US Standard Crochet Format

These are not all the abbreviations, just those that are used the most.

Standard Crochet Format

ch = chain

sc = single crochet

hdc = half double crochet

dc = double crochet

inc = increase

dec = decrease

slst = slip stitch

sp = space

blo = back loop only

flo = front loop only

fo = fasten off

puff = puff

bpdc = back post double crochet

fpdc = front post double crochet 

mc or mr or ml = magic circle, magic ring, magic loop, ch 2 method or ch 4 and make a loop. 

mc can also = Main Color – but I haven’t seen that in many years. These days it usually means magic circle.  

yo = yarn over

yu = yarn unde

XVA Format

XVA Format  is an international way of writing a crochet pattern. 

It’s written this way in the hopes that people who speak English and people who speak … let’s say Chinees could use the same pattern, just by looking at the symbols. 

It looks like this: 

X: single crochet, 

V: increase, 

A: decrease, 

CH: chain,

SS: slip stitch, 

F: Double crochet

This means: (2x, v)6  This: (sc 2, inc) x 3

Parentheses: Repeat what’s inside the (  ) as many times as indicated to the right.