Vintage Terms
Old patterns use words that have changed meaning or dropped out of use. Look up any word here to find what it means today.
British and American crochet terms
Many old patterns use British names, which point to a different stitch than the same name in American patterns.
| Old or British pattern says | American pattern says |
|---|---|
| Double crochet | Single crochet |
| Half treble | Half double crochet |
| Treble | Double crochet |
| Double treble | Treble crochet |
Words A to Z
Antimacassar
A cloth laid over the back of a chair to protect it from hair oil. Many crochet and lace patterns were made for these.
Berlin wool
A soft, fine wool yarn used for knitting and for canvas work.
Crewel
A fine, two-ply wool yarn used for embroidery. Crewel work is embroidery done with it.
Fingering
A fine yarn. The name is still used today for thin sock yarn.
Make a stitch
Usually a yarn over, which adds a stitch and leaves a small hole.
Mignardise
A narrow braid with loops along both edges, used as a base for crochet lace.
Narrow
To decrease, usually by knitting two stitches together.
Pearl, or seam stitch
The purl stitch.
Pillow lace
Bobbin lace, worked on a firm pillow with pins and bobbins.
Pins
Knitting needles, in many 1800s British patterns.
Receipt
An older word for a pattern or set of instructions, the same word once used for recipes.
Tidy
A decorative cover, often crocheted, laid over furniture to protect it from wear and dirt.
Wool forward, or thread over
A yarn over: bring the yarn to the front between the needles to add a stitch.
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