US to UK crochet terms converter
Crochet pattern writers in the US and the UK use the same stitch names for different stitches, which makes patterns confusing. Paste a line, a round or a whole pattern and convert it. All of it happens in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
US and UK stitch names
| US term | UK term |
|---|---|
| chain (ch) | chain (ch) |
| slip stitch (sl st) | slip stitch (ss) |
| single crochet (sc) | double crochet (dc) |
| half double crochet (hdc) | half treble (htr) |
| double crochet (dc) | treble (tr) |
| treble (triple) crochet (tr) | double treble (dtr) |
| double treble crochet (dtr) | triple treble (trtr) |
The short version: for the main stitches, the UK name is one step up the list from the US name for the same stitch. A US single crochet is a UK double crochet; a US double crochet is a UK treble. Chain stitches are the same in both. A US slip stitch is called a slip stitch in the UK too, abbreviated ss rather than sl st. Compound stitches convert the same way: a US sc2tog is a UK dc2tog, and a US front post double crochet (FPdc) is a UK front post treble (FPtr).
Other words that differ
| US | UK |
|---|---|
| skip (sk) | miss |
| gauge | tension |
| yarn over (yo) | yarn over hook (yoh) |
How to tell which terms a pattern uses
Look for the pattern's abbreviation list, which should say what each term means. If there is none, the stitch names usually give it away: "tension" (rather than gauge) and "htr" or "ss" point to UK terms, while "gauge", "hdc" and "sl st" point to US terms. A stitch picture or the pattern's stated gauge will settle it. Each of our patterns is written in US terms and lists its abbreviations in the PDF; see the crochet glossary for the full list.
What this tool does and does not convert
- It converts stitch names and abbreviations (including counts such as 3dc and decreases such as sc2tog), and optionally skip, gauge and yarn over wording.
- It converts each word once, so a US sc becomes dc and is not then converted again to tr.
- It does not convert Tunisian terms, special stitches that have their own names, or the "raised" post-stitch names some UK patterns use. Check the pattern's own definitions for those.
- It cannot see which system a pattern is written in. Pick the direction that matches your source, and check the result against the pattern's stitch counts.
Questions
Why does the same word mean two things?
The US and UK name the same stitches differently, and the names overlap: a US double crochet is the stitch a UK pattern calls a treble, while a UK double crochet is a US single crochet. So a pattern marked "dc" can mean a different stitch depending on where it was written.
Are your patterns US or UK?
US. Every PDF says so on the first page, and the glossary lists the abbreviations. If you prefer UK terms, paste a line from the pattern here to convert it. Our counting guide explains how to check the result, and the free granny square is a short pattern to try it on.
Sources
These are the references the tables and ranges on this page were compared against. They are guidelines, and makers differ slightly, so your pattern's own hook and gauge always win.
