sc — Single crochet (Abbreviation)
sc stands for "single crochet" — the crochet stitch vocabulary's shortest, densest common option, and the one most amigurumi and other tightly worked fabric relies on. Full working steps live on the single crochet stitch page; what matters most for reading a pattern is that sc has no yarn-over before the hook goes in, unlike every taller stitch, which is exactly why it's the shortest of the bunch.
The abbreviation that hides a real trap
Read "sc" with real caution if a pattern's country of origin isn't stated: modern UK convention doesn't actually use "sc" for this stitch at all — what a US pattern calls single crochet, UK convention calls double crochet instead. The abbreviation glossary's own opening note explains the full US/UK offset running through the whole stitch-height vocabulary; worth reading before trusting an unfamiliar "sc" in a pattern you didn't write yourself.
Why sc produces such dense fabric
Because there's no yarn-over before the hook goes into the stitch, single crochet has fewer total wraps and loops per stitch than any taller stitch — less height, less open structure, and a correspondingly denser, more opaque fabric. This is exactly why amigurumi (see amigurumi basics) is worked almost exclusively in single crochet, at an even tighter-than-usual gauge, specifically for its stuffing-concealing density.
Where it shows up
Amigurumi, dishcloths, bag bottoms, and anywhere a firm, dense, low-drape fabric is the actual goal rather than an airy or drapey one.
Related abbreviations
- hdc — half double crochet, one wrap taller than sc
- sl st — slip stitch, shorter and denser still than sc, with no pull-through-two-loops step
FAQ
Does single crochet use less yarn than taller stitches for the same area? Not necessarily less overall — surprisingly, this site's calibrated numbers put sc's constant slightly above dc's per stitch at a matched gauge, the opposite of what "shorter stitch, less yarn" would predict. The methodology page walks through why.
Is single crochet a good stitch for a beginner to start with? Yes, very commonly recommended as a first stitch — it has the fewest motions per stitch of any crochet stitch, which makes the fundamental hook-and-loop mechanics easier to learn before adding a taller stitch's extra yarn-over steps.