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US and UK Crochet Terms For Beginners.

In this post, I’ve explained what the key differences are for crochet beginners. Below you’ll find a really simple chart showing you the crochet terms for beginners. This will help you understand every English pattern you come across, as some are written using US terms, and some are written using UK terms!

US and UK crochet terms for beginners explained: What is the difference between them and why should you know?

Every crochet beginner at some point will come across US and UK crochet terms. Some will learn the difference straight away and others will ignore and steer clear of the ‘alternative’ until they see something they really want to make. However, I want to show you how easy it is to learn the differences and I will explain why I want you to learn them.

Firstly, imagine that you didn’t know about any of this and have just made your first crochet sweater. You are so excited to throw it on but you realise when trying it on that something isn’t right. The piece feels way too big. What could be causing the mishap?

Was the crochet book or pattern using US or crochet terms? Oh dear.

I’ve done it myself. I’ve made things that are far too small and tight because they were written in US terms and I had just finished watching a tutorial in UK terms. Whoops. We all live and learn. Did you know that as well as your hook size and yarn choice, it is also crochet terminology that can severely impact the finished result of your item? (gauge and tension are the same, by the way) I’ll explain why here:

US and UK crochet terminology chart

UK term	US term
Double crochet (Dc)	Single crochet (Sc)
Half treble crochet (Htr)	Half double crochet (Hdc)
Treble crochet (Tr)	Double crochet (Dc)
Double treble crochet (Dtr)	Treble crochet (Tr)
Triple treble crochet (Trtr)	Double treble crochet (Dtr)

Why is there a difference between these terms?

I have a theory that UK crochet terms are based on how many loops you have on the hook after inserting it into the chain for the first time. For example, when you insert the hook into the stitch to make a US single crochet, you have two loops on the hook. When you insert the hook to make a US double crochet, you have three loops on the hook. This would explain why it is called a treble in UK terms, with treble meaning three times.

This would then mean that the US terms are based on the movements of the hook, for example:

Single crochet:

Insert hook, yarn over and pull through both loops on the hook. It was an unbroken motion, whereas US double crochet would go like this:

Yarn over, insert hook, yarn over and pull through 2 loops (just like single), yarn over pull through another 2 loops. We essentially doubled the motion of single crochet, and that might be why it is called double crochet.

It’s only a theory anyway, but I hope that you find the chart useful.

Knowing the difference between US crochet terms and UK crochet terms won’t always be this hard.

Just remember that if you see ‘single crochet’ on a pattern or video tutorial, then the pattern is definitely using US terms, as single crochet does not exist in UK terms.

In the grand scheme of things, there are only 5 stitches to learn, Chain stitch is the same and slip stitch is the same. I would advise any crochet enthusiast to learn both sets of terms. There are several reasons for this:

Crochet patterns are global now.
Only learning one set of terms restricts your access to all crochet patterns and we wouldn’t want that.
It would help you to read vintage crochet patterns easily.

Fortunately, most crochet designers will state clearly in the description or the pattern if the pattern is written in US or UK crochet terms. I use both when working with other people’s patterns but I publish my patterns using US terms. On pattern platforms such as Ravelry and Lovecrafts, you can filter patterns based on whether they use US or UK crochet terms.

Although this is a good feature, I would always recommend that you learn and use both sets of terms, as a crochet terminology chart is only a click away. Nothing makes me sad quite like a crocheter tell me that they couldn’t make the item because they “couldn’t be bothered” learning the other terms. There is a whole world of crochet out there and I want you to see it for yourself. Do not let it limit your crochet dreams.

I hope you found my post about crochet terms for beginners helpful! be sure to share it with others.

If you’d like to learn more crochet, check out these other blog posts for beginners:

How to crochet a granny square.

What is a chain space?

June 11, 2025

Crochet hook sizes. Conversion chart for crochet hooks.

In the world of crochet, the names we use are different depending on where you are on the world. Here is a beginner’s crochet hook conversion chart.

If you are learning to crochet or vaguely familiar with it, it may have caused you some confusion when looking at hook sizes. For example, if you are in the UK and the pattern you are using is from the US, it might ask you for a hook size that resembles a letter of the alphabet rather than a number. The best way to get your head around this is by using a crochet hook conversion chart.

Size really matters when you’re learning to crochet.

Hooks are sized in accordance with the thickness of the shaft. This is important as we need to know which hook suits the yarn that we are using. As you will see in the chart below, the hook sizing is complicated but hopefully this will make things a little bit easier for you.

Measurements of crochet hooks.

Whilst most of us refer to metric units of measurements, there will still be a vintage pattern or a US pattern that could cause confusion.

Metric (millimetre)	US letter	US number	UK old
2mm		0	14
2.25mm	B	1	13
2.50mm		1 1/2
2.75mm	C	2	12
3mm		3	11
3.25mm	D	3	10
3.5mm	E	4
3.75mm	F	5	9
4mm	G	6	8
4.5mm		7	7
5mm	H	8	6
5.5mm	I	9	5
6mm	J	10	4
6.5mm	K	10 1/2	3
7mm			2
7.5mm			1
8mm	L	11	0
9mm	N	13
10mm	P	15
12mm

June 11, 2025

How to get your granny squares right every time. Granny square help!
When I’ve been teaching my crochet students, often we will come across beginner problems. These are nothing to worry about and everybody makes mistakes when they’re starting out with crochet. If you’ve been making a granny square and it seems to be changing shape, curling, flopping or frilling, hopefully I can help with that!
With these simple methods, you can be sure that there is an easy fix for your granny square dilemma.
How to get your granny squares right every time. Here are some tips and tricks from Hanna, a crochet teacher and designer.
If you are new to crochet (or not so new) and have issues when it comes to making granny squares, there could be a few reasons why it’s not going well. Here I will talk about the most common reasons and I will offer solutions on how to address them.
Tension
Those who are new to crochet fall into the camps of too tight or too loose, mostly. This is normal and is a symptom of crochet being a brand new skill for you to learn. We cannot crochet like a pro after one youtube video. We all go wrong somewhere. For newcomers, it is usually tension. Here are three things that I advise:
1. Choose a bigger or smaller hook than what has been prescribed. If your squares are tight, curling up or looking round, it could be that your hook size is too small. If your square is really floppy and ruffling, it could be that the hook is too large. I always advise increasing by 0.5mm each time. For example, if I was to use DK yarn and a 4mm hook, the tension may be too tight, so I would have to use a 4.5mm hook to see a more relaxed tension. This is inevitable for some people. Some of us will always crochet tightly and some will always crochet loosely. This is why you need to look at your own stitches and see if they are smaller or larger than the pattern suggests. Adjust accordingly.
2. Make more chains than what is suggested. This is a simple trick and allows your corners to sit properly. If the pattern calls for one chain between your corner clusters, make 2. See how that works. If the pattern calls for 3 chains between clusters at the sides, perhaps chain 4 to help it relax. You will know what works when you see your square. Is it lying flat? Bingo.
3. What yarn you use can affect tension. Not all DK weight yarn is the same. Some are slimmer, some are bulkier. The category is quite broad. Take this into account when you are making your granny square. Also take into account the fibre. A standard acrylic such as Hayfield bonus may have less stretch and ability to relax after the square is made. Wool and cotton can be more forgiving after a soak and a block. If you have a tight square and it is acrylic, I would advise ripping back and starting again.
Click here to see the full granny square tutorial.
June 11, 2025
Improve your crochet in five easy steps.How to get better at crochet TODAY.
Do you want to improve your crochet skills but don’t know what to do next? Here are a few quick and simple tips to make learning to crochet even easier. These little tips will be easy to implement in a day.
These crochet tips might help you improve your crochet at a moment’s notice, or they might take a while longer to implement. Go easy on yourself!
Death by Granny square- stop doing this.
People do ‘death by granny square’ and I never understand why. They keep picking up that granny square and even though they’re not getting it, they keep sticking that hook in and get upset when it becomes a circle or a triangle instead. My advice? Put it down and walk away. If there’s something about the granny square that you’re not getting, please put it down and do something else for an hour, a couple of hours or a full day.
There is no eye opening experience greater than coming back to your granny hodge-podge and seeing exactly where you went wrong. There may be too many corners. There may not be enough corners. You won’t see the forest for the trees if you keep staring at it in despair.
Here’s a quick video showing you how to make a basic granny square. I’ve slowed down as much as I can but you can also adjust the speed settings on the video to watch it in slow motion if you need more time.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=u0FFaFjJj7M%3Fsi%3DXxQyaH9N471wi4kQ
I also have this handy little print out available so you can study the granny square in even more detail.
Stop your crochet stitches blending into lingo soup.
Stop your crochet stitches from blending into lingo soup from today. There’s a really easy method for this one: Learn your terms. No, seriously, it will save you so much hassle. Here’s a handy chart showing you what’s what. There are only 4 main stitches to know, here. Is it really that hard or are you actively resisting?
If you’re still struggling, here’s my crochet stitch guide for beginners. It’s a simple and quick companion of the basic stitches in coloured photographs as well as their UK names, US names and instructions. It’s extremely handy to use if you’re using Youtube to learn or if you’re trying to read patterns.
Stop comparing yourself to others. Switch the social media off.
It’s so easy to scroll through social media and be inspired by all of the amazing crochet out there. It’s also incredibly easy to give yourself a heavy dose of comparison-itis. You can’t help it. Instagram and Tiktok are set up for this kind of thing. After seeing hundreds of beautiful crochet pieces, you could easily come away feeling like you’ll never be that good. Where you’re at today is probably where those people were 5 years ago. There really is no basis for comparison here.
In the time you just spent scrolling social media (you’d be amazed at how much time flies when you’re doom scrolling) you could have worked on your crochet!
Ok, your crochet may not be that pretty– yet. Stop using instagram for a couple of days and focus on what you’re doing. Turn your phone off for half an hour (or disable apps if you need it on for emergencies) and focus solely on the crochet. These are short bursts of time that we could really stick with if we removed all other distractions. Even as little as a dedicated half hour once a week would make a huge difference to your crochet skills.
Don’t crochet when you’re drunk or tired.
Both of these instances produce similar results (ask me how I know). The more tired you are, the more mistakes you will make. If you’re ok with that, hook on! If you’re not, put it to one side and try again tomorrow.
This didn’t really need mentioning, did it?
Crochet something small.
Making small things for a while is absolutely fine. Your first crochet project doesn’t have to be a blanket or a garment. Make a toy, a baby item or a small accessory. You”d be amazed at the way you get that hit of accomplishment in a relatively small amount of time.
What have you tried to help you improve your crochet? Did it work? Let me know in the comments!
These are just five simple ways to improve your crochet. If you have any other ideas that could help people improve their crochet, be sure to drop them into the comments.
See also:
Crochet terms chart for beginners.
Crochet stitch guide for beginners.
June 11, 2025
Beginner guide to yarn substitution.
Yarn substitution is something that can seem complicated, but once you know what to look out for, you can use up your stash! Yarn substitution is a really handy skill that every yarn wielder needs to know, as not all yarn will be available forever.
Ever downloaded a pattern and find that the yarn used in the sample photos isn’t even available in your country? Or that it is but it is way out of your budget? Would you prefer to use up your stash and stick with something you have?
This is all easy to sort out with some simple yarn substitution.
Substituting based on the label:
Meterage/yardage.
Don’t just go with the same weight- how many balls of your sub yarn do you need?
Say for example the yarn in the pattern asks for a brand of DK yarn that is 100m per 100g ball and the yarn that you’re using is 200m per ball, you’ll need 50% fewer balls of yarn. Some patterns will tell you the exact meterage/yardage and this makes it really easy to substitute.
How thick is it?
Don’t be fooled by the label saying “DK”. For a long time, Cygnet Boho Spirit was labellled as a DK even though it works up as a worsted. Their Truly wool rich DK is also on the thick side, so it’s worth finding out for yourself before you jump into a pattern.
If you’re trying to use up stash yarn and some balls are missing labels, you can also measure wpi (wraps per inch).
How do I measure wraps per inch?
Take a pencil or a standard pen and wrap your yarn around it several times. You need to wrap until you’ve done at least 2.5cm (1 inch). Take a measuring tape or a ruler and measure how many wraps you can fit in an inch.
I can fit 23 wraps to an inch on this pen. I can now look at the yarn chart above and see that my yarn belongs in the #1 category for “light fingering, 4ply”. This is a great way to see how thick your yarn is if you’ve lost the label. I would therefore be able to use this yarn in a pattern that calls for light fingering or 4ply.
Swatching
Whilst I do not expect anybody to go out and buy a ball of every potential yarn to swatch with, I do suggest that you do this if the yarn is all to hand i.e in your stash already. Not only will you get to see how it works up but you will also be able to see if you like it and if you think it will work with the project.
Always use the gauge/tension as your guide and you will not go wrong. People sometimes ask me “what yarn do you recommend?” for my patterns if they are in a country where the yarn is not available or if the recommended yarn is out of budget. My answer is always:
Whatever yarn gives the correct meterage.
Whatever yarn meets the gauge required.
If you are looking to buy new yarn for a project and don’t know what would be a good substitute, you can always use yarnsub.com for extra help choosing.

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June 11, 2025
The Crochet Blog
Here you’ll find all the crochet-related blog posts as well as free patterns and links to my ravelry and youtube.
June 11, 2025
Easy 2 needle flat knit socks pattern
This simple two needle flat knit socks pattern is a straightforward, simple way to learn the basic construction of a sock. Many knitters are hesitant to try socks on double pointed or circular needles, so I designed this pattern as a confidence builder. This pattern also covers the square heel, which is my favourite type of sock heel: The Square heel. Here’s a video showing you how to knit this heel:

This is a free pattern for two needle socks knit flat. You can either use the blog pattern for free, or if you’d like, here’s the easy PDF for your own convenience.
Whether you are looking to try a different construction for socks or you simply prefer knitting flat, these socks are for you. No side, toe or heel seams are required; just one simple seam up the front of the sock. The heel is worked using short rows and the toe consists of a drawstring finish.
Materials required to make these flat knit socks:
60g (70g, 90g) of 4ply sock yarn.
Yarn used in socks pictured is Gamer Crafting Sock 4-ply [75% Merino, 25% Nylon, 400m per 100g] in ‘Pride Was A Riot’.
2mm and 2.5mm needles (or size needed to obtain gauge) for working flat.
4 stitch markers.
Darning needle.
Gauge:
32 sts and 38 rows to 10cm/4 inches in stocking stitch on larger needles.
Finished Foot/Leg Circumference:
Size 1: 17.5cm/7 inches
Size 2: 20cm/8 inches
Size 3: 22.5cm/9 inches
Sample shown in size 2.
Length of leg from cuff to heel is 24cm/9.5 inches.
Foot length from back of heel to toe is 24cm/9.5 inches.
Glossary:
K: Knit
K2tog: Knit two stitches together. (1 stitch decreased)
M1L: Pick up the bar between the stitch you have just knitted and the next stitch, bringing the needle from the front to the back. Knit into the back. (1 stitch increased)
M1R: Pick up the bar between the stitch you have just knitted and the next stitch, bringing the needle from the back to the front. Knit into the front. (1 stitch increased)
P: Purl
P2tog: Purl two stitches together. (1 stitch decreased)
PM: Place marker
PSSO: Pass slipped stitch over
RS: Right side of work
SKP: Slip one stitch knitwise, knit one stitch, pass slipped stitch over knitted stitch. (1 stitch decreased)
SM: Slip marker
SSK: Slip two stitches separately knitwise to right-hand needle, knit them together through the front of the stitches. (1 stitch decreased)
St(s): Stitch(es)
WS: Wrong side of work
Cast on your flat knit socks.
Leg
With smaller needles, cast on 56 (64, 72) sts.
Rib row: [K1, P1] to end of row.
Repeat Rib row to work 1×1 rib until cuff measures 5cm/2 in, ending after a WS row.
Switch to larger needles.
Work stocking stitch (knit on RS, purl on WS) until leg measures 18.5cm/7.25 in from cast-on edge, ending after a WS row.
Next, it’s time to shape the heel. Pay close attention to this part because if you don’t have the right amount of stitches, your heel won’t sit right.
RS: K14 (16, 18), PM (marker 1), M1R, PM (marker 2), K28 (32, 36), PM (marker 3), M1L, PM (marker 4), K to end.
WS: P all sts.
RS: K to marker 1, SM, K to marker 2, M1R, SM, K to marker 3, SM, M1L, K to marker 4, SM, Knit to end.
WS: P all sts.
Repeat last 2 rows another 8 (9, 10) times, until you have increased 10 (11, 12) sts on either side of the heel markers, ending after a WS row. 76 (86, 96) sts in total.
Now, turn the heel with short rows. See the video above if you’re still unsure about this part.
RS: K to marker 1, SM, K to marker 2, SM, K17 (20, 23), SKP. Turn work.
WS: P7 (9, 11), P2tog. Turn.
RS: K to 1 stitch before the gap which has formed, SKP. Turn.
WS: P to 1 stitch before gap, P2tog. Turn.
Repeat last 2 rows another 8 (9, 10) times, until there are 28 (32, 36) heel sts between markers 1 and 4, ending after a WS row. This is the number of heel stitches you started with; your work will be RS facing with marker 2 on your right-hand needle.
Knitting the foot of your flat knit sock.
Remove marker 2. Insert needle as though making a M1R but instead of knitting, slip the twisted stitch on to right-hand needle. K1 and PSSO. K to marker 3, remove marker, insert needle as though making a M1L but slip the twisted stitch onto left-hand needle and K2tog. K to marker 4, SM, K to end.
You can remove markers 1 and 4 while you work the foot; you will need them again when you reach the toe.
Work rest of foot in stocking stitch until it measures 5 (6, 6.5)cm/2 (2.25, 2.5) in less than desired length.
It’s time to shape the toe of your sock.
RS: K12 (14, 18), SSK, PM, K2tog, K22 (28, 28), SSK, PM, K2tog, K to end. (4 sts decreased)
WS: P all sts.
RS: K to 2 sts before marker, SSK, SM, K2tog, K to 2 sts before marker, SSK, SM, K2tog, K to end.
(4 sts decreased)
WS: P all sts.
Repeat last 2 rows another 8 (10, 11) times, until there are 16 (16, 20) sts in total.
Finishing your sock
Cut a long tail of yarn and, with a darning needle, thread tail through remaining sts and pull tight to close. Then, using mattress stitch, seam up the front of the sock. Weave in yarn ends.
I hope you enjoy your new, flat knit socks. Let me know how you get on in the comments.
Feeling confident?
You can stay here if you’re feeling happy with your flat knit socks. However, there is the option to progress to knitting in the round! I have a pattern for an adult size sock or a smaller, novelty sock that can also be used for babies. If you’d like to try, you can have a go at knitting socks in the round.

Patterns:
January 12, 2025