Reference / Reference

Glossary: US, UK, and antique terms

Every mapping below is taken directly from Frogproof's parser and prose translator. If a spelling is listed here, the app reads it; if it is not, the app will flag it rather than guess.

One warning before the tables. The app thinks in US terms. It normalizes antique American abbreviations and long-form names, but it does not auto-translate UK patterns: a UK pattern's "dc" (which means a US sc) would be read as a US double crochet. The UK column here is for human readers converting by hand.

Basic stitches

US name US abbr. Accepted spellings (what the app reads) UK equivalent Antique (1900s-1920s) Notes
chain ch ch, chain chain (ch) "Chain 3 stitches" (written out) Counting depends on role; see the chain
slip stitch sl st sl, sl st, slst, ss, slip, slip stitch slip stitch (ss) Sl. C. "Join with sl st" is stripped as structural, not counted
single crochet sc sc, single crochet double crochet (dc) Sg. C. Columbia/Priscilla-era manuals
half double crochet hdc hdc, half double crochet half treble (htr) (none found)
double crochet dc dc, double crochet treble (tr) D. C., D C Antique "D. C." = the modern US double
treble crochet tr tr, treble, trc, treble crochet, triple crochet double treble (dtr) Tr. C.
double treble dtr dtr triple treble (trtr) D. Tr.

Increases and decreases

Written form The app reads it as Count
inc, increase, increases Inc makes 2, uses 1
inx (common typo) Inc makes 2, uses 1
inv inc, invisible increase, inv. inc Inc makes 2, uses 1
2 sc in next st, 2 sc in the next stitch Inc makes 2, uses 1
2 dc in next st (also hdc, tr) DC inc (stitch-specific increase, fanned pair) makes 2, uses 1
3 sc in next st (any N > 2; also dc, hdc, tr) an N-in-one fan makes N, uses 1
dc inc, hdc inc, tr inc stitch-specific increase makes 2, uses 1
dec, decrease, decreases Dec makes 1, uses 2
inv dec, invisible decrease, inv. dec Dec makes 1, uses 2
sc2tog, dc2tog, tr2tog, 2 sc tog, 2 dc tog, 2 tr tog Dec makes 1, uses 2
sc dec, dc dec, tr dec Dec makes 1, uses 2
sc/hdc dec and other height-combination decreases Dec makes 1, uses 2
half trip dec, half triple dec (htr2tog) Dec makes 1, uses 2
hdc dec, hdc-dec, hdc2tog, 2 hdc tog, half double crochet decrease HDC-dec (its own stitch, own symbol) makes 1, uses 2
triple dec, triple sc dec 3 sc tog makes 1, uses 3
dec 1, inc 1 one Dec / one Inc (the lone 1 is dropped) as above
skip 1, sk 1, skip 1 stitch skip (the antique decrease) makes 0, uses 1

Special (composite) stitches

These are sized by the pattern: the app needs an explicit size (5-dc shell), a Special-stitches definition, or one earlier explicit use in the same pattern. A bare undefined name is flagged, never guessed.

Written form Aliases Count
5 dc shell sh makes 5, uses 1
3 dc cluster cl, tog, together makes 1, uses 3
5 dc popcorn pc makes 1, uses 1
4 dc bobble bo makes 1, uses 1
4 hdc puff (no short alias) makes 1, uses 1
picot (built in, no definition needed) makes 0, uses 0

Post stitches

Post stitches bind and count exactly like their base stitch; "post" is a working position the chart marks with a hook glyph, not a different count. See post stitches.

Written form Read as
fpsc, fp sc, front post single crochet sc worked around the front post
bpsc, back post sc sc, back post
fphdc / bphdc, front/back post half double crochet hdc, front/back post
fpdc / bpdc, front/back post double crochet dc, front/back post
fptr / bptr, front/back post treble tr, front/back post

Loops, placement, and structure words

Written form Meaning in the app
FLO front loop only (marked with the ∩ arc in charts)
BLO back loop only (marked with the ∪ arc)
FLO, at the start of a section scopes FLO to every group until the next period ends the section
back worked back along a chain just made; consumes no base
same (from "in the same stitch as...") into the same base as the previous stitch; consumes no base
magic ring, magic circle, magic loop, mc, mr, adjustable ring, ring the magic-ring start marker
ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook translated to "SC 6 in magic ring" (structurally identical)
ch 4, sl st to form a ring + stitches "in(to) the ring" translated to a magic ring of that many stitches
Chain 4 join, 2 Sg. C. into each stitch (antique chain-join start) a magic ring of chains × stitches-per-chain
sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across the classic flat-row start; skipped chains = ordinal minus 1
opposite side, other side (of the chain) the oval foundation-turn marker
join / both (without "with") layer-join marker: worked through both the previous round and an earlier layer
around-spike, "continuing up the side of the ch stitches..." stitches wrap an existing spike; consume no base
short row, short SC 16 a partial round; the rest of the previous round stays live
turn flags the piece as worked flat in rows ("do not turn" is the opposite)
x 6, x6, ×6, *6, Incx6 repeat six times
[24] or (24) at the end of a round the stated stitch count the validator checks against

Words the app silently strips (they make no stitches)

join with sl st (to first sc), sl st to beginning stitch, ch 1, turn / do not turn, fasten off / fo, weave in ends, leave a long tail, place (a stitch) marker / pm, stuff(ing)..., break thread, do not join but work around and around, there should be N sections/loops, repeat these rounds... (progressive-round meta), color labels like *LEGS*, and filler words (in, into, the, next, st, sts, stitch(es), each, sp, space(s), of, on, to, over, total, through, a, an).

Written-out numbers two through twelve before a stitch/loop/times reference are converted to digits ("each of two stitches" reads as "each of 2 stitches"). "One" is deliberately left alone because "3 sc in one" is syntax.

What is flagged, never guessed

See also