SaveA crochet pattern looks like code because it is compressed. “Rnd 4: *2 dc in next st, dc in next 3 sts; rep from * around (40)” is a full English sentence squeezed into fourteen characters and three symbols. Once you can unpack that line, you can read almost anything.
Part of our learn to crochet library.
Here it is in full: for this whole round, work two double crochet into the next stitch, then one double crochet into each of the following three stitches, and repeat that group all the way around. When you finish you should have forty stitches.
That number in brackets at the end is the most useful thing in any pattern. It is the checkpoint. If you have thirty eight, you have gone wrong in this round and not ten rounds ago.
The first thing to check: US or UK
The two systems use the same words for different stitches, offset by one, and using the wrong one makes every stitch the wrong height. A reputable pattern states which near the top.
| US name | US abbrev | Same stitch in UK | UK abbrev |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single crochet | sc | Double crochet | dc |
| Half double crochet | hdc | Half treble | htr |
| Double crochet | dc | Treble | tr |
| Treble | tr | Double treble | dtr |
If a pattern uses the word “single” anywhere, it is US. UK patterns have no single crochet. That one test settles it in two seconds.
Abbreviations you will actually meet
| Short | Means | Short | Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| ch | chain | sl st | slip stitch |
| st / sts | stitch, stitches | sk | skip |
| rep | repeat | rnd | round |
| inc | increase, two stitches in one | dec | decrease, two worked together |
| blo / flo | back or front loop only | tog | together |
| yo | yarn over | sp | space |
| beg | beginning | rem | remaining |
| MR | magic ring | tch | turning chain |
The symbols
- Asterisk * marks where a repeat starts. “Rep from *” means go back there.
- Brackets ( ) group stitches worked into one place, as in “(2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in next st”.
- Square brackets [ ] usually group a sequence to repeat a set number of times.
- Numbers in brackets at the end are your stitch count for that row or round.
- Two asterisks ** mark a second, nested repeat. Rare, and always explained.
Reading a real line
“Row 7: ch 2 (does not count as st), hdc in each st across, turn. (32)”
- ch 2, chain two to bring the yarn to the right height
- does not count as st, so work into the very first stitch, not the second
- hdc in each st across, one half double into every stitch to the end
- turn, flip the work
- (32), count. Thirty two or something is wrong.
Read the whole pattern before buying yarn. Four minutes now is how you discover that round 14 needs a second colour or a stitch you have never worked, while you can still do something about it.
Questions
How do I know if a pattern is US or UK?
If it uses the term “single crochet” it is US. UK patterns have no such stitch. Most patterns also state it near the top.
What does the number in brackets at the end mean?
Your stitch count for that row or round. It is the checkpoint that tells you where a mistake happened rather than that one happened.
What does rep from * mean?
Go back to the asterisk and work that sequence again, repeating until the row or round ends.
What is a turning chain?
Chains worked at the start of a row to bring the yarn up to the height of the stitch you are about to use. One for single crochet, two for half double, three for double.
What does blo mean in crochet?
Back loop only. Work into just the back of the two loops on top, which leaves a visible ridge and makes the fabric stretchier.
Why does my finished piece not match the photo?
Almost always gauge or yarn weight. The same pattern in DK rather than worsted comes out about a quarter smaller.