Common Crochet Abbreviations (Free Printable)

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A listing of the common abbreviations used in most crochet patterns. Download the Printable Chart for Free!

When you are just beginning to learn how to crochet, do you feel like you have to learn a new language, also? Well … you kind of do have to learn a bunch of new terms and shorthand.

So, to help you out, here is a list of commonly used crochet abbreviations that you can download and print below.

This is by no means a complete list and I will be adding more abbreviations as I find them. Also, please note that these refer to crochet terms used in the USA, not UK which are a bit different.

image with three balls of yarn and text Crochet Abbreviations Free Download

In this Article:

This list is in alphabetical order and as you will see, some of the shortcuts are combinations of two different abbreviations. For instance, ‘dcbp‘ is a combo of dc – Double Crochet and bp – Back Post.

Some crochet designers also seem to have their own terms so make sure and read through the entire pattern as well as any notes before you begin to crochet. This can save you a lot of headaches later on.

> > This is my favorite beginner crochet book for learning new stitches

Why are there so many abbreviations in crochet?

The simple answer is to make it quicker and easier to write out your crochet patterns. Some names for stitches and techniques can be a little wordy so if you can use a shorthand term instead, it saves a lot of time.

For instance, the term ‘Back Post Half Double Crochet‘ would get a little annoying if you had to write it over and over again, right?

Instead, you can write ‘bphdc‘ and all crocheters know exactly what you are talking about. Saves time and paper.

Plus, it’s not like there are thousands of different abbreviations to memorize. All in all, there are probably a hundred or so which isn’t too bad.

And, you don’t have to sit down and learn them all at once. You can just look up a term as you need it for that particular crochet pattern.

Note: Most patterns will have a listing of the stitches and techniques used.

This is usually found near the beginning of the pattern close to the supplies and gauge needed.

List of common crochet abbreviations

This list refers to abbreviations commonly used in the USA. The UK terms are somewhat different.

As I stated above, this is not an exhaustive list and I will continue to update it as I come across other terms. So, if you download this chart, make sure and check back for updates.

beg –	Beginning
bet –	Between
bl –	Back Loop
blo –	Back Loop Only
bo –	Bobble
bp –	Back Post
bpdc –	Back Post Double Crochet
bphdc –	Back Post Half Double Crochet
bpsc –	Back Post Single Crochet
bptr –	Back Post Triple (Treble) Crochet
cc –	Contrasting Color
ch –	Chain
cl –	Cluster
dc –	Double Crochet
dc2tog –	Double Crochet Two Together
dcbp –	Double Crochet Back Post
dcfp –	Double Crochet Front Post
dec –	Decrease
dnt –	Do Not Turn
dtr –	Double Triple (Treble) Crochet
fdc –	Foundation Double Crochet
fhdc –	Foundation Half Double Crochet
fl –	Front Loop
flo –	Front Loop Only
FO –	Finish Off
fp –	Front Post
fpdc –	Front Post Double Crochet
fphdc –	Front Post Half Double Crochet
fpsc –	Front Post Single Crochet
fptr –	Front Post Triple (Treble) Crochet
hdc –	Half Double Crochet
hdc2tog –	Half Double Crochet Two Together
htc –	Half Triple (Treble) Crochet
inc –	Increase
lp –	Loop
mc –	Main Color
mr –	Magic Ring
pm –	Place Marker
ps –	Puff Stitch
rem –	Remaining
rep –	Repeat
rnd –	Round
rs –	Right Side
sc –	Single Crochet
sc2tog –	Single Crochet Two Together
sc3tog –	Single Crochet Three Together
sk –	Skip
sl st –	Slip Stitch
sp –	Space
st –	Stitch
sts –	Stitches
tch –	Turning Chain
tog –	Together
tr –	Triple (Treble) Crochet
trtr –	Triple Triple (Treble Treble)
ws –	Wrong Side
yo –	Yarn Over
* –	Repeat from asterisk (*)

How to print this list

If you wish you print a copy of this list of abbreviations, simply download this PDF to your computer. You will then be able to print a hard copy.

Make sure and bookmark this page so you can check back to see if there are any updates.

Note: You can also right-click the image below and save it however, the quality will not be as good as the PDF.