a ribbed effect. Instead of inserting your hook until both loops of a chain space, you will insert it only under the back loop. The rest of your crochet stitch remains the same. 
 

We have several pages that focus on specific abbreviations or techniques abbreviated in patterns. Check them out if you want to learn more:

1. What Does SP Mean in Crochet?
    
2. What Does PM Mean in Crochet?
    
3. What Does Turn Mean in Crochet?
    
4. Crochet Slip Knot vs Slip Stitch Crochet
    
5. How to Use Stitch Markers
    
6. How to Use a Yarn Needle