Spanish crochet abbreviations
Author: Crochetly · Last updated: May 16, 2026
Sources: Craft Yarn Council, regional crochet publications
Reading a crochet pattern in Spanish? This guide covers the most common Spanish crochet abbreviations from Spain and Latin America, including regional differences.
Spanish crochet terms vary by region; Spain and Latin America often use different words. Designers and publishers sometimes use their own abbreviations. Always check the pattern’s key (clave de abreviaturas) for the exact terms.
What are the most common Spanish crochet abbreviations?
Section titled “What are the most common Spanish crochet abbreviations?”Spanish crochet patterns use abbreviations like pb (punto bajo) for single crochet and pa (punto alto) for double crochet. The table below covers the most common ones with their English equivalents.
| Abbreviation | Spanish Term | Description (Spanish terminology) | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
pb | punto bajo | single crochet | single crochet |
p or pto | punto | stitch | stitch |
pr or pd | punto raso / punto deslizado | slip stitch | slip stitch |
mpa | medio punto alto | half double crochet | half double crochet |
pa | punto alto | double crochet | double crochet |
pad | punto alto doble | treble crochet | treble crochet |
padd | punto alto doble doble | double treble crochet | double treble crochet |
cad or pc | cadeneta | chain | chain |
au or aum | aumento | increase | increase |
d or dis | disminución | decrease | decrease |
rep | repetir | repeat | repeat |
j or jnt | juntos | together | together |
rem | restante | remaining | remaining |
sig | siguiente | next | following |
cont | continuar | continue | continue |
vuelta | vuelta | row/turn | row/turn |
ronda | ronda | round | round |
ld or ld | lado derecho | right side | right side |
li or lr | lado izquierdo / lado revés | wrong side | wrong side |
mr or am | anillo mágico | magic ring | magic ring |
What are the Spanish foundation and construction terms?
Section titled “What are the Spanish foundation and construction terms?”Spanish patterns use cad for chain, am for magic ring, and vu for row/turn. These terms describe how a project is built.
| Spanish Term | Abbreviation | Description | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| cadena | cad | chain stitch | chain |
| cadeneta | cad | chain | chain |
| anillo | an | ring | ring |
| anillo mágico | am / mr | magic ring | magic ring |
| aro mágico | ar / mr | magic ring (alternate) | magic ring |
| anillo corredizo | ac / mr | slip ring / magic ring | magic ring |
| punto | p / pto | stitch | stitch |
| hilera | hil | row | row |
| vuelta | vu | row / turn | row / turn |
| ronda | rd | round | round |
| comienzo | com | beginning | beginning |
| principio | prin | beginning | beginning |
| inicio | inic | beginning | beginning |
| final | fin | end / last | end / last |
| resto | rest | remainder | remainder |
| restante | rem | remaining | remaining |
| antes | ant | before | before |
| siguiente | sig | next / following | next / following |
| después | desp | after | after |
What are the Spanish terms for stitch placement and loops?
Section titled “What are the Spanish terms for stitch placement and loops?”Spanish patterns use bd (bucle delantero) for front loop and bt (bucle trasero) for back loop. These terms tell you where to insert your hook.
| Spanish Term | Abbreviation | Description | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| espacio | esp | space | space |
| espacio de cadena | esp cad | chain space | chain space |
| arco de cadena | ar cad | chain arch | chain space |
| lazo | laz | loop | loop |
| bucle | bcl | loop | loop |
| bucle delantero | bd | front loop | front loop |
| bucle trasero | bt | back loop | back loop |
| anillo delantero | ad | front loop (Spain) | front loop |
| anillo trasero | at | back loop (Spain) | back loop |
| insertar gancho | ins g | insert hook | insert hook |
| meter gancho | met g | insert hook (alternate) | insert hook |
| saltar | salt | skip | skip |
| pasar | pas | skip / pass | skip / pass |
| entre | ent | between | between |
| lazada | laz | yarn over | yarn over |
| hacer jeté | hj | yarn over | yarn over |
What are the basic stitch names in Spanish?
Section titled “What are the basic stitch names in Spanish?”pb (punto bajo) is single crochet, pa (punto alto) is double crochet, and pad (punto alto doble) is treble crochet. Note regional variations in the table.
| Spanish Term | Abbreviation | Regional Variations | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| punto bajo | pb | medio punto (LatAm) | single crochet |
| medio punto alto | mpa | punto medio (Mexico) | half double crochet |
| punto alto | pa | punto vareta (Argentina/Uruguay) | double crochet |
| punto alto doble | pad | vareta doble (Argentina/Uruguay) | treble crochet |
| punto alto doble doble | padd | punto alto triple (older) | double treble crochet |
| punto alto triple | patr | (older term) | double treble crochet |
How do Spanish patterns express increases and decreases?
Section titled “How do Spanish patterns express increases and decreases?”aum means increase, dis means decrease, and 2 p jun means 2 stitches together. Spanish uses straightforward abbreviations for shaping.
| Spanish Term | Abbreviation | Description | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| aumento | au / aum | increase | increase |
| aumentar | aum | increase (verb) | increase |
| 2 puntos juntos | 2 p jun | 2 stitches together | 2 together |
| 3 puntos juntos | 3 p jun | 3 stitches together | 3 together |
| disminución | d / dis | decrease | decrease |
| disminuir | dism | decrease (verb) | decrease |
| cerrar | cerr | close / decrease | close / decrease |
| grupo | gr | group / cluster | group / cluster |
| racimo | rac | cluster | cluster |
What are the Spanish names for special stitches like bobble and shell?
Section titled “What are the Spanish names for special stitches like bobble and shell?”pcang (punto cangrejo) is crab stitch, pab (punto abanico) is shell stitch, and pp (punto popcorn) is popcorn stitch. These decorative stitches have distinct Spanish names.
| Spanish Term | Abbreviation | Description | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| punto cangrejo | pcang | reverse single crochet | reverse single crochet / crab stitch |
| punto bajo al revés | pbr | reverse single crochet | reverse single crochet / crab stitch |
| punto abanico | pab | shell stitch / fan stitch | shell stitch |
| punto concha | pc | shell stitch | shell stitch |
| punto popcorn | pp | popcorn stitch | popcorn stitch |
| punto palomita | ppal | popcorn stitch (Mexico) | popcorn stitch |
| punto puff | ppf | puff stitch | puff stitch |
| punto relieve | pr | post stitch | post stitch |
| punto fantasía | pf | fancy / decorative stitch | fancy stitch |
| punto elástico | pe | rib stitch / elastic stitch | rib stitch |
| punto escama | pec | crocodile stitch | crocodile stitch |
| punto cocodrilo | pcoc | crocodile stitch | crocodile stitch |
| punto cruzado | pcz | crossed stitch / X-stitch | crossed stitch |
How do Spanish patterns refer to post stitches?
Section titled “How do Spanish patterns refer to post stitches?”Spanish uses pa en relieve delantero for front post double crochet and pa en relieve trasero for back post double crochet. These describe working around the post of a stitch.
| Spanish Term | Abbreviation | Description | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| punto alto por el poste de adelante | pa en relieve delantero | front post double crochet | front post double crochet |
| punto alto por el poste de atrás | pa en relieve trasero | back post double crochet | back post double crochet |
| punto bajo por el poste de adelante | pb en relieve delantero | front post single crochet | front post single crochet |
| punto bajo por el poste de atrás | pb en relieve trasero | back post single crochet | back post single crochet |
| medio punto alto por el poste de adelante | mpa en relieve delantero | front post half double crochet | front post half double crochet |
| medio punto alto por el poste de atrás | mpa en relieve trasero | back post half double crochet | back post half double crochet |
What are the Spanish terms for color changes and markers?
Section titled “What are the Spanish terms for color changes and markers?”cp (color principal) is main color, ct (color contrastante) is contrasting color, and cm (colocar marcador) means place marker. These help you manage colorwork and stitch tracking.
| Spanish Term | Abbreviation | Description | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| cambiar color | cc | change color | change color |
| cambio de color | cd | change color | change color |
| color principal | cp | main color | main color |
| color contrastante | ct | contrasting color | contrasting color |
| marcador | mar | marker | marker |
| colocar marcador | cm | place marker | place marker |
| marcador de hilo | mh | yarn marker | yarn marker |
How do Spanish patterns express common actions like turn and join?
Section titled “How do Spanish patterns express common actions like turn and join?”gt (girar el trabajo) means turn, rem (rematar) means fasten off, and un (unir) means join. These action terms appear frequently in Spanish patterns.
| Spanish Term | Abbreviation | Description | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| tejer | tej | crochet / work | crochet / work |
| girar el trabajo | gt | turn the work | turn |
| darle la vuelta al tejido | dv | turn the work | turn |
| unir | un | join | join |
| unir formando anillo | ua | join into ring | join into ring |
| rematar | rem | fasten off / bind off | fasten off |
| cortar el hilo | ch | cut yarn | cut yarn |
| coser | cos | sew | sew |
| ensamblar | ens | assemble | assemble |
| enganchar hilo | eh | attach yarn | attach yarn |
| pasar sin tejer | pst | slip without working | slip stitch |
| sobre la aguja | sa | on the hook | on the hook |
| muestra de tensión | mt | gauge | gauge |
How do Spanish crochet abbreviations vary by country?
Section titled “How do Spanish crochet abbreviations vary by country?”Spanish terms for the same stitch can differ between Spain, Mexico, Argentina, and general Latin America. Use these country-specific tables to match the right term to your pattern’s origin.
Argentina/Uruguay
Section titled “Argentina/Uruguay”| Term | Abbreviation | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| vareta | v | double crochet |
| media vareta | mv | half double crochet |
| vareta doble | vd | treble crochet |
| vareta triple | vt | double treble crochet |
Mexico
Section titled “Mexico”| Term | Abbreviation | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| punto medio | pm | half double crochet |
| punto palomita | ppal | popcorn stitch |
| punto bajo al revés | pbr | reverse single crochet |
| Term | Abbreviation | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| punto enano | pe | slip stitch |
| anillo delantero | ad | front loop |
| anillo trasero | at | back loop |
General Latin America
Section titled “General Latin America”| Term | Abbreviation | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| medio punto | mp | single crochet |
| punto raso | pr | slip stitch |
| punto deslizado | pd | slip stitch |
What are the Spanish terms for Tunisian crochet stitches?
Section titled “What are the Spanish terms for Tunisian crochet stitches?”pts (punto tunecino simple) is Tunisian simple stitch, ptr is Tunisian purl stitch, and ptd is Tunisian knit stitch. These follow the same pattern as standard Spanish stitch naming.
| Spanish Term | Abbreviation | Description | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| punto tunecino simple | pts | Tunisian simple stitch | Tunisian simple stitch |
| punto tunecino revés | ptr | Tunisian purl stitch | Tunisian purl stitch |
| punto tunecino derecho | ptd | Tunisian knit stitch | Tunisian knit stitch |
| punto tunecino fantasía | ptf | Tunisian decorative stitch | Tunisian decorative stitch |
| punto tunecino cruzado | ptc | Tunisian crossed stitch | Tunisian crossed stitch |
| punto tunecino elástico | pte | Tunisian rib stitch | Tunisian rib stitch |
What common Spanish phrases appear in crochet patterns?
Section titled “What common Spanish phrases appear in crochet patterns?”“Hacer X cadenas” means “Chain X” and “Tejer en redondo” means “Work in round.” These full phrases help you understand complete instructions, not just abbreviations.
| Spanish Phrase | Translation |
|---|---|
| Hacer X cadenas | Chain X |
| Tejer en redondo | Work in round |
| Tejer plano | Work flat / in rows |
| Lado derecho | Right side |
| Lado revés | Wrong side |
| Repetir de * a * | Repeat from * to * |
| Unir con punto bajo | Join with slip stitch |
| Rematar y cortar el hilo | Fasten off and cut yarn |
| Punto bajo en el mismo punto | 2 single crochets in same stitch |
| Punto alto en cada punto | Double crochet in each stitch |
| Saltar X puntos | Skip X stitches |
What should I know before reading a Spanish crochet pattern?
Section titled “What should I know before reading a Spanish crochet pattern?”Always check for regional variations, because Spain, Mexico, and Argentina use different terms for the same stitch. Look for the pattern’s abbreviation key (clave de abreviaturas) before starting.
- Regional Differences: Be aware of regional variations, especially between Spain and Latin America
- Abbreviation Consistency: Check each pattern’s abbreviation key as variations exist
- Gauge: Always check
muestra de tensión(gauge) before starting - Terminology: Some terms have multiple valid abbreviations (e.g.,
pr,pd,pefor slip stitch) - Translation: Google Translate may give literal translations that don’t match crochet terminology
How do Spanish crochet terms convert to US and UK English?
Section titled “How do Spanish crochet terms convert to US and UK English?”Spanish pb (punto bajo) = US single crochet = UK double crochet. Spanish pa (punto alto) = US double crochet = UK treble crochet. Use this conversion table to bridge between Spanish and English patterns.
This table provides quick conversion between Spanish terms and their US/UK equivalents:
| Spanish Term | US Equivalent | UK Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| punto bajo (pb) | single crochet (sc) | double crochet (dc) |
| punto alto (pa) | double crochet (dc) | treble crochet (tr) |
| medio punto alto (mpa) | half double crochet (hdc) | half treble crochet (htr) |
| punto alto doble (pad) | treble crochet (tr) | double treble crochet (dtr) |
| punto raso/pr/deslizado | slip stitch (sl st) | slip stitch (sl st) |
| cadeneta (cad) | chain (ch) | chain (ch) |
⚠️ Note: Spanish patterns may vary by region. Always check the pattern’s abbreviation key and consider the country of origin when interpreting terminology.