Somebody, at some point, starts a pattern, works twenty rows, and realises the piece is nearly twice the height it should be. The pattern was British. They read it as American.
It happens to nearly everyone once, and it is entirely avoidable.
The names are shifted by one. US single crochet is UK double crochet. US double crochet is UK treble. The stitches are physically identical — only the labels move. To tell which a pattern uses, look for the words "single crochet": they exist only in US terminology.
The conversion table
| US term | UK term | Abbreviations |
|---|---|---|
| Slip stitch | Slip stitch | sl st (both) |
| Single crochet | Double crochet | sc → dc |
| Half double crochet | Half treble | hdc → htr |
| Double crochet | Treble | dc → tr |
| Treble | Double treble | tr → dtr |
| Double treble | Triple treble | dtr → trtr |
Read it as a ladder: every UK name is one rung up from the US name for the same stitch. Slip stitch is the same in both, which is the only mercy in the whole system.
The genuinely dangerous row is the bold one. "Double crochet" exists in both systems and means two different stitches. A pattern saying "dc" could mean the short stitch or the tall one, and the abbreviation looks identical.
How to tell which you are reading
The three-second check: search the pattern for "single crochet".
- Found it? The pattern is American. There is no such term in UK usage.
- Not there, and the shortest stitch mentioned is "double crochet"? Almost certainly British.
Two more signals:
"Treble" without "double" in front. UK patterns use plain treble constantly. US patterns use it rarely, and only for a very tall stitch.
Measurements and yarn names. Inches, yards and "worsted weight" point to US. Centimetres, metres and "aran" or "DK" point to UK. Not conclusive on their own — plenty of US patterns use metric — but combined with the stitch names it settles it.
A pattern that uses only "dc" and never mentions single crochet is ambiguous by itself. If the finished item is a fine, dense fabric like a dishcloth or a toy, it is probably UK double crochet (the short stitch). If it is an open, drapey blanket, probably US double crochet (the tall one). When you cannot tell, work a small swatch and compare it to the pattern photograph before committing to a whole project.
Why it happened at all
Crochet spread through printed pattern books and magazines long before there was any coordinating body, and the two traditions named the stitches independently. Neither is more correct, and neither is going to change.
It matters more now than it ever did, because the internet mixes both freely. A free pattern found through a search engine could have been written anywhere, and plenty of them never state which convention they use.
What to do about it
Check before you start. Three seconds, and it saves the project.
Note it on the pattern. Write "US" or "UK" at the top the moment you work it out. You will come back to it later having forgotten.
Prefer patterns that say so. A well-written pattern states its terminology in the notes, along with the hook size, yarn weight and gauge. A pattern that omits all four is telling you something about how carefully it was written.
Learn to read symbol charts. A crochet chart uses standardised symbols — a cross for one stitch, a T with a bar for another — and a symbol means the same thing regardless of language or country. Charts are how patterns cross borders without this problem, and they are far easier to read than they look. If you work from international sources, learning charts solves the terminology issue permanently.
The other abbreviations
Once terminology is settled, the rest is compact but consistent:
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ch | chain |
| st / sts | stitch / stitches |
| sl st | slip stitch |
| yo | yarn over |
| rep | repeat |
| inc / dec | increase / decrease |
| BLO / FLO | back loop only / front loop only |
| sk | skip |
| tog | together |
| ( ) or [ ] | repeat what is inside, the stated number of times |
| … | repeat the section between the asterisks |
Those are near-universal. It is only the stitch names that split — and now you know which side of the split you are on.
See also: crochet for absolute beginners.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between US and UK crochet terms?
The names are shifted by one. US single crochet is UK double crochet, US double crochet is UK treble, and so on up the scale. The stitches themselves are identical — only the labels differ.
How do I tell which terms a pattern uses?
Look for the term "single crochet". It exists only in US terminology. If the pattern uses it, the pattern is American. If the shortest stitch it mentions is "double crochet", it is almost certainly British.
What happens if I use the wrong one?
Every stitch comes out the wrong height, so the piece ends up the wrong size and often the wrong shape. It usually becomes obvious a few rows in, when nothing matches the photo.
Which system should I learn?
Whichever your usual pattern sources use. US terms are more common online overall, but learn to recognise both — the conversion is a single shift and takes minutes to internalise.
Do other countries use their own terms?
Yes. Many languages have their own names, and translated patterns can follow either convention. Symbol charts avoid the problem entirely, because a symbol means the same thing everywhere.
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