You have found a pattern you love, and then you hit a line like this: Rnd 3: Ch 1, *2 sc in next st, sc in next st; rep from * around, join with sl st to first sc. (18 sc) — and your eyes slide straight off it.
Nothing is wrong with you. That line is not written in sentences, it is written in shorthand, and nobody is born knowing it. The good news is that there is not much of it. A crochet pattern only ever tells you five things, and once you can spot those five things in a line, every pattern on the internet opens up.
This guide takes you through it one piece at a time, with real lines you can decode, the charts you will want to print, and a small practice square at the end so you can prove to yourself that it stuck.
⬇ Jump straight to decoding a real line
The five things every line tells you: where you are (Row 3, Rnd 4), what stitch to make, how many times to make it, where to put the hook, and how many stitches you should end up with. That last one in the brackets is your safety net — it is how you catch a mistake before you have worked ten more rows on top of it.
One real line, fully decoded
Here is that line again. We are going to take it apart completely.
Rnd 3: Ch 1, *2 sc in next st, sc in next st; rep from * around, join with sl st to first sc. (18 sc)
- Rnd 3 — you are on round three. Rnd means round, so you are working in a circle and you do not turn your work. If it said Row 3 you would be working back and forth, and you would turn at the end.
- Ch 1 — chain one, to lift your yarn up to the height of a single crochet. In single crochet this chain is not a stitch. Do not count it, and do not work into it later.
- * — put a mental pin in this spot. Everything from here until rep from * is the bit you will repeat.
- 2 sc in next st — work two single crochets into one stitch. This is an increase. It is how a flat circle grows.
- sc in next st — one single crochet into the following stitch. Nothing grows here.
- ; rep from * around — go back to the * and do steps 4 and 5 again, over and over, all the way round the circle.
- join with sl st to first sc — close the ring by slip stitching into the top of the very first single crochet you made this round.
- (18 sc) — when you get back to the start you should have 18 stitches. Count them.
And here is where the 18 comes from, which is the part most guides leave out. Round 2 had 12 stitches. Each repeat uses up 2 stitches and makes 3 in their place. So 12 ÷ 2 = 6 repeats, and 6 × 3 = 18 stitches. The number in the brackets is not decoration — it is arithmetic you can check.
That is the whole skill. Everything below is just more vocabulary.
First, the one that ruins projects: US vs UK terms
This catches more people than every other part of pattern reading put together, and it is worth knowing before you buy yarn for anything.
The same two letters mean two different stitches depending on where the pattern was written. In a US pattern, dc is a double crochet. In a UK pattern, dc is a double crochet too — except a UK double crochet is what an American calls a single crochet. Work a US pattern using UK terms and every stitch in your blanket will be the wrong height.
| United States | United Kingdom & Australia | How tall |
|---|---|---|
| sl st slip stitch | sl st — slip stitch | flat, no height |
| sc single crochet | dc — double crochet | shortest real stitch |
| hdc half double crochet | htr — half treble | a little taller |
| dc double crochet | tr — treble | the workhorse height |
| tr treble crochet | dtr — double treble | tall and open |
| dtr double treble | trtr — triple treble | taller still |
| yo yarn over | yoh — yarn over hook | — |
| gauge | tension | — |
How to tell which one you are holding in ten seconds. Scan the pattern for the abbreviation sc. If it is there, you have a US pattern — UK patterns have no single crochet at all. If the shortest stitch in the pattern is called dc and there is no sc anywhere, it is written in UK terms. A pattern that uses the word tension rather than gauge is almost certainly British or Australian.
The abbreviations you will actually meet
There are hundreds in existence and you will use about twenty. These are the ones that turn up in nearly every pattern, in US terms.
| Short | Means | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| ch | chain | yarn over, pull through the loop on your hook |
| st / sts | stitch / stitches | the V shapes along the top of your work |
| sl st | slip stitch | joins, travels, adds no height |
| sc | single crochet | the short, dense one |
| hdc | half double crochet | one yarn over, pull through all three loops |
| dc | double crochet | one yarn over, then two pull-throughs |
| tr | treble crochet | two yarn overs, then three pull-throughs |
| inc | increase | two stitches into one stitch |
| dec | decrease | two stitches joined into one |
| sk | skip | miss that stitch out entirely |
| rep | repeat | go back and do it again |
| sp | space | the hole, not the stitch — see below |
| blo / flo | back / front loop only | hook into one loop, not both |
| fpdc / bpdc | front / back post dc | hook around the stitch, not into its top |
| RS / WS | right side / wrong side | which face of the fabric shows |
| MC / CC | main / contrast colour | which yarn to pick up |
| fo | fasten off | cut and pull the tail through |
If you want the complete list rather than the working set, we keep one here: crochet abbreviations, US and UK, in full.
Brackets, parentheses and asterisks
The punctuation is doing real work in a crochet pattern. It is not there for style — each mark changes what you do with your hook.
| Mark | What it means | Example, and what you actually do |
|---|---|---|
| * … | the start of a repeat | *sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from * around — work everything between the star and the semicolon, then start again at the star. |
| ( ) | a group worked into one place | (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next ch-2 sp — all five of those go into the same hole. That is one corner of a granny square. |
| [ ] | a group repeated a set number of times | [dc in next st, ch 1] 5 times — do that pair five times, using ten stitches. |
| ( ) at the end | your stitch count | … turn. (36 dc) — not an instruction. A checkpoint. |
| ( ) mid-line | a note to you | Ch 3 (counts as dc) — the chain is standing in for a stitch, so include it when you count. |
| ** | a second, nested repeat | rep from * to ** — stop the repeat at the double star rather than running to the end. |
| ; | end of the repeat | Everything after the semicolon is a one-off, not part of the repeat. |
The trap worth memorising: sp is not st. sc in next st means hook under both loops of the next stitch. sc in next ch-1 sp means hook into the gap that the chain made, going right past the stitches either side of it. Lace, granny squares and shell patterns are built almost entirely out of spaces, and putting your hook in the stitch instead of the hole is why a granny square comes out solid and stiff.
The number in brackets is your safety net
Every well-written pattern ends a row or round with a stitch count. Use it. It takes fifteen seconds and it saves an evening.
Say the pattern reads:
Row 5: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (24 sc)
- You count along the top of your row and get 23.
- One short means you almost certainly missed the last stitch of the row. It is the commonest mistake there is — the final stitch sits tucked under the turning chain and is easy to walk past.
- You count and get 25. One too many usually means you worked into the turning chain when it was not meant to count as a stitch.
Either way, you undo this row and redo it. What you must not do is carry on and hope. A single extra stitch repeated over forty rows is how a rectangle turns into a trapezoid.
What the rest of the pattern is telling you
Before the instructions start, there is a block of information that is easy to skim past. It is worth two minutes.
| Section | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Skill level | Beginner, easy, intermediate, advanced. Not a judgement — it tells you whether the designer will explain the tricky bits or assume you know them. |
| Yarn | The weight number matters far more than the brand. A pattern written for weight 4 will not behave in weight 6. |
| Hook | A starting suggestion, not a rule. Gauge decides the final hook. |
| Gauge | How many stitches fit in four inches. The single most skipped and most important line. |
| Finished size | Check this against what you actually want before you start, not after. |
| Notes | Where the designer puts the special stitches, whether the turning chain counts, and anything unusual. Read it. |
Gauge, with the arithmetic done
Gauge is how many stitches and rows fit into a four inch square of your fabric. Two people can follow the same pattern with the same yarn and the same hook and get pieces four inches apart in width, because one of them crochets tightly and the other loosely.
Here is what it looks like in real numbers.
Gauge: 14 dc and 8 rows = 4 in (10 cm)
- The pattern expects 14 ÷ 4 = 3.5 stitches per inch.
- You crochet a swatch, measure four inches across the middle, and count 16. That is 4 stitches per inch — you are crocheting tighter than the designer.
- The blanket is worked over 140 stitches. At the designer’s gauge that is 140 ÷ 3.5 = 40 inches wide. At yours it is 140 ÷ 4 = 35 inches. You would lose five inches.
- Fix: too many stitches per inch means your stitches are too small, so go up a hook size and swatch again. Too few means go down.
For a scarf, none of this matters much. For anything that has to fit a person or a mattress, it decides whether the project is wearable. If your stitch count is right but the piece is coming out too short, the problem is row height rather than stitch width.
Reading a symbol chart
Some patterns give you a picture instead of, or as well as, the words. Symbol charts look intimidating and are often easier than the writing, because you can see the shape you are making.
The symbols follow a logic once you see it. A chain is an oval, a slip stitch is a filled dot, and a single crochet is a small cross. Everything taller is built on a vertical stem, and the slashes across that stem are counting your yarn overs: no slash is a half double crochet, one slash a double, two a treble, three a double treble.
| If the piece is… | Start… | And travel… |
|---|---|---|
| Worked in rows | bottom right | right to left on right-side rows, left to right on wrong-side rows — the same way you physically turn |
| Worked in rounds | the centre | outwards, usually anticlockwise, following the round numbers |
| A square or motif | the centre | outwards, and the corners are usually marked with a group of symbols in one place |
Row numbers sit at the edge where that row begins, which is another way of telling you which direction it runs. When a pattern gives you both words and a chart, work from the words and use the chart to check the shape — that combination catches mistakes faster than either alone. There is a fuller reference here: 90+ crochet chart symbols made simple.
Now read one yourself
Here is a complete, genuinely small pattern. It makes a four inch practice square — useful as a dishcloth, a coaster or a gauge swatch. Read it before you pick up your hook and see how much of it you can now say out loud.
Practice Square
Yarn: worsted weight (4) cotton
Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
Gauge: 14 sc and 16 rows = 4 in (10 cm)
Finished size: about 4 in (10 cm) square
Ch 15.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (14 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in each st across, turn. (14 sc)
Rows 3–16: Rep Row 2.
Fasten off and weave in ends.
- Why 2nd ch from hook? The first chain is used up lifting the yarn to single crochet height, so it does not get a stitch. You chained 15 and get 14 stitches — and the pattern tells you so.
- Why does the ch 1 not count? Because the designer says so in the brackets. In single crochet it usually does not; in double crochet it usually does. This is exactly why the notes section is worth reading.
- What is (14 sc) doing there? Giving you a checkpoint at the end of every single row. If row 9 gives you 13, you have found the problem while it is still one row deep.
- Why 16 rows? The gauge says 16 rows make four inches, and the square is meant to be four inches tall. The pattern is doing the arithmetic in front of you.
When that feels easy, move up to a real project. A beginner washcloth is the natural next step, and if you want to practise the stitches themselves first we have the six basic crochet stitches and thirteen stitches illustrated clearly.
When it goes wrong, and what it usually means
| What you are seeing | What it usually is | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| One stitch short, every row | Missing the last stitch, which hides under the turning chain | At the end of each row, check whether the pattern wants you to work into the top of the turning chain |
| One stitch extra, every row | Working into a turning chain that was not meant to count | Re-read the notes: does ch 1 or ch 3 count as a stitch in this pattern? |
| Sides slanting instead of straight | Turning chain worked inconsistently | Do the same thing at the start and end of every single row |
| The bottom edge pulls in | Foundation chain crocheted too tightly | Work the starting chain with a hook one or two sizes larger, then switch back. Or try a firmer foundation chain |
| A flat circle is ruffling | Too many increases | Check the stitch count at the end of each round against the pattern |
| A flat circle is cupping | Too few increases, or your tension is tightening | Same check — the bracketed numbers will show you which round went wrong |
| The pattern says ch-2 sp and you cannot find one | You worked the chain stitches into a stitch instead of leaving them loose | The space is the gap under the chain, not a stitch |
If you crochet left-handed
Patterns are written right-handed, but you do not need a special version. Work everything in mirror image: rows run left to right instead of right to left, rounds go clockwise instead of anticlockwise, and on a symbol chart you start at the bottom left and travel to the right.
The stitches, the counts and the abbreviations are all identical. The only thing that reverses is direction. Where it does matter is on anything asymmetric — a cardigan with a buttonhole band, or colourwork with text — so read those patterns through once before starting, and expect your finished piece to mirror the photograph.
The short version
Check whether the pattern is US or UK. Read the notes to find out whether the turning chain counts. Work one line at a time, and treat the number in brackets at the end of each row as a checkpoint rather than a decoration. When something looks wrong, undo that row rather than the whole piece.
That is it. Everything else is vocabulary you will pick up by using it, and you do not have to learn it in advance.
Frequently asked questions
How do you read crochet brackets?
Square brackets mean “do this group this many times”. [dc in next st, ch 1] 5 times tells you to work a double crochet and a chain, five times over, using five stitches. Round brackets do a different job: (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next ch-2 sp means everything inside them goes into the same single space. And round brackets at the very end of a row, like (36 dc), are your stitch count.
What does sc in ch-1 sp mean?
Single crochet into the chain-one space — that is, into the little hole that a chain stitch made, not into a stitch. Push your hook through the gap itself, underneath the chain, ignoring the stitches on either side.
How do I know if a pattern is in US or UK terms?
Look for sc. UK patterns do not have a single crochet, so if you can see one anywhere in the pattern it is written in US terms. If the shortest stitch used is called dc and there is no sc at all, it is UK. The word tension instead of gauge is another strong clue.
What does “counts as a stitch” mean?
That the turning chain at the start of a row is standing in for the first stitch, so you include it when you count and you work into the top of it at the end of the next row. If the pattern says the chain does not count, you ignore it completely. Getting this backwards is the reason most beginners gain or lose a stitch every row.
Do I really have to make a gauge swatch?
For a scarf, a blanket or a dishcloth, no — being an inch out will not spoil it. For a garment, a hat or anything sized to a person, yes. Ten minutes of swatching is cheaper than discovering at row 90 that the sweater fits nobody in the house.
What is the difference between a row and a round?
A row is worked back and forth, and you turn your work at the end of each one. A round is worked continuously in a circle and you do not turn. Patterns abbreviate them as Row and Rnd, and the difference tells you at a glance whether you are making something flat and rectangular or something circular or tubular.
How long does it take to get good at this?
Most people can read a straightforward pattern confidently after two or three small projects. It is not memorisation — it is recognition, and it arrives faster than you expect once you stop trying to learn the abbreviations in advance and just start working through a pattern with this page open beside you.
