When I learned to crochet back in the 1980’s the only language I had to learn was crochet abbreviations. (Which was a challenge at the time with two small toddlers to care for.) But now with the internet giving us such easy contact with other crocheter’s, our community has developed its own language. One I am still learning.
Today I am going to share with you the crochet slang that I have found. After researching, I decided to compile a list which I am now determined to start learning and using. So here is what I have found. You can see I have tried to divide these into categories to make it easier for my brain to learn them.
People:
DH – Dear hubby.
hooker – one who uses a hook to crochet.
Bistichtual – this is someone who both knits and crochets
yarnie – someone who loves yarn
OCD – Obsessive crocheting disorder
Status of Project:
KOHO – Keep On Hookin’ On
FOTH -fresh off the hook.
HOTH – hot off the hook
PIGS – projects in grocery sacks
frog or frogging – to rip out one’s work; repeat the phrase “rip it, rip it” like a frog.
TALC – Take along crochet
YAP – Yet another project
WIP – Work in progress
USO – Unstarted object, a project you have all the yarn for but have not started yet for which ever reason
USO -unstarted object
PHD -projects half done
UFO – unfinished object
WIVSP – Work in very slow progress, can lead to a UFO
Project itself:
yarn barf – the tangled mess of yarn that comes out of a skein of yarn when you pull out a center strand
clown barf -when bright variegated yarn- pools in an unattractive pattern
MAM – mile-a-minute technique
Crochet Speak of Old – Vintage crochet patterns are sometimes quirky, yet surprisingly relevant to the modern crocheter
C2C -Corner-to-Corner Crochet, a crochet technique in which you work pixels in a diagonal line
CAL – Crochet Along, a project in which a new part of the pattern is released every week or fortnight.
Freeform – crochet worked without a pattern, just working one stitch at a time and seeing where it goes.
Yarn Cake – the winded yarn you end up with when winding a skein of yarn using a yarn winder
AYGO – join as you go
Related to Yarn or Patterns
De-stashing – when you give away or sell some of your yarn stash
ISO – In search of, usually yarn or a pattern
LYS – Local or little yarn store
SABLE – stash accumulated beyond life expectancy
PABLE – Patterns accumulated beyond life expectancy
STASH – all your yarn, also that hidden yarn
Stashbuster – a project that uses up a lot of random and/or leftover yarn
Yarn Cake – the winded yarn you end up with when winding a skein of yarn using a yarn winder
YART – Yarn acquisition road trip.
Just for fun
MGBTC – must get back to crocheting
NCR -not crochet related
FS – For Sale, when posing an item such as yarn or crochet project in a social group which is available for sale.
MGBTC – Must get back to crocheting
PTP – Permission to Post, especially applicable to social groups that have strict rules about what may and may not be posted.
There might be more out here that I have not found. I have a feeling this might be a never ending list as with all slang. I still hope it will be helpful, maybe we could learn together. I have always told people I was bilingual; English and Crochet. If I learn and start using these I think I will be for real. So here goes, stay tuned.
Until next time, keep those hooks flying.
