Crochet jargon, explained
Plain-English definitions for the words crochet patterns use without explaining. Every jargon word elsewhere on this site links back here.
Gauge
How many stitches fit in a set width, usually 4 inches or 10 cm. If your gauge doesn't match the pattern's, your finished piece comes out a different size. Change hook size to fix it, not tension.
Yarn over
Wrapping the yarn around the hook before you pull it through. How many times you do this is what makes one stitch taller than another.
Wraps per inch
Wind the yarn around a ruler for one inch and count the strands. It's the most reliable way to identify a mystery yarn's thickness, because the printed labels disagree between countries.
CYC number
The Craft Yarn Council's 0-to-7 scale for yarn thickness. 0 is thread, 7 is arm-crochet thick. US patterns use these numbers; UK patterns usually use names like DK or Aran instead.
Turning chain
The little chain you make at the start of a row to lift the yarn up to the height of the stitches you're about to work. Taller stitches need longer turning chains.
号 (gō)
The Japanese hook numbering unit. Written like 5/0号. It is its own scale — it does not line up with US letters or UK numbers, so always convert to millimetres.
Ply
Originally the number of strands twisted together to make the yarn. UK and Australian patterns still use it as a thickness label, but a modern 8-ply and a vintage 8-ply are not always the same thickness.
Blocking
Wetting or steaming a finished piece and pinning it to shape while it dries. It evens out stitches and is what makes lace look like the photo.
Right side
The face of the fabric that will show when the item is finished. Patterns abbreviate it RS, and the other face WS for wrong side.
Frogging
Pulling your work out to undo it. Named for 'rip it, rip it'. Everyone does it constantly; it is not a sign you're bad at this.
Stitch dictionary · Hook sizes
Last updated 2026-08-30.