How to Read a Crochet Pattern: Abbreviations, Repeats and Stitch Counts

A crochet pattern is written in shorthand: abbreviations for stitches (ch, sc, dc), asterisks and brackets for repeats, and a stitch count at the end of each row. Read the materials, gauge and notes first, check whether it uses US or UK terms, then work one row at a time and count as you go.

By the Knit&Note team

The first time you open a crochet pattern it can look like code: 'Ch 1, sc in first st, *ch 1, sk next st, sc in next st; rep from * across, turn. (25 sts)'. Every piece of that line means something simple. Once you know a handful of conventions, most patterns read like a recipe.

Here is how to read one, from the top of the page to the last row.

Read the top of the pattern first

Skipping this part is where most trouble starts.

Terminology. US or UK terms. The same abbreviation means different stitches in each, so find this before anything else. If a pattern uses 'sc', it is US, because UK terms have no single crochet.
Materials. Yarn weight and amount, hook size, and extras like stitch markers and a yarn needle.
Gauge. How many stitches and rows fit in a set measurement. More on this below.
Sizes. Several sizes are usually written as S (M, L, XL), and every number in the instructions follows the same order.
Abbreviations and special stitches. Anything beyond the basics is explained here. Read it anyway, since designers sometimes work a stitch their own way.
Notes. Whether the turning chain counts as a stitch, whether rounds are joined, how the piece is put together. Small lines with big consequences.

The common abbreviations

These cover most beginner and intermediate patterns written in US terms:

ch: chain
sl st: slip stitch
sc: single crochet
hdc: half double crochet
dc: double crochet
tr: treble (or triple) crochet
st(s): stitch(es)
sk: skip
rep: repeat
inc: increase, usually two stitches worked into the same stitch
dec: decrease, often written sc2tog, two stitches worked together into one
yo: yarn over
RS / WS: right side / wrong side
BLO / FLO: back loop only / front loop only
sp: space, as in ch-1 sp, the gap made by a chain

Keep the list close for your first few projects. They stick on their own.

Repeats: asterisks, brackets and parentheses

Patterns compress repeated instructions so a row fits on one line. Designers vary a little, but these are the usual meanings.

Asterisk (*). Marks the start of a repeat. '*Sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * around' means: work the part after the asterisk, go back to the asterisk, and do it again until you reach the end of the round.
Double asterisk (**). Some patterns add a second marker inside a longer repeat, to say where to stop on the last time through, as in 'rep from * to ** once more'.
Brackets [ ]. A group to repeat a set number of times. '[Ch 1, sk next st, sc in next st] 5 times' means do everything inside the brackets five times in a row.
Parentheses ( ). Often a group of stitches worked into one stitch or space, like '(sc, ch 2, sc) in corner sp'. At the end of a row they usually hold the stitch count, and in sized patterns they hold the numbers for the other sizes.

If a repeat does not come out even at the end of the row, recount the previous row before you blame the pattern. Most of the time the extra or missing stitch is one row down.

Turning chains and stitch counts

When you work in rows, you turn at the end and chain a few stitches to bring the yarn up to the height of the next row. That is the turning chain. As a rough guide:

Single crochet: ch 1, which usually does not count as a stitch.
Half double crochet: ch 2, which may or may not count.
Double crochet: ch 3, which usually counts as the first stitch.

This decides where your first real stitch goes. If the chain counts as a stitch, you skip the first stitch and work into the next one. If it does not, you work into the first stitch. The notes should say which, and the stitch count will confirm it. On the very first row you will often see 'sc in 2nd ch from hook'. The chain closest to the hook is skipped and acts as the turning chain.

The stitch count, the number in parentheses after a row, is your checkpoint. Count at the end of every row while you are learning. Catching a missing stitch in row 4 takes a minute. Catching it in row 30 takes an evening.

Gauge, and when it matters most

Gauge (called tension in UK patterns) tells you how dense the fabric should be, for example '14 sts and 16 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in sc'. To check it, crochet a swatch a little bigger than 4 inches, measure across the middle, and count.

More stitches than the pattern: your fabric is tighter. Try a larger hook.
Fewer stitches than the pattern: your fabric is looser. Try a smaller hook.

For a garment like June Jacket, gauge decides whether the finished piece fits. For a bag, a basket or a blanket, being slightly off usually changes only the size and the amount of yarn. It is still worth checking, because running out of yarn two rows from the end is its own small heartbreak.

In the Knit&Note app

The Knit&Note pattern reader is made for exactly this. Tap an abbreviation and it explains the term, choose your own size, mark the line you are on, and keep a row counter that remembers the count you tap. Notes stay with the project, so the fix you worked out on row 12 is still there next time.

FAQ

What does 'rep from * across' mean?

Repeat the instructions after the asterisk again and again until you reach the end of the row. Then work any instructions that come after the repeat, and turn.

What do the numbers in parentheses at the end of a row mean?

That is the stitch count: how many stitches you should have when the row or round is done. In patterns with several sizes, parentheses inside the instructions hold the numbers for the other sizes.

Does the turning chain count as a stitch?

It depends on the pattern. With single crochet it usually does not, with double crochet it usually does. The pattern notes should say, and the stitch count will tell you for sure.