UK to US Crochet Terms Conversion
Just like the English language, there are some differences in the crochet terms used in the UK and the US. The differences are slight, but if not noticed, can create quite a difference to your finished crochet project!
UK to US Crochet Term Conversion | How to Crochet
The UK & US terms and abbreviations for crochet stitches are different for the same stitch! This is what can cause confusion when reading a crochet pattern! Unless it is clearly stated in a crochet pattern, it’s easy to make an assumption that the crochet abbreviations are written in the way you read them, but that can cause major problems with your finished project!
Below, you’ll find a chart of the differences along with tips on how to tell whether the crochet pattern you are reading is written in UK or US crochet terms so you can avoid this confusion.
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Differences between US and UK Crochet Terms
Despite crochet’s origins (and very long history), it would seem that crochet is now more popular in the US, so the majority of designers write their patterns using US terms. Other designers like myself, offer their printed patterns in 2 versions, in both the UK and the US terms, or offer the conversion in the abbreviations section in their patterns. It’s important to be aware that a pattern may not state which version of terms they are using!
There are also times when YouTube Vloggers don’t state which terms they are using, and as many people now learn how to crochet using YouTube Tutorials, this can cause further confusion. I regularly see people questioning which stitch is which or which terms are better.
Neither version of the crochet terms is better, it’s all about what you find easier to understand or which you learned first. The chart below will help you to become bilingual in crochet terms!
Translating Crochet Terms Between US and UK
Below you will find a list of the basic stitches and the US and UK crochet abbreviations. As you can see, there is no Single Crochet in UK terms, which means that UK stitches are taller compared to US stitches. The lack of Single Crochet in the UK terms can help us identify if a pattern is written using UK or US terms.
| US Term | UK Term | Turning Chain |
|---|---|---|
| Single Crochet (Sc) | Double Crochet | 1 |
| Half Double Crochet (HDc) | Half Treble Crochet (HTr) | 2 |
| Double Crochet (Dc) | Treble Crochet (Tr) | 3 |
| Treble Crochet (Tr) | Double Treble Crochet (DTr) | 4 |
| Double Treble Crochet (DTr) | Triple Treble Crochet (TTr) | 5 |
How to tell if your pattern is written in US or UK terms
The easiest way to tell is to see if you can find the term Single Crochet (Sc) anywhere in the pattern. If you can, the pattern is written in US crochet terms.
Another way to check is to look at the turning chain being used. If the pattern asks you to make a turning chain of 3 AND the chain counts as a stitch, then the pattern is also written in US terms.
*This pattern and its images are copyright protected and the sole property of Fiona Field/Cosy Rosie UK 2020. Please do not redistribute, transfer, sell the pattern, or alter it to claim as your own. *
