British and American Crochet Terms

I am not an expert when it comes to crochet which is why I was puzzled last week trying to master a simple Granny square crochet pattern! The pattern had an easy rating yet here I was struggling.

My first attempt turned into a crocheted mat for my daughter's dolls house and my second attempt was claimed by my eldest daughter and made into a trendy headband. While both daughters were extremely pleased with their new items I was beginning to get a "tad frustrated".

Then it dawned on me. I was using an American pattern but had been taught to crochet by my Grandmother, the British way.

Those of you who crochet will understand that the terminology used is quite different, which can be a trap for "young players" like myself. Fortunately I managed to demystify this problem and my Granny square progress has improved.

For those of you who need a helping hand when it comes to British and American terms, I have included a table for you here which will shed some light on the matter.

British vs American English Crochet Patterns
British Crochet Terms	American Crochet terms
double crochet (dc)	single crochet (sc)
half treble (htr)	half double crochet (hdc)
treble (tr)	double crochet (dc)
double treble (dtr)	treble (tr)
triple treble (trtr)	double treble (dtr)
miss	skip
tension	gauge
yarn over hook (yoh)	yarn over (yo)

As you can see the same stitch name can refer to different stitches. It is n0 surprise that my crocheted Granny squares were wonky! The best way to tackle this problem is to refer to the crochet stitch reference included with the pattern. Most quality patterns will include this information for you. Look for the Double Crochet stitch as a reference, then you will know whether the crochet pattern is British or American.

Hope this has shed some light on the variations between British and American crochet stitches .
Warmly Lenna