What is Crocheting?
A form of needlework, crocheting uses a single needle called a crochet hook which is used to create a myriad of projects. Popular crochet projects include: blankets, scarves, hats, shawls, socks, purses, tote bags, and that’s just scratching the surface!
This method uses various types of stitches, including:
- Chain stitch
- Single crochet stitch
- Double crochet stitch
- Half double crochet stitch
- Slip stitch
- Treble crochet stitch
- Double treble crochet stitch
- Triple treble crochet stitch
Learning and mastering these stitches gives you more control over your project. As you put your crochet hook to work, you’ll find that by combining these basic stitches you can fashion more complex patterns or projects.
Crochet Patterns, Terms, and Abbreviations
You’ll find that many projects start with a pattern. You can find these in a variety of places, from books and magazines to fiber stores and even online. Exploring your options can be exciting, as there is a seemingly infinite selection of patterns and projects to choose from.
However, if you’re just starting out in the crochet craft, selecting the right pattern may appear a bit intimidating or confusing and your options may seem overwhelming. That’s okay, don’t give up! You’ll pick up the terminology quickly. In the meantime, we’ve put together a list of common terms that you can reference along the way:
- Beg: Beginning
- Bl: Back loop
- Bp: Back post
- Ch(s): Chain(s)
- Cl: Cluster
- Dc: Double crochet
- Dec: Decrease
- Dtr: Double treble crochet
- Fl: Front loop
- Fo: Finish object
- Fp: Front post
- Half dc/Hdc: half double crochet
- Inc: Increase
- Incl: Include
- Oz: Ounce
- Pm: Place marker
- Pc: Popcorn
- Rep: Repeat
- *: How many time to repeat a specific set of instructions that follow an asterisk or are set in between a pair of asterisks
- ( ) or [ ]: Like an asterisk or set of asterisks, brackets and parentheses specify how many times to repeat a set of instructions