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It can be very confusing when working from a pattern found on the internet for beginners.
I couldn’t understand why my first attempts at crochet were so appallingly far from the accompanying photos. This was before I knew that the US terms were not the same as the UK ones.
Not only are there a wide range of crochet terms, but the US and the UK have similar sounding names for very different stitches.
This has a direct impact on sizing of your project, and if you are making a garment or any piece where size is critical, it can be devastating.
No one wants to frog an entire cardigan!
Always take the time to identify which set of terms your pattern is using to avoid this situation. On BabsGetsCrafty I always provide two sets of instructions, one each for US and UK terms.
My top tips for identifying which set of terms a designer has used are:
Read the pattern carefully. Most designers will include a description of either US or UK terms.
Download the relevant pattern. Some designers create different versions of the pattern, one for each set of terms. Make sure to download your desired version.
Where there is no hint from the designer, look for the term ‘single crochet’ or the abbreviation ‘sc’. This is exclusively used within US crochet, so if you spot it, you know which terms are used. Other terms to look for include “half double crochet” which doesn’t exist in UK crochet and “half treble crochet” which is not used in US crochet.
Once you know which set of terms a pattern is written in, you may find the translation table below helpful to convert between the two.
UK Terms US Terms
Chain Chain
Miss Skip
Slip Slip Stitch
Double Crochet Single Crochet
Half Treble Half Double
Treble crochet Double crochet
Double Treble Treble crochet
Triple Treble Double treble
Raised Treble Front/back Front/Back post double crochet