FLO — Front loop (Abbreviation)
FLO stands for "front loop(s) only" — an instruction to insert the hook through just the front loop of a stitch, rather than both loops a standard crochet stitch normally catches, leaving the back loop untouched and visible as a small horizontal ridge on the fabric's surface.
Why skipping a loop changes the fabric's texture
A stitch worked FLO leaves its neighbor's back loop exposed and unworked, which accumulates into a distinct ribbed or textured line across a row or round wherever FLO is used consistently — a real, visible structural difference from working through both loops, not a minor technical footnote. Ribbing effects, textured bands, and certain amigurumi shaping details all rely on this specific partial insertion.
FLO's role in the invisible decrease
The invisible decrease technique — developed specifically to avoid the visible bump a standard sc2tog leaves in tightly worked amigurumi — is built entirely on FLO's principle: inserting into the front loop of two consecutive stitches only, rather than both loops of each, is exactly what removes the bump a full-loop decrease would otherwise leave.
Where it shows up
Amigurumi shaping (especially the invisible decrease), ribbed crochet textures, and any pattern deliberately leaving the back loop's ridge as a visible design element.
Related abbreviations
- BLO — back loop(s) only, FLO's direct counterpart
- inc / dec — increase and decrease instructions that sometimes specify FLO as part of a more particular technique
FAQ
Does FLO change the total stitch count differently than working through both loops? No — FLO changes texture and structure, not stitch count; a row worked entirely FLO still produces the same number of stitches as the same row worked through both loops normally.
Can FLO be combined with a taller stitch than single crochet? Yes — the front-loop-only principle applies at any stitch height (half double, double crochet), producing the same ribbed textural effect scaled to whatever height is being worked.