Crochet abbreviation

What does dec mean in crochet?

Work two stitches together into one to remove a stitch. In amigurumi, dec usually means an invisible single crochet decrease.

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dec in US and UK patterns
US patternsUK patterns
Abbreviationdecdec
Meaningdecreasedecrease

dec is short for decrease in US patterns; UK patterns write dec (decrease).

How to work dec (crochet decrease)

  1. Insert the hook into the next stitch, yo and pull up a loop — 2 loops on hook.
  2. Insert the hook into the following stitch, yo and pull up a loop — 3 loops on hook.
  3. Yo and pull through all 3 loops — 1 sc2tog made.
  4. Count 1 stitch fewer at the end of the row or round.

Full crochet decrease tutorial →

How dec appears in real patterns