Each amigurumi pattern has its own kind of shorthand. Below, you'll find what every abbreviation stands for, how to work through a round, and how US terms (the ones we use) line up with UK terms.
The abbreviations
| Abbreviation | What it means |
|---|---|
| MR | magic ring: An adjustable loop you work the first round into, then pull closed, so there's no hole in the middle. |
| ch | chain: Yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook. |
| sl st | slip stitch: Insert the hook, yarn over and pull through the stitch and the loop on your hook. |
| sc | single crochet: Insert the hook, yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops), yarn over and pull through both. |
| inc | increase: 2 sc in the same stitch: one round grows by one stitch. |
| dec | decrease: Sc 2 stitches together. The invisible decrease (through the front loops only) looks neatest on toys. |
| hdc | half double crochet: Yarn over, insert, pull up a loop (3 loops), yarn over and pull through all three. |
| dc | double crochet: Yarn over, insert, pull up a loop, (yarn over, pull through 2 loops) twice. |
| BLO / FLO | back / front loop only: Work into just one loop of the stitch. It leaves a ridge, often used for a flat base or a fold. |
| st(s) | stitch(es) |
| Rnd | round: Worked in a continuous spiral: don't join, move your stitch marker up each round. |
| Row | row: Worked back and forth: turn at the end of each row. |
| ( ) x6 | repeat: Work what's in the brackets 6 times. |
| (24) | stitch count: The number of stitches you should have at the end of the round. |
| FO | fasten off: Cut the yarn and pull the tail through the last loop. |
| yo | yarn over: Wrap the yarn over your hook from back to front. |
| sk | skip: Leave a stitch unworked. |
How to read a round
Rnd 4: (sc 2, inc) x6 (24)
Round 4: make one single crochet into each of the next 2 stitches, then put an increase in the following stitch, and repeat that 6 times. You finish this round with 24 stitches. If your number comes out different, check back before moving on: a single missed stitch is simple to fix now and tough to fix afterward.
US and UK crochet terms
The stitch is called different things on either side of the Atlantic. We use US terms in our patterns.
| US term | UK term |
|---|---|
| single crochet (sc) | double crochet (dc) |
| half double crochet (hdc) | half treble (htr) |
| double crochet (dc) | treble (tr) |
| treble (tr) | double treble (dtr) |
| slip stitch (sl st) | slip stitch (ss) |
| skip | miss |
| gauge | tension |
Ready to try it?
Choose a pattern, or start with our step-by-step guide to reading an amigurumi pattern.