How to Read Crochet Chart Symbols
One universal symbol set, agreed by every major publisher and the Japanese pattern tradition — and the one rule that explains where the round-end slip stitch actually sits.
What a crochet chart is
A crochet chart is a picture of a pattern. Instead of reading "Row 1: ch 4, 2 dc in 4th ch from hook…", you see a small drawing where each stitch is a symbol. Charts let you spot the shape of the work — where increases live, where corners sit, which round is solid vs. lacy — at a glance. They're how almost every Japanese pattern book teaches crochet, and they're embedded in most modern Western pattern PDFs too (Bernat, Red Heart, DROPS).
One standard, two names: CYC and JIS
The good news for chart readers: there's essentially one set of symbols, used worldwide. The Craft Yarn Council (CYC) maintains the US/Western reference; Japan maintains its own JIS standard (引き抜き編み, hikinuki-ami, for slip stitch); and for the stitches you'll see in everyday patterns, the two are identical. A Bernat granny square chart, a Pierrot doily chart, and a DROPS shawl chart all use the same glyphs.
The basic stitch symbols
Stitch height shows in the symbol — taller stitches get more crossbars. Slip stitch is the shortest and is drawn as a small filled dot — small on purpose, because it's a transitional stitch you almost don't notice in the fabric.
| Symbol | Name | Abbrev. | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chain | ch | Foundation; turning chains; chain spaces (ch-1, ch-2). | |
| Slip stitch | sl st | Joins; traverses; seams. Almost invisible in fabric. | |
| Single crochet | sc | Dense fabric, height ≈ width. | |
| Half double crochet | hdc | Taller than sc, no crossbar. | |
| Double crochet | dc | Granny-square workhorse. One crossbar. | |
| Treble crochet | tr | Tall, lacy. Two crossbars. |
Slip stitch: one dot, three jobs
The dot you'll see most often near round boundaries is the slip stitch. It does three different jobs in a typical motif — but every authoritative source draws all three with the same glyph: a single small filled dot. Position determines the role, not shape or colour. There is no "join arrow," no curved connector, no two-tone symbol. If you ever see a chart with a different glyph for joins, it's a publisher's house style, not the standard.
1. Single slip stitch — seam or accent
A standalone drawn in a row, between rows, or on an edge is a single slip stitch. Used for seams (joining two pieces), short travel within a row, or as a flat decorative edge.
2. Round-end join — closing a round
When you finish a round worked in joined-rounds (most granny squares, all African Flowers, most doilies), the last instruction is "sl st in first dc (or top of ch-3) to join." That closing stitch is drawn as one dot — but its position is the key thing chart readers look for.
The join dot sits at the base of the turning chain for the next round — on the inter-round boundary, not floating outside the round's outer ring.
Why the base of the TC and not the top of the last stitch? Because that's where your hook physically lands when you slip-stitch into the first stitch of the round to close it. The next round's turning chain climbs up from that join point. Drawing the dot there gives you a clear visual anchor for "this is where the next round starts." Bernat, DROPS, Heidi Bears (African Flower), Haak Maar Raak, and sigoni macaroni all draw it this way.
3. Traversal sl sts — sliding across stitches
When a pattern says "sl st across to the next ch-2 corner space" or "sl st in next 2 dc," each of those slip stitches gets its own dot — drawn directly on top of the stitch you slip-stitched into (the previous round's stitch top). The result is a small line of dots walking across the inside of the round you're about to start. Looks like punctuation; reads as "move along here without adding height."
Reading direction
Two rules cover almost every chart you'll meet:
- Flat rows (back and forth): Row 1 reads right-to-left (the direction your hook moves after the turning chain). Row 2 reads left-to-right. Charts often print a small arrow at the start of each row.
- Rounds: work counter-clockwise (right-handed) from the centre outward. Many charts mark the round-start with a small black arrow next to the turning chain so you can see exactly which way to go.
Common confusions
- "Why is there a dot in the middle of nowhere?" — It's almost always a join or a traversal sl st. Trace back from the previous stitch and you'll see it sits exactly where you'd land after working the last stitch.
- "Is the empty oval a different stitch from the dot?" — Yes. Open oval = chain (). Filled dot = slip stitch (). Same shape family, completely different stitch.
- "Where are the join arrows?" — There aren't any. No standard uses arrows or curved connectors for the round-end join. If a chart has them, it's a publisher's house style — most don't.
See it in action
The motifs in the CrochetPop Motif Gallery all use this exact symbol set. Open any granny square or African Flower and you can trace each round — the dots near the round starts are the joins; the dots walking across the previous round are the traversals; everything else is a real fabric stitch.
Sources
- Craft Yarn Council — Crochet Chart Symbols (PDF) — the US/Western reference.
- Ronique — Guide to Japanese Crochet Charts (JIS basics)
- Haak Maar Raak — How to read a crochet pattern chart — the clearest description of join-dot placement we found.
- sigoni macaroni — How to read and understand crochet diagrams
- Yarnspirations (Bernat / Caron / Red Heart) — How to read chart symbols
- DROPS Design — How to read crochet diagrams
Next: Crochet a granny square — try out the symbols by reading the chart while you stitch.