Triple Crochet Stitch Tutorial (Treble Crochet)

Triple crochet

The triple crochet stitch, alternatively called the treble crochet stitch, is another stitch that is part of our beginner Learn to Crochet series. It’s a basic stitch that adds even more height to your crochet projects, and is the first stitch you’ll learn where you will have to yarn over twice before inserting your hook to perform the stitch. Triple crochet is abbreviated as tr when you are reading patterns.

Due to this stitch being taller in nature, it’s often used in a lot of patterns where you are crochet a mesh type of fabric, or you can even see this stitch combined with several stitches as a part of a cluster of stitches. It has an open feel to it and is great if you want to create a loose fabric, such as an oversized sweater, or shawl.

How to do the Triple Crochet Stitch

This tutorial demonstrates how to do the triple crochet stitch when you are right-handed and I use US Crochet Terminology for these instructions.

At the end of you foundation chain, start by yarning over twice and insert your hook into the 5th chain from the hook. If you are starting on the second row, you’d chain 4 to get to the height needed for triple crochet, and then you’d yarn over twice, and crochet into the second stitch.

Yarn over and pull your yarn through to the front so that you have four loops on your crochet hook.

Yarn over and pull through the first two.

Yarn over and pull through the second two.

And lastly, yarn over and pull through the final two loops on your hook to complete the stitch.

Watch How to Triple Crochet (Video Tutorial)

In this right-handed video demonstration, you’ll learn how to do the triple crochet (or treble crochet) stitch. Please note that all terms I use in this tutorial are based on US crochet terminology.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Triple Crochet Stitch

What is a treble stitch in the UK?

If you want to read more about the differences in US vs UK crochet terminology, please ready my post on it. A treble stitch in the UK is actually a double stitch in US terms.

Is treble crochet the same as triple crochet?

Yes, in US terms, it’s the exact same stitch. It’s simply known by two different names.

Is this the longest crochet stitch?

No. The longest crochet stitch is the quadruple treble. For this stitch, you yarn over four times to begin the stitch.

Thanks for reading! As always, let me know if you have any questions. Happy crocheting!

Double Crochet Stitch Tutorial

Double crochet stitch tutorial

Double crochet is a stitch that is part of the beginner Learn How to Crochet series. In height, it is twice as tall as the single crochet stitch and thus will produce a longer fabric. The double crochet stitch is often used in making blankets, clothing, and accessories. It is also known as the fastest crochet stitch to complete.

Double crochet, abbreviated dc, can also be used in combination with other stitches to perform clusters, bobbles and puffs in order to create a texture that literally pops right off of your project.

How to Double Crochet

In this tutorial we will go over the written instruction, as well as a video on how to perform the stitch.

If you have completed your foundation chain (example, ch 27) and your next row is double crochet, you will yarn over, and place your hook into the fourth chain. Why forth? Because the double crochet is three chain lengths tall. This will begin your row ensuring that your first stitch is at the same height as the others. The chains on the end also count as your first stitch.

With your hook in the fourth chain, yarn over and pull the yarn through the stitch, giving you 3 loops now on your hook.

Yarn over and pull through two of those loops.

And yarn over and pull through the final two loops, finishing your stitch.

Repeat as the pattern reads, or until you get to the end of the row if you’re simply practicing.

Watch How To Double Crochet (Video Tutorial)

In this video, I will begin a new row with my double crochet stitches. The difference from beginning on an existing swatch (starting row 2 or above) and starting row one is a bit different. To begin, you chain 3 after turning your work, then proceed to yarn over and insert your hook in the second stitch from the end.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you chain 2 or 3 to begin a double crochet?

You chain 3 to get to the height you need for the rest of the double crochet row. You’d chain 2 if you were doing a half double crochet row.

What is double crochet in the UK?

When I first picked up a crochet book, I was oblivious to the differences in US vs UK crochet terminology. In the US, this stitch is known as a double crochet, however in the UK it is known as a treble crochet. Make sure that as you learn, you understand the differences and what the pattern is written in.

Will double crochet leave gaps in my work?

Well, that depends on the type of yarn you are using, as well as the pattern. Double crochet is a taller stitch, so if you’re using a sport weight yarn, there will be a lot more space between each stitch than if you are using a super bulky yarn. If you’re worried about if you’re going to like the look of it, simply crochet a 4’x4′ swatch and see!

The one thing I will note is that I’m not crazy about the edges on double crochet. To me, they don’t appear straight, and I’m a bit of a perfectionist. A hack that I’ve seen performed many times is called a foundation turning chain. This would be performed in place of your chain 3, and includes doing two single crochets on top of one another to reach the height of a double crochet. At a later time, I’ll do a video on this method if anyone is interested.

I hope you’ve learned a lot about the double crochet stitch today. Happy crocheting!

Half Double Crochet Stitch Tutorial

half double crochet stitch

The half double crochet stitch is a stitch that, in height, is between the single crochet and the double crochet. It’s one of the basic stitches that all beginners should learn and tends to not produce fabric with visible holes in it like some of the taller crochet stitches do. When you learn to crochet, this stitch would traditionally be the lesson that you’d take once you master the single crochet stitch.

The half double crochet (abbreviated hdc) is one of my favorite stitches to do. I think it has something to do with the way the hook glides through the three loops effortlessly. The instant gratification of the stitch isn’t it’s best feature, however; I would say that the texture of the fabric that it produces is my favorite part. 

The hdc will show up in many different types of patterns, and is used with all types of different yarns. It’s very versatile and can be used with a coordinating hook size. 

How to Do The Half Double Crochet Stitch (hdc)

I’m showing this tutorial on a current swatch. If you don’t have a swatch started and are starting out with your chain stitch, the same rule of two additional chain stitches at the end applies. 

(Example: Ch 12, hdc into the 3rd chain from your hook (giving you 10 total stitches in that row.)

At the end of the row, turn your work so that you are started in the correct direction (right to left) and chain 2. The chain 2 on the end will get your row to the correct height it needs to be at in order to match with the rest of the stitches within the row.

Yarn over once. 

Insert hook into second stitch from the end (stitch one will be the one attached to the chain two).

Yarn over and pull the yarn through, resulting in three loops on your hook.

Yarn over and pull the yarn through all three loops. 

Repeat until you get to the end of your row.

Video: Half Double Crochet Stitch Tutorial

This video demonstrates the written text above for how to do the half double crochet stitch. In the video, I am using worsted weight (size 4: medium) acrylic yarn and a size H/9 – I Boye aluminum crochet hook.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the half double crochet stitch and the double crochet stitch?

Height. The half double crochet stitch is just that, half the size of one double crochet. Therefore, if you’d like your project longer, use a double crochet, or shorter, use a half double crochet in your pattern.

Does half double crochet use more yarn?

Yes, and no. Typically the taller the stitch the least amount of yarn is used. So the half double crochet would use more yarn than a double crochet stitch, but less than a single crochet stitch, when you factor in the yarn used throughout the total project. 

When you insert your hook into the stitch in the row below, do you go through one loop, or two?

Go underneath both loops (the V) unless your pattern specifically tells you to only go through either the front or back loop and not both.

Is a hdc the same in US and UK terms? 

No. In UK crochet terminology, the US double stitch is known as the treble stitch. Therefore the hdc would technically be the half treble stitch in the UK.

I hope you’ve found this tutorial useful. Please let me know if you have any questions and follow along for more tutorials! I’d love to hear what you made with the half double crochet stitch!

What to Do When You Lose Your Crojo

crojo

When you’ve been crocheting for any amount of time, you know that losing your crojo can be a real problem–especially if you use crochet as a method of keeping your stress and anxiety at bay, like I do. I’m here to give you some tried and true methods of what I do to regain my crojo and reset the balance of my little world (which my family probably thinks revolves around yarn, since I own so much).

What is Crojo?

Fair question. Crojo is a word created by crocheters in the industry that merges crochet and mojo. Losing your crojo often means that you just find yourself not wanting to pick up your hook and work on any type of crochet project. You feel uninspired, unmotivated, and otherwise blah toward the passion that was once involved in your craft.

For people who work in the crochet industry–pattern makers, pattern testers, custom crochet project makers, Etsy sellers, craft fair enthusiasts, and crochet bloggers–losing your crojo can be a serious issue. As well as for people, such as myself, who also work corporate jobs and use crochet as a form of releasing the anxiety we’ve built up throughout our days.

Why Do We Lose Our Crojo?

I’m friends with many crocheters, and we all talk about what causes us to lose our mojo from time-to-time. It seems the most common is when we say yes to something we should have said no to.

Do you ever have a good friend come to you with a project like this, “Hey, Amanda! I know you are a great crocheter. I just saw this pattern for a (insert large and complicated pattern here) and I’m willing to pay you to make it for me!” Because you like a challenge, and live to help out your friends, you say yes. Despite the fact that you’re already busy. Despite the fact that you currently have 5 other projects you’re working on. Despite the fact that you don’t have a pattern for the project and think you’ll have time to make one up. I’m a pro at doing this very same thing.

Another possible reason people lose their will to crochet could be if they’ve been working on the same project for a long period of time. Maybe it’s a paid project, or maybe it’s just something you wanted to take on because you thought you had a lot of time. But now it’s summer, and the blanket is bulky, and hot, and you are just over it.

I’ve been there.

10 Ideas to Get Your Crojo Back

The list-maker in me wanted to come up with some tried-and-true ideas to help you get your crojo back! Now, sometimes I try one of these and they don’t work, so I have to move on to another. But keep trying, and hopefully you’ll find the one that works for you!

  1. Start a project you know you can finish in an hour – Simply the act of finishing a project could be enough to help you get out of your funk. Need a quick-turn project? Try out these face scrubbies or try making a velvet scrunchie. Often times all you need is the rush of finishing a project in order to kick you back into working on others.
  2. Learn a new stitch – If you’re making a crochet blanket in the bobble stitch, and it’s the only stitch you happen to know right now, you might just be plain sick and tired of it. There’s much more to crochet than a few stitches–there are hundreds! Check out New Stitch a Day for some ideas.
  3. Wander through the yarn aisle at your local craft store. Sometimes just getting out and finding a new skein of yarn will get you motivated. Maybe select something that’s a different texture than what you’ve been working with.
  4. If you think it’s the hook that’s the issue, try a project where you crochet with your hands. Arm crochet, or finger crochet, have become popular in the past few years with the release of the super bulky yarns you can now find. Try putting down your hook and crocheting a different way.
  5. Join a crochet subscription box group and participate in a project with a group. The motivation of seeing others in the group finish their projects might be enough to help you out on your own!
  6. Find a local crochet group and meet up with them. I know my local yarn stores all have groups that meet and work on projects together frequently. It’s a way to share ideas, friendship, and oftentimes a motivation to also finish your project.
  7. Use a Facebook group as inspiration! There are several times people in the groups I’m active in lose their crojo, and they post and ask for idea for their particular situation. The group members share what works (and doesn’t work) for them, and the community tries to also help you out!
  8. Step away from crochet totally for a few days. If you work in the crochet field, maybe you just need a bit of a vacation! Don’t feel bad, everyone needs a vacation from time to time and you are no different! Plan a few days doing something else away from your crochet, and then see if the rest helps you when you come back to it.
  9. Sometimes our craft can also be attached to fond memories. Perhaps a hook that a loved one bought for us broke, or we lost it, and we just can’t bear to continue working. Perhaps we only crocheted with a family member who has passed on. It’s okay to take a break, but remember that your loved one wouldn’t want you to give up something that you love, and that the memories shared are special, and should live on. If you’ve lost your crojo due to sadness, talking to someone else about it might do the trick.
  10. Make something for yourself. Often we are so busy crocheting gifts and commission work for others that we lose our crojo because we aren’t able to enjoy our own work! So stop and make something for yourself. You are worth it!

I hope I’ve provided a few options you can try to get your crojo back! Remember that crochet is something that can only be done by hand, and if you’re one of the few people who can do this craft, you are special. Inspiration can be found in many sources–sometimes I head to my Facebook groups for it, and other times I browse Instagram or Pinterest for it. The important thing is making sure to take care of yourself and your needs first.

What are the Best Crochet Items to Sell at Craft Fairs?

crochet items to sell at craft fairs

The question most often asked in many of my crochet groups is – What are the best crochet Items to sell at craft fairs? Although it’s hard to know what types of trends are going to come and go with each passing year, one thing is certain. . .there are a few tried and true items that seem to be selling well for people all year long!

I’ve put together a list that seem to do well amongst many of my friends at any time of the year, and have also listed items that they mention tend to do well during different seasons, in hopes that you will have a successful craft show! In addition to ideas, I’ve also linked some patterns below that are free, so that you can get some ideas of things to make. Note: Please read more from the pattern makers regarding what is (or is not) allowed with items you make from their patterns.

Crochet Items to Sell at Craft Fairs

Tulle Dish Scrubbies – Aside from the fact that everyone I know has some form of dish scrubber on display at their sink, people crave these homemade tulle dish scrubbers! I’ve attached the one I typically make for myself below!

Soap Saver Pouch

Washcloths – Bath and body items tend to do very well at craft fairs because they don’t take the creator much time to make, are lower cost, and can be positioned as valuable gift ideas for customers. Creative packaging can also help sell bath and body crochet items as a set!

C2C Washcloth Pattern

Dishcloths – Some of the best crochet items to sell at craft fairs are going to be items for your kitchen. Dishcloths are something that are quick and easy to make, and can be useful to the recipient for many years. In fact, I have customers prefer my cotton Sugar’n’ Cream dishcloths over store bought any day! Here’s a pattern straight from the yarn brand’s website:

Lily Sugar’N Cream Dishcloth

Plant Hangers – It seems that this year with more people staying at home, caring for houseplants has grown in popularity. Why not make some gorgeous plant hangers to sell as a home decor item?

Crochet Pot Plant Hanger

Tooth Fairy Pillows – Another creative item that seems to sell really well at craft fairs is a tooth fairy pillow. It’s a great gift idea, and a way to start a long-lasting tradition that the kids can keep and maybe even share with the next generation.

Tooth Fairy Pillow

Potholders – Potholders, or Hot Pads, are another kitchen item that almost all households use. These tend to work up quickly, and can be packed with crochet dishcloths to make a great kitchen set!

Modern Hot Pad Pattern

Scrunchies – Hair Scrunchies are a trendy item right now that are very quick and easy to make. They require little yarn, and offer a great return on investment for your time and material cost. Check out my own pattern for Velvet Hair Scrunchies below!

Velvet Crochet Hair Scrunchies

Headbands – Headbands are another item that go well at craft fairs, because they are often another low-dollar, low-investment item that are easy for people to give as gifts..

Astrid Headband Pattern

Market Bags – I use market bags for a variety of things–bringing in produce from the garden, as reusable bags at the grocery store, or to use as hanging storage for plastic grocery bags that I can reuse.

Crochet Market Bag

Coasters – Another great, and quick, crochet home decor item are coasters! People use coasters to protect their tabletops from rings of moisture that come from drinks, and from the heat that comes from hot drinks. Coasters are most often made from cotton yarn, and are a fantastic item to make four of and sell as a set!

Flat Circle Coaster Pattern

Coffee Cozies – Us coffee drinkers enjoy the beverage all year long, so coffee cozies tend to be in style year-round. These go around your drink and protect your hands from the heat that your mug (or travel cup) puts off.

Easy Crochet Cup Cozy

Crochet Items to Sell at Craft Fairs During the Spring or Summer

If you’re preparing for a craft show during the spring/summer seasons, you know that there are certain items that tend to sell better during these months. People are shopping for ways to use crochet items outdoors, with things they eat or drink that are cold, and home decor items that can easily be displayed during the months of April – July.

Can Cozies – People often enjoy cold beverages outside during the summer months when they grill out of host outdoor gatherings. Cans typically come straight from coolers, and are cold and a bit wet. A can cozy is the perfect solution for this!

Easy Can Cozy Pattern

Freezer Pop Holders – Maybe one of the best (and easiest) crochet items to sell at craft fairs during the summer is freezer pop holders. These keep those plastic packages from slipping out of little hands and ending up on the ground, as well as keep hands from getting super cold!

Fun Freezer Pop Holders

Water Balloons – A fun new twist on a summer favorite! crochet water balloons are made out of blanket yarn, which acts like a sponge when placed in water. These reusable balloons are a great way to enjoy a fun water balloon fight that provides for easy cleanup. (Just be sure to warn people not to throw them as hard — especially if older teens and adults are playing). 🙂

Crochet Water Balloons

Cactus Amigurumi in Pots – What a fun way for people to enjoy plants that they don’t have to take care of (not that cacti need much care anyway). These are a cute decor item to display in the summertime! The pattern below features a tall cactus, however there are 3 more of different types on her blog!

Crochet Cactus

Baskets – Everyone loves a great basket! Crochet baskets have amazing texture and are a functional item many can use in their home decor.

Mini Nesting Baskets

Bottle Carriers – Spring and Summer are seasons when many people take advantage of walking outdoors, and when you walk outdoors, you often want to take a water bottle, but holding it is often cumbersome. What better solution than a light-weight water bottle holder that makes carrying your water hands-free?

Crochet Water Bottle Holder

Ice Cream Cozy – Who has gotten a pint of Halo Top and a spoon, and then immediately had to also nestle it in a potholder, or something, anything, to keep your hands from getting cold? This girl does that ALL THE TIME. These ice cream cozies are genius. Your ice cream loving customers will be all over this idea!

Crochet Ice Cream Cozy

Crochet Items to Sell at Craft Fairs During the Fall or Winter

During the fall and winter, you definitely want to adjust the types of crochet items to sell at craft fairs.. People are thinking about items to keep themselves warm, Christmas gifts, and holiday decorations. I’ve compiled a few ideas for these seasons to get you started.

Crochet Beanies – Crochet hats have become very popular over the past few years. From regular beanies, to hats that allow women with thick hair the ability to display their messy bun or ponytail through the hat.

Crochet Ribbed Beanie

Messy Bun Pattern

Crochet Scarf – Crochet scarves are often a hot item when the weather is getting cooler.. The following is a great pattern I’ve found and actually have made for myself using a Caron Cake.

Crochet Scarf Pattern

Crochet Pocket Shawl – If you have a lot of lead time, crochet pocket shawls have been in demand over the past few years.. They take a bit more yarn than some of the patterns listed here, but I think they’d be a great seller at your craft fairs during the fall and winter months.

Crochet Pocket Shawl Pattern

Crochet Stockings – These are great to make up and sell at a Winter market where people are looking for Christmas decor and gifts.

Crochet Stockings

Crochet Pumpkin Pattern – A must have at fall craft fairs. Crochet pumpkins are great for fall and autumn displays and are easy to work up..

Crochet Rustic Farmhouse Pumpkins

Crochet Pillows – When the winter seasons approach, I often change my throw pillows on my couch to something that goes with the rest of my decor. These buffalo plaid farmhouse pillows are always a cute addition to add during the winter months.

Farmhouse Crochet Pillow

Crochet Garlands – Garlands are another popular home decor item in the fall season. Check out this fall garland pattern with acorns and leaves!

Crochet Acorn Garland

Crochet Snowballs – What about a safe, indoor snowball fight? The kids will love these snowballs that don’t melt and can be used for indoor snowball fights!

Crochet Indoor Snowballs

Pocket Tissue Cozy – As the weather cools down, the sniffles often creep up! These crochet pocket tissue cozies are a great idea to make and sell during the winter craft fairs!

Crochet Pocket Tissue Cozy

I hope you’ve found a few new ideas for crochet items to sell at craft fairs for the next one you are in! Best of luck to you and your crochet businesses!

Crochet Abbreviations

Crochet Abbreviations

Learning the various crochet abbreviations is a necessity when you begin to read and follow patterns on your own. The abbreviations used in the pattern may be defined up front if you’re reading a written pattern in a book, but might not be if you’re downloading a pattern from the Internet. Furthermore, the author might make an assumption that you know an abbreviation that you don’t, which is why I’ve come up with a list of the standard ones we use in crochet so that you can familiarize yourself with them, or use this post as a reference tool.

Abbreviations used in a crochet pattern are most commonly noted at the beginning of the pattern before the instructions begin. This is to educate the creator as they read through the pattern, I recommend reading through ever4y pattern you make at least one time in its entirety before you begin–this way there are no surprises along the way, and you’ll have ample time to ask questions before you get to a crucial piece in your project.

Please note that some of the crochet terminology is different between US and UK, so naturally, the abbreviations will be different as well. Feel free to read my post on the differences in US and UK terminology to learn what to watch for when you read patterns.

Crochet Abbreviations

These are the most common crochet abbreviations written in US Terms listed in alphabetical order:

alt – alternate: Most commonly used to instruct crocheter to alternate stitches or rows.

approx – approximately: This term often measures distance. For example you might need approx 4 yards of yarn for this project.

beg – begin or beginning: This can be used in reference to the beginning of your row, or can be used as an instruction to begin creating a certain number of stitches.

bet – between: I’ve seen this used several times in the instructions to repeat a portion of a project.

BL or BLO – Back Loop or Back Loop Only: An instruction to only crochet into the back loop of the stitch. Often done to create a ribbed look, or if the pattern calls for coming back to use the front loop for another stitch later (such as in mosaic crochet).

bo – bobble: A bobble is a series of stitches performed in one stitch to give the appearance of texture to your project.

BP – Back Post: An instruction to perform the stitch indicated around the back of the post (or standing stitch) of the row prior. Variations of this include: BPsc – Back Post single crochet, BPdc – Back Post double crochet, BPhdc – Back Post half-double crochet, BPdtr – Back Post double-treble crochet, BPtr – Back Post treble, or triple, crochet).

CC – Contrasting Color: An indication to change color to a contrasting one than you’ve previously been using in your project.

ch – Chain: Commonly found both at the beginning when you chain, during stitches to make a gap to use in your pattern, or after you end rows and join to increase.

CL – Cluster: A cluster of stitches performed. There will be further instruction along with this abbreviation regarding what the stitches in the cluster should be.

cont – continue: An abbreviation telling you to keep going. Most commonly followed with a specific point in your project that you need to continue doing the same stitch pattern until.

dc – double crochet: A common beginner crochet stitch.

dc2tog – double crochet 2 together: An instruction to double crochet the next two stitches together. To do this, you perform the first part of the double crochet, and before you yarn over and pull through to complete the stitch, you yarn over and insert your hook into the next stitch instead, and complete them both into one. This decreases your stitch count.

dec – decrease: Used to define the point in which you begin to decrease your stitch count.

dtr – double treble: A crochet stitch in which you yarn over 3 times before inserting your hook, and yarn over and pull through 2 loops until you have one left on your hook (a total of four times). This ends up being a very tall stitch.

edc – extended double crochet: A crochet stitch that extends a regular double crochet in size and is good for use in ripple patterns.

ehdc – extended half double crochet: A crochet stitch that extends a regular half double crochet in size and is great for adding some texture and almost a cord type of pattern through your project..

esc – extended single crochet: A crochet stitch that extends a regular single crochet in size.

etr – extended treble crochet: A crochet stitch that extends a regular treble (or triple) crochet in size.

FL or FLO – Front Loop or Front Loop Only: A crochet technique in which you perform a stitch by inserting your hook into the front loop of your project, often leaving the back loop for either a different stitch, or to create a ridged appearance.

foll – following: While I haven’t seen this too often in crochet, I have in many knit patterns. For example: foll alt row would indicate that you should follow the same pattern on the alternate row.

FP – Front Post: An instruction to perform the stitch indicated around the front of the post (or standing stitch) of the row below. Variations of this include: FPsc – Front Post single crochet, FPdc – Front Post double crochet, FPhdc – Front Post half-double crochet, FPdtr – Front Post double-treble crochet, FPtr – Front Post treble, or triple, crochet).

hdc – half double crochet: A basic crochet stitch.

hdc2tog – half double crochet 2 together: This is where you would decrease your stitch count and half double crochet two different stitches together to end up with one.

inc – increase: An instruction indicating that you will increase the stitch count of that row.

lp – loop: This is referring to the loops of yarn you enter with your crochet hook to perform a crochet stitch. There are 2 loops while you are working on a crochet piece, the front and back.

m – marker: Refers to a spot in your crochet where you’d add a marker (either a stitch marker, or I sometimes like to use a piece of yarn that is a contrasting color).

MC – Main Color: The main yarn color you are using for your project.

pat – pattern: The set of instructions you follow to create a crochet piece.

pc – popcorn stitch: A crochet stitch that combined several stitches in one to create a popcorn type of look.

pm – place marker: A tool used to mark your place in your project so that you can locate a certain point in your crochet project.

prev – previous: This instruction is often used to reference a previous instruction that you might need to do again, or to indicate something that was done on a previous row.

ps or puff – puff stitch: A technique used to make a stitch that puffs up from the fabric.

rem – remaining: An instruction used in crochet patterns to indicate following for the rem (remaining or remainder) of the row.

rep – repeat: To repeat a certain set of instructions. Normally denoted by asterisks — from * to *

rnd – round: When crocheting in the round, rnd or rnds is often used in instructions for rows in the round.

RS – right side: The right side, or side of the project that is designed to show most often.

sc – single crochet: A beginner crochet stitch.

sc2tog – single crochet 2 together: The act of crocheting two single stitches together to decrease it to one stitch.

sh – shell: A technique used to form the appearance of a shell in your crochet pattern.

sk – skip: An instruction to skip the next stitch in the pattern.

sl st – slip stitch: This crochet abbreviation is often used to join rows (if crocheting in the round), when you fasten off your project, or to create a certain pattern in your project.

sm or sl m – slip marker: A slip marker is more commonly known to the knitters as a marker that you slip from one stitch to another in your work. As opposed to a place marker where you simple place to marker at the spot and wait to be told what to do with it when you come around to it again..

sp – space: A sample of this would be, sc in the chain 3 sp. You’d single crochet three times in the chain 3 space.

st or sts – stitch or stitches: An instruction often used in crochet patterns.

tbl – through back loop: An instruction indicating that you only need to crochet into the back loop, not the front one.

tch or t ch – turning chain: This is the chain you make at the end of the row so that your row starts out at the same height as the rest of your stitches.

tog – together: A term often used in stitch decreasing where you crochet stitches together.

tr – treble crochet: A basic crochet stitch.

tr2tog – triple (or treble) crochet 2 together: Crocheting two treble stitches together in order to decrease the stitch count in your row.

trtr – triple treble crochet: A very tall crochet stitch great for patterns with bulky yarn.

WS – Wrong Side: The back of your crochet project.

yoh – yarn over hook: The instruction of placing the yarn over your hook before you insert your crochet hook into the stitch.

I hope that you picked up some helpful tidbits about crochet abbreviations today that you might not have known before. It’s helpful to bookmark these as a guide for when you are learning to read, or even write patterns. For resources on crochet terms and industry standards for pattern writing, visit the Craft Yarn Council website.