English US-French Crochet Glossary: Understanding Terms and Abbreviations
In the world of crochet, a multitude of amigurumi, clothing, and accessory patterns are available to you. However, some of these patterns are written in French., which may seem intimidating at first. Fortunately, with a suitable dictionary and a little practice, it becomes easy to decipher them and to crochet with complete peace of mind.
That's why I'm offering you here a complete glossary of the most common terms and abbreviations in crochet, along with their English translation.
Why learn French terms in Crochet?
Access a wealth of international resources
Many patterns available online are written in French, as English-speaking designers dominate the crochet market. By mastering French crochet terms, you open the door to thousands of free patterns or paid, available on platforms like Ravelry, Etsy or even specialized blogs.
Explore new techniques and trends
French-speaking designers often introduce modern techniques or special points that aren't always documented in English. By understanding the French terms, you'll be able to learn these new features. directly from the source and enhance your skills.
Participating in an international community
Crochet-related forums, groups, and YouTube channels may be in French. By mastering crochet vocabulary, you will be able to interact with passionate people From all over the world, ask questions, share your projects and even find valuable advice.
Expand your creative and sales potential
If you create your own crochet patterns or products, understanding and using crochet vocabulary in French can help you sell your creations to an international audience. You can write bilingual patterns and to reach a much wider audience.
The PDF to download
For further information, a complete PDF version of the glossary is also available for download.
The PDF includes two complete versions of the glossary: a main French version and a main English version.
Each of these 14-page documents compiles all the terms used on the site, in all languages available (French, English US/UK, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Norwegian), so you can easily view them offline, print them or always keep them handy on your phone, tablet or computer.
The PDF is available for €2, a deliberately symbolic amount which helps to support the work of creating, updating and translating the lexicon, as well as the development of new free content on Yarn & Crochet.
Access is free online glossary of course, it remains fully available.
2,00 €
Do you create your own crochet patterns and want to translate them?
This tool automatically generates the PDF layout of your patterns and translates them into 8 languages so you can sell them all over the world, without extra effort.
Created by creators, For creators.
The US English – French Crochet Lexicon
To make your navigation easier and help you with your project, you can simply click on a term that interests you highlight it. This can help you focus on the translations that are important for your project. If you click again on a line that's already selected, the highlighting will disappear.
| English (US) | Abbreviation (EN) | Français | Abréviation (FR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Stitches | |||
| Chain | ch | Maille chaînette / Maille en l'air | ch |
| Single crochet | sc | Maille serrée | sc, |
| Half double crochet | hdc | Demi bride | db |
| Double crochet | dc | Bride | b |
| Treble | tr | Double bride | Db |
| Double treble | dtr | Triple bride | Tb |
| Slip stitch | slst | slip stitch | mc |
| Techniques | |||
| Increase | inc | Augmentation | aug |
| Decrease | dec | Diminution | dec |
| Magic circle | mc | Cercle magique | MC |
| Work in round | Travailler en rond continu / En cercle continu | ||
| Work in row | Travailler en rang | ||
| Row | Rang | ||
| Repeat | rep | Répéter | |
| Position & Instructions | |||
| Back loop only | blo | Dans le brin arrière seulement | bar |
| Front loop only | flo | Dans le brin avant seulement | bav |
| Insert in | Piquer dans | ||
| Crochet together | tog | Crocheter ensemble | ens |
| Continue | cont | Continuer | cont |
| Skip a stitch | sk | Passer une maille | |
| Fasten off | f/o | Rabattre / Couper et arrêter | rab |
| Yarn over | yo | Faire un jeté | |
| Cut the yarn | Couper le fil | ||
| Materials & Tools | |||
| Yarn / Wool | Fil / Laine | ||
| Yarn weight | Grosseur de la laine | ||
| Hook | Crochet | ||
| Hook size | Taille du crochet | ||
| Tapestry needle | Yarn needle | ||
| Stitch marker | Marqueur de maille | ||
| Gauge | Échantillon | ||
| Thread | Fil | ||
| Safety eyes | Yeux de sécurité | ||
| Needle | Aiguille | ||
| Stuffing | Rembourrage | ||
| Scissors | Ciseaux | ||
| Knitting needles | Aiguilles à tricoter | ||
| Textured & Special Stitches | |||
| Popcorn stitch | pc | Point popcorn | pop |
| Bobble stitch | bo | Point noisette | |
| Star stitch | star st | Point d'étoile | |
| Shell stitch | Point de coquille | ||
| Filet stitch | Point de filet | ||
| Cable stitch | Point de torsade | ||
| V-stitch | Point V | ||
| Ribbing stitch | Point élastique | ||
| Other Terms | |||
| Tension | Tension | ||
| Pattern | Patron | ||
| Free pattern | Patron gratuit | ||
| Invisible join | Couture invisible | ||
| Joining | Assemblage | ||
| Pick up stitches | Relever les mailles | ||
| Slip knot | Nœud coulant | ||
I hope you find this French-English dictionary of terms commonly used in crochet patterns helpful. To keep this information handy, consider downloading the PDF!
Do you want to explore other languages? Discover the multilingual glossary, where you will find crochet-related terms translated into Italian, Spanish, and many more.
Dictionaries
Looking for a more detailed crochet dictionary in a specific language? Check out our dedicated pages!
US English - French
US English - Spanish
US English - Italian
US English - German
US English - Russian
US English - Norwegian
US English - UK English