Beginner-Friendly Crochet Glossary: Plain English Definitions

Crochet patterns speak a language all their own. Between the abbreviations, the technique terms, and the phrases that experienced crocheters toss around casually ("just work even to the armhole"), a beginner can feel like they've walked into a conversation in a foreign country. You can smile and nod, but you're not actually understanding what anyone is saying.

This glossary defines every common crochet term in plain, everyday English. No assumptions that you already know what "work even" means. No definitions that use three other crochet terms you also don't know. Just clear explanations of what each word means and how it applies to actually making something with your hook and yarn. Bookmark this page. Reference it whenever a pattern uses a word that makes you squint. It's here whenever you need it.

Core Technique Terms

Work even: Continue crocheting without increasing or decreasing. Same stitch count, same stitch type, row after row or round after round. "Work even for 20 rows" means keep doing exactly what you're doing with no changes.

Turn: Flip your fabric over at the end of a row so you can work back in the opposite direction. The side that was facing you now faces away. Always turn in the same direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) for consistent edges.

Join: Connect two things together. Usually means slip stitching the end of a round to the beginning, or attaching a new piece of yarn. "Join with sl st" means insert your hook where indicated, yarn over, and pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook.

Fasten off: Cut the yarn, leaving a tail, and pull the tail through the final loop on your hook to secure the last stitch. This is how you end a piece.

Weave in ends: Thread the yarn tail onto a yarn needle and sew it through the fabric in multiple directions to hide and secure it. Prevents tails from poking out or unraveling over time.

Block: Wet or steam your finished piece and pin it to shape while it dries. Relaxes stitches, evens tension, straightens edges, and improves drape.

Frog: Rip out stitches. "Frog back to row 5" means unravel your work until you reach row 5, then start again from there. Called frogging because you "rip it, rip it."

Right side (RS): The side of the fabric that faces outward on the finished project. Usually looks neater and shows clearer stitch definition.

Wrong side (WS): The side that faces inward or toward the back. Usually has a slightly different texture, with more visible bumps or bars.

Gauge: How many stitches and rows you make per inch. Determines the finished size of your project. Measured by crocheting a swatch and counting stitches. In UK terminology, gauge is called "tension."

Tension: How tightly or loosely you crochet. Also the UK term for what Americans call "gauge." Context tells you which meaning is intended — in a UK pattern, "check your tension" means check your gauge.

Swatch: A small sample square you crochet before starting a project to check your gauge and see how the yarn behaves. Usually 4×4 inches or larger.

Stitch Anatomy Terms

Stitch (st): One complete unit of crochet fabric. Each stitch has a top (the V shape), a body (the vertical post), and a base (where it connects to the stitch below). The abbreviation "st" is singular, "sts" is plural.

Loop: The strand of yarn currently on your hook, or any circular strand of yarn in a stitch. The active loop is the one on your hook. Stitch tops have two loops — the front loop and back loop.

Front loop: The strand of the V that's closer to you as you work. When a pattern says "FLO" (front loop only), insert your hook under just this strand.

Back loop: The strand of the V that's farther from you. "BLO" (back loop only) means insert your hook under just this strand.

Both loops: The default. Insert your hook under both the front and back strands of the V. Patterns assume both loops unless they specify FLO or BLO.

Post: The vertical body of a stitch. Front post stitches wrap around the post from the front. Back post stitches wrap from behind.

Back bump: The horizontal ridge on the back of a foundation chain. Working into the back bump instead of the front V creates a cleaner bottom edge.

Turning chain: The chain stitches made at the beginning of a row to bring the hook up to the height of the stitches in that row. May or may not count as the first stitch depending on stitch type.

Chain space (ch-sp): The gap or hole created by chaining one or more stitches in a previous row or round. Patterns often tell you to work into chain spaces rather than into specific stitches.

Action and Instruction Terms

Increase (inc): Add one or more stitches. Usually "2 sc in next st" — work two stitches into one stitch, increasing the total stitch count by one.

Decrease (dec): Combine two stitches into one, reducing the stitch count by one. "Sc2tog" (single crochet two together) is the most common decrease.

Skip (sk): Pass over the indicated number of stitches without working into them. "Sk next 2 sts" means move past those two stitches and work the next instruction into the stitch after them.

Space (sp): A deliberate gap between stitches, usually created by chains. You work into the space itself rather than into a specific stitch.

Repeat (rep): Work the indicated sequence of stitches again. "Rep from *" means go back to the asterisk in the instructions and work that section again.

Yarn over (YO): Wrap the working yarn around the hook from back to front. An action, not a stitch. Used in almost every stitch type.

Pull up a loop: After inserting the hook into a stitch, yarn over and pull the yarn back through the stitch toward you. Creates a new loop on the hook.

Pull through: Draw the yarn through one or more loops on your hook to complete a stitch or step. The number of loops you pull through varies by stitch type.

Draw up a loop: Same as "pull up a loop."

Project Structure Terms

Foundation chain: The starting chain from which the first row is worked. Establishes the width of a flat project.

Row: A horizontal line of stitches worked across a flat piece. Worked back and forth, turning at the end of each row.

Round: A complete circuit of stitches in a circular project. Can be joined (with a slip stitch) or continuous (spiral).

Magic ring (magic circle): An adjustable starting loop for circular projects that closes completely, leaving no center hole.

Motif: A small, self-contained crochet piece — usually circular or square — that's joined with other motifs to create a larger project. Granny squares are motifs.

Seam: The line where two crochet pieces are joined together. Can be sewn with a needle or crocheted together.

Border (edging): Stitches worked around the perimeter of a finished piece to create a clean edge, prevent curling, or add decoration.

Yarn and Tool Terms

Yarn weight: How thick the yarn strand is. Standardized categories from 0 (lace, thinnest) to 7 (jumbo, thickest). Worsted weight is category 4, the most common beginner yarn.

Ply: How many individual strands are twisted together to make the yarn. A 4-ply yarn has four strands. More plies generally means stronger, more defined stitches.

Dye lot: The batch number for a specific color of yarn. Skeins from the same dye lot match exactly. Different dye lots may have slight color variations. Always buy enough yarn from the same dye lot for your project.

Skein: The most common form of packaged yarn — an oblong wrapped bundle you can pull from the center or outside. Also called a ball in casual conversation.

Hank: Yarn twisted into a large loop, then folded and tied. Must be wound into a ball or cake before use. Common with higher-end yarns.

Cake: Yarn wound into a flat-topped cylinder, usually by a yarn winder. Sits flat and pulls from the center easily.

Yarn needle (tapestry needle): A large-eyed needle with a blunt tip, used for weaving in ends and sewing pieces together.

Terms That Confuse Beginners

"Work in pattern": Continue the established stitch pattern without the pattern having to spell out every row. If you've been alternating sc and dc rows, "work in pattern for 10 rows" means continue alternating.

"At the same time": Do two things at once — usually shaping at two different edges during the same rows. For example, decrease at the neck edge while also decreasing at the armhole edge.

"End with a WS row" or "end with a RS row": Make sure the last row you work is a wrong side row (or right side row). This ensures your project is oriented correctly for the next section.

"Pick up stitches": Insert your hook into the edge of existing fabric, yarn over, and pull up a loop to create a new working stitch. Used to add borders, collars, or sleeves to existing pieces.

"Ease": The difference between the finished garment measurements and your body measurements. Positive ease means the garment is larger than your body (loose fit). Negative ease means smaller (stretchy, close fit).

"Reverse shaping": For a cardigan front piece, work the shaping (neckline decreases, armhole decreases) on the opposite side from the other front piece, creating mirror-image pieces.

How to Use This Glossary

When you encounter an unfamiliar term in a pattern: pause, look it up here, read the plain-English definition, and then return to your pattern. Don't guess. Guessing leads to frogging. After you've looked up a term two or three times, it starts to stick. After five or six times, you know it.

For terms you encounter frequently but keep forgetting, write them on a small card and keep it in your project bag. Having a personalized quick-reference for your personal trouble words is faster than searching a full glossary every time.

For a complete guide to crochet abbreviations (the shorthand that patterns use), see the free crochet patterns for beginners collection which uses standard abbreviations throughout. The what a crochet stitch actually looks like guide connects these terms to the visual structure of your fabric.