US and UK crochet patterns use the same words for different stitches. A US single crochet is a UK double crochet. Nothing is wrong with either system; you just have to know which one a pattern is written in before you start.
Knotions patterns are always written in US terms. Hook sizes are a separate confusion with their own page: Crochet Hook Sizes: Conversion Chart.
Stitch names · Other words that differ · How to tell which system a pattern uses · Converting a pattern · Hook sizes
Stitch names
Each row is one stitch. The US name is on the left, the UK name for the same stitch on the right.
| US term | US abbr. | UK term | UK abbr. |
|---|---|---|---|
| chain | ch | chain | ch |
| slip stitch | sl st | slip stitch | ss or sl st |
| single crochet | sc | double crochet | dc |
| half double crochet | hdc | half treble | htr |
| double crochet | dc | treble | tr |
| treble (triple) crochet | tr | double treble | dtr |
| double treble | dtr | triple treble | trtr or ttr |
| triple treble | trtr | quadruple treble | quadtr |
The trap is in the middle of the table. “Double crochet” and “dc” exist in both systems and mean different stitches. A UK dc is one stitch shorter than a US dc. That single overlap causes most of the confusion.
Other words that differ
| US | UK |
|---|---|
| gauge | tension |
| skip | miss |
| yarn over (yo) | yarn round hook (yrh) or yarn over hook (yoh) |
| single crochet 2 together (sc2tog) | double crochet 2 together (dc2tog) |
| fasten off | cast off or fasten off |
| stitch marker | stitch marker (same) |
| worsted weight | aran weight |
| fingering weight | 4 ply |
| sport weight | 5 ply or light DK |
| bulky | chunky |
How to tell which system a pattern uses
Good patterns say so near the top. When they do not, look for these.
It is US if it uses sc or single crochet anywhere. UK patterns do not have a stitch called single crochet.
It is UK if it uses htr, says tension instead of gauge, says miss instead of skip, or uses yrh.
It could be either if the only stitches named are ch, sl st, dc, and tr. Check the designer’s country, the yarn weight names, and the spelling (colour, centre). If a pattern has both dc and sc, it is US.
A pattern that looks too dense or too open when you swatch it, with your count correct, is often a pattern worked in the wrong system.
Converting a pattern
Do not translate in your head as you go. Print or copy the pattern and rewrite every stitch abbreviation before you start, using the first table. Then work it as if it had always been in your system.
The stitch counts, repeats, and shaping do not change. Only the names do. A UK pattern that says “20 tr” is a US pattern that says “20 dc”, worked exactly the same way.
If you are converting from UK to US, remember to change dc to sc before you change tr to dc, or you will change the same stitch twice.
Everything Knotions publishes about crochet is in one place: The Knotions Crochet Authority. Abbreviations for every stitch we use are on the crochet abbreviations page.
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