Stitch Overview

Chain

UK: chain (ch) ~ US: chain (ch) ~ French: maille enl´air (ml) ~ Spanish: cadeneta (cad) ~ German: Luftmasche (Lftn) ~ Italian: punto catenella

most crochet work begins with a foundation chain, make a slip knot on hook, you will have one loop on hook (do not count this loop as a chain), * YO & draw through this loop (you have made one chain), repeat from * for number of chains required

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Slip stitch

UK: slip stitch (sl st, ss) ~ US: slip stitch (sl st) ~ French: maille coulee ~ Spanish: punto enano (pe) ~ German: Kettmasche ~ Italian: maglia bassissima

Slip stitch is the shortest crochet stitch used for joining, shaping & taking yarn to another part of motif or work (button hole for example)

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double crochet

UK: double crochet (dc) ~ US: single crochet (sc) ~ French: maille serrée ~ Spanish: punto bajo (pb) ~ German: Feste Masche (fM) ~ Italian: maglia bassa (m. bassa)

Foundation Chain: insert hook into 2nd chain from hook, * YO & draw up a loop (2 loops on hook), YO & draw through both loops on hook, insert hook into next chain & repeat from * in each chain across

Subsequent rows: 1 ch, turn, insert hook into first st, * YO & draw up a loop (2 loops on hook), YO & draw through both loops on hook, insert hook into next st & repeat from * in each st across

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treble

UK: treble (tr) ~ US: double crochet (dc) ~ French: bride (br) ~ Spanish: punto alto doble (pad) ~ German: Stäbchen (Stb) ~ Italian: maglia alta (m. alta)

Foundation Chain: YO & insert hook into 5th chain from hook, * YO & draw up a loop (3 loops on hook), (YO & draw through 2 loops) twice, (you have now made 2 tr) YO & insert hook into next chain & repeat from * in each chain across

Subsequent rows: 3 ch (beginning ch, these 3 ch count as your first treble), turn, YO & insert hook into next st, * YO & draw up a loop (3 loops on hook), (YO & draw through 2 loops) twice, YO & insert hook into next st & repeat from * in each st across including beginning ch

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half treble

UK: half treble (htr) ~ US: half double crochet (hdc) ~ French: demi-bride (demi-br) ~ Spanish: punto alto (pa) ~ German: Halbe Stäbchen (h.Stb) ~ Italian: mezza maglia alta

Foundation Chain: YO & insert hook into 3rd chain from hook, * YO & draw up a loop (3 loops on hook), YO & draw through all 3 loops, YO & insert hook into next chain & repeat from * in each chain across

Subsequent rows: 2 ch (Beginning ch, these 2 ch count as your first half treble), turn, YO & insert hook into next st, * YO & draw up a loop (3 loops on hook), YO & draw through all 3 loops, YO & insert hook into next st & repeat from * in each st across including beginning ch,

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double treble

UK: double treble (dtr) ~ US: triple crochet (trc) ~ French: double bride (d-br) ~ Spanish: punto alto triple (pat) ~ German: Doppel-stäbchen(D-Stb) ~ Italian: maglia altissima

Foundation Chain: YO & insert hook into 6th chain from hook, * YO twice & draw up a loop (4 loops on hook), (YO & draw through 2 loops) 3 times, YO twice & insert hook into next chain & repeat from * in each chain across

Subsequent rows: 4 ch (these 4 ch count as your first treble), turn, YO twice & insert hook into next st, * YO & draw up a loop (4 loops on hook), (YO & draw through 2 loops) 3 times, YO twice & insert hook into next st & repeat from * in each st across including beginning ch

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treble Cluster

UK: cluster (CL) ~ US: cluster (CL) ~ French: grappe ~ Spanish: punto altos cerrados en / el mismo punto ~ German: Büschelasche ~ Italian: maglia raggruppata

Clusters are groups of unfinished stitches where the last loop of each unfinished stitch is left on the hook & then drawn together.

Clusters can be worked over number of stitches (also used as a decrease) or in a specific st or sp (also known as Bobbles) & can be made with htr, tr or dtr & other high posted stitches

Treble Cluster:

(YO, insert hook in stitch or space as indicated by pattern & draw up a loop, YO & draw through 2 loops on hook) as many times as indicated by pattern, YO & draw through all loops on hook.

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treble Popcorn

UK: popcorn (PC) ~ US: popcorn (PC) ~ French: popcorn ~ Spanish: puntos altos cerrados juntas / con una cadeneta ~ German: popcorn–Masche ~ Italian: nocciolina

popcorns can also be made using htr, dtr & other high posted stitches

Popcorn:

Work 5 tr in st or sp as indicated by pattern, drop loop from hook, insert hook in first st of group, pick up dropped loop & draw through, 1ch to close

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Puff stitch

UK: puff stitch (puff st) ~ US: puff stitch (puff st)

Puff Stitch:

(YO, insert hook in st or space as indicated by pattern, YO and pull up a loop even with hook) 3 or 4 times as indicated by pattern, YO and draw through all 7 or 9 loops on hook, 1 ch to close

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Front Post treble


UK: front post (FP) ~ US: front post (FP) ~ French: double bride en relief avant ~ Spanish: punto alto triple en relieve por / delante de la labor ~ German: vorderes Maschenglied ~ Italian in costa davanti

Front post stitches are made by working around the post (stem) of a stitch & creates a relief effect

Front Post treble: YO, insert hook from front around stitch as indicated by pattern & draw up a loop, (YO & draw through 2 loops) twice

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Back Post treble


UK: back post (BP) ~ US: back post (BP) ~ French: double bride en relief arriére ~ Spanish: punto alto triple en relieve por / detras de la labor ~ German: hinteres Maschenglied ~ Italian: in costa dietro

Back post stitches are made by working around the post (stem) of a stitch & creates an indented effect

Back Post treble: YO, insert hook from back around stitch as indicated by pattern & draw up a loop, (YO & draw through 2 loops) twice

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3 chain picot

UK: picot ~ US: picot ~ French: picot (pi)~ Spanish: piquito ~ German: Pikot (pi) ~ Italian: pippiolino

Picots are a number of chains secured by a slip stitch or double crochet to form a small ring – most often used in edging but can be used in conjunction with other stitches & especially useful in crochet lace work

The number of chain can vary according to the pattern instructions

3 chain Picot: make 3 ch, ss into 3rd ch from hook

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Shells & Fans


UK: shell / fan ~ US: shell / fan

Shell & fans are groups of complete stitches that are worked in a stitch or space as indicted by the pattern & can be made using htr, tr, dtr & other high posted stitches

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10 Responses to Stitch Overview

  1. roser acha says:

    Gracias, thank you very much. You are very helpfull and your crochet tutorials are the best that I found. Sorry my english and thank you very much again, your an Artist.

  2. toto says:

    Thank you so much for sharing this terminology! It’s very helpful. Recently I get used to read patterns in English and now am trying to read one in Italian. It looked like a cryptography… But thanks for your site, now I can read a little by little. Brava!!

  3. Grit says:

    Merci beaucoup pour votre terminologie! Very, very helpfull

  4. tiffani says:

    you’re a master of the art- i am trying to make simple squares with just single stitches. for some reason they ALWAYS end up a triangle instead of a square- i’m even adding ONE at the end of each row. I’m baffled and would KEEEEL for help.

    tif

    • rensfibreart says:

      Oh dear, that must be frustrating… do you count your stitches at the end of each row? have you perhaps missed a stitch along the way? when working in dc (US sc) are you going into the very first stitch? when working in tr (US dc) are you going into the 3-ch beginning ch at the end of the row? (remember that the 3-ch beginning chain is always counted as a stitch)

      have a look in ‘Tips & tricks…. do you know….’ there’s some info about where to work your first & last stitches which may help to clarify

      hopefully this has been some help to you…

  5. madove says:

    Love love love from germany -from someone who has been trying to read different patterns in different languages painfully and now finally has the translations.
    Thank you SO much – also for the rest of you site – I am into freeform crochet, too, but until now I didn’t know it (I thought I was combining weird invented patterns and colours because i am too easily bored by the repetition and I lack discipline, but seeing your wonderful gallery I realize I always did it on purpose beacause I love the powerful, grown-looking results. )
    Thank you.

  6. Rachel says:

    Riiiiight. I just discovered about 10 000 new stitches that I didn’t know about. Hmmm. I’ve got some work to do!

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