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

https://rowandround.app/guides/crochet/how-to-read-a-crochet-pattern · Crochet; published 2026-11-01, updated 2026-11-01 · Kallos Labs

> Read the pattern notes first, then check whether it uses US or UK terms. Work each line one repeat at a time, and treat the number at the end as a count to check, not a step.

A crochet pattern reads like a recipe written in shorthand. Learn the shorthand and each line becomes a short list of stitches, worked in order. Start with the notes at the top, check whether the pattern is in US or UK terms, work each line one repeat at a time, and use the number at the end of the line as a count to check. This guide goes through each part, and you can find more in our [crochet guides](https://rowandround.app/guides/crochet).

## What should you read before the first stitch?

Read the pattern information first, because it tells you how the rest is written. [Ribblr's guide](https://ribblr.com/learn/how-to-read-a-crochet-pattern) lists what to look for: abbreviations and special stitches, yarn weight, hook size, gauge, finished size, skill level, and whether the piece is worked in rows, rounds or separate pieces.

Special stitches deserve a practice swatch before you start. A bobble, a shell or a popcorn is easier to learn on its own than in the middle of a shaping round. If the pattern has its own stitch list, keep it next to you while you work, and look up any abbreviation you do not know before you start the first row. That's easier than guessing halfway across.

## Is the pattern in US or UK terms?

Check this before anything else. The same name can mean a different stitch. A UK stitch is one step taller than its US namesake. The Craft Yarn Council's [abbreviation list](https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/crochet-abbreviations) gives the pairs:

| US term | UK term |
|---|---|
| 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 (tr) | double treble (dtr) |

Gauge is also called tension in UK patterns. If the pattern does not say which system it uses, look at the stitch names. A pattern that mentions single crochet is in US terms, because the UK system has no stitch with that name.

Mixing them up costs you. [LoveCrafts](https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-gb/c/article/crochet-terms-uk-vs-us) warns that reading a UK pattern as US changes the size of what you make, since you work shorter stitches than the designer meant.

## What do asterisks, brackets and parentheses mean?

They all mark repeats or groups, and each has its own job. The [Craft Yarn Council](https://craftyarncouncil.com/node/49) describes them like this:

- Asterisk (\*): work the steps after it again, as many times as the line says. "\*Sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st; rep from \* across" means start over at the asterisk until you reach the end of the row. A double asterisk (\*\*) inside a repeat means some steps are skipped on the final repeat.
- Brackets [ ]: the number after the brackets says how many times to repeat what is inside. "[Sc, ch 2, sc] 3 times" means work that whole group three times.
- Parentheses ( ): stitches inside are all worked into the same stitch, such as a shell. Parentheses can also give sizes, as in "18 (20, 20, 22, 24) sts", where you follow the number for your size.

When you meet one of these, read the whole instruction once before you pick up the hook. Then work one repeat at a time and count your stitches after each. A stitch marker at the start of each repeat makes the count easy to check.

## What does the number at the end of a line mean?

It is the stitch count you should have when the line is done. The Craft Yarn Council is clear that a note like "14 sc" gives the expected total and is not an instruction. Treat it as a checkpoint. If it says 24 and you have 22, stop and fix it before the next row. Our guide on [how to count rows in crochet](https://rowandround.app/guides/crochet/how-to-count-rows-in-crochet) shows where to count the stitches themselves.

Two details change the count.

- The foundation chain. The slip knot and the loop on your hook are not stitches. In "Ch 15; sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across", you skip the first chain and work into the second.
- The turning chain. In single crochet the turning chain is usually not counted. In double crochet and taller stitches it is counted as the first stitch of the row. If your count is one off every row, this is the first place to look.

## Rows or rounds?

Patterns are worked either back and forth in rows or around in rounds, and the pattern notes say which. Rows end with a turn. Rounds go on in a circle, often started from a ring. "Ch 8, join with a slip stitch to form a ring" makes a ring to work into, and a [magic ring](https://rowandround.app/guides/crochet/what-is-a-magic-ring-in-crochet) is the other common start. Read right and left as the wearer's right and left, and right side (RS) and wrong side (WS) as the faces of the piece.

## Try it in Row & Round

Row & Round is coming soon to iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. The [highlighter bar](https://rowandround.app/features/highlighter-bar) sits on the line you are working, so you don't lose your place in a long repeat. The [row counter](https://rowandround.app/features/row-counter) keeps your row or round number, with one tap for the next. Your patterns stay on your device and there is no account.

## Bottom line

Read the notes, check US or UK, and take each line one repeat at a time. Treat the number at the end as a count to check. When the count is off, stop and look for the missed turning chain or the skipped stitch before you go on.

## Questions

### What does 'rep from *' mean in a crochet pattern?

Work the steps after the asterisk again, as many times as the line says, or across the row or round. The asterisk marks the spot where each repeat starts.

### Does the turning chain count as a stitch?

In double crochet and taller stitches it usually counts as the first stitch of the row. In single crochet it usually does not. The pattern notes should say, and they win over the rule of thumb.

### How do I tell if a pattern is US or UK?

Look for the words. A pattern that uses single crochet (sc) is in US terms, because UK terms have no stitch of that name. Words like tension and miss point to UK.

### Why is my stitch count off at the end of a row?

Stop and count back along the row to find where it changed. Common causes are a missed turning chain, a skipped last stitch, or two stitches worked into the same place.


## Sources

- [Craft Yarn Council: How to Read a Crochet Pattern](https://craftyarncouncil.com/node/49)
- [Craft Yarn Council: Crochet Abbreviations Master List](https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/crochet-abbreviations)
- [LoveCrafts: UK vs US Crochet Terms, Conversion Chart](https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-gb/c/article/crochet-terms-uk-vs-us)
- [Ribblr: How to read a crochet pattern](https://ribblr.com/learn/how-to-read-a-crochet-pattern)