US vs. UK Terminology

When beginning a new crochet project, it’s important to understand the difference between US and UK crochet terminology to be sure you’re working the correct stitches for your pattern. US crochet terminology is largely used in crochet patterns in North America, but for the rest of the world, UK crochet terminology is commonly used. In this video, Mary Beth Temple discusses the difference between these two terminologies you might find when reading crochet patterns.

The first stitch that Mary Beth reviews is the chain stitch. This stitch is the same in both US and UK crochet terminology. It is typically abbreviated “ch.” Another stitch that is the same in both terminologies is the slip stitch, although the abbreviations are usually different. For US terminology, slip stitch is usually abbreviated as “sl st.” For UK terminology, it’s abbreviated as “ss.”

Mary Beth then looks at the stitches that have different names.

US single crochet (sc) is UK double crochet (dc)

US half double crochet (hdc) is UK half treble crochet (htc)

US double crochet (dc) is UK treble crochet (tr)

US treble crochet (tr) is UK double treble (dtr)

Another term that is different between the two terminologies is gauge and tension. In US terminology, this is referred to as gauge, and in UK terminology this is referred to as tension. Both terms mean the exact same thing and refer to the number of stitches and rows measured within a specified unit of measure (usually 4-inches/10cm).

Once you have a grasp of the two different crochet terminologies, you’ll be able to work from any crochet pattern in the world!