Read the pattern’s terminology, stitch key and notes before the first row. US single crochet and UK double crochet name the same stitch. A stitch name without its terminology system can change the entire fabric.
Translate the stitch, not just the abbreviation
| US term | UK term |
|---|---|
| Single crochet (sc) | Double crochet (dc) |
| Half double crochet (hdc) | Half treble crochet (htr) |
| Double crochet (dc) | Treble crochet (tr) |
| Treble crochet (tr) | Double treble crochet (dtr) |
Chain (ch), stitch (st), stitches (sts), skip (sk) and repeat (rep) describe actions or locations. Check the designer’s definitions for special stitches. Do not infer the terminology solely from the designer’s country.
Work through an original example
In US terms, Ch 12. Sc in second ch from hook and each ch across. (11 sts) means:
- Make 12 chains. The loop on the hook is not one of those chains.
- Skip the chain nearest the hook and make a single crochet in the next chain.
- Continue along the remaining chains. Count 11 completed single crochets.
The final count is a check, not an instruction to add 11 stitches. If you have ten or twelve, find the missed or extra insertion before continuing.
For another example, [sc in next st, 2 sc in next st] 3 times consumes six existing stitches and creates nine. But (sc, ch 2, sc) in next st puts the entire group in one stitch. Brackets and parentheses do not always mean the same operation; read the words around them.
Turning chains and charts
The notes should say whether a turning chain counts as a stitch. That decision determines where you insert the hook at the beginning and end of each row. Mark the first and last counted stitch when learning.
Craft Yarn Council publishes standard chart symbols, but the chart’s own key controls special symbols. Follow row numbers, direction arrows and right-side/wrong-side notes. A round may be joined with a slip stitch or worked continuously; do not add a join unless instructed.
Before buying extra supplies, check the specified hook size and make the gauge swatch . Pattern reading tells you what to do; gauge tells you how large your version will be.