What Does CC Mean in Crochet? Decoding Common Terminology

In the world of crochet, you’ll come across various terms and abbreviations that can sometimes be confusing for beginners and even experienced crocheters. One such abbreviation that might leave you puzzled is “CC.” This term is often used in crochet patterns involving multiple colors, so let’s explore its meaning and significance in the world of crochet.

What Does “CC” Stand For?

What do “CC1” and “CC2” Mean?

In some cases, a pattern might involve more that one contrasting color. In such cases, they can be referred to as “CC1”, “CC2”, etc. Alternatively, you may see them referred to as “A” and “B”, etc.

Typically, the order will correspond to the order in which the yarns appear in the pattern instructions.

For example, the first contrast color to be used will be referred to as CC1, the next as CC2, and so on.

What Types of Crochet Patterns Use the Abbreviation “CC”?

Many different types of crochet pattern may employ the abbreviation “CC”. However, one thing they will all have in common is the use of more than one color. They could be patterns for blankets, garments, accessories, home décor items or amigurumi; in short, anything involving multiple yarn colors.

There are various ways in which different colored yarns can be used in crochet patterns, including:

• Using different colors for edging and borders.
• In amigurumi projects where different parts are made in different colors.
• In projects where different sections are made in different colors, such as stripes or color-blocking.
• With colorwork techniques such as tapestry crochet, mosaic crochet, brioche crochet and intarsia crochet.

All of these methods involve using yarns of more than one color. The abbreviations “MC” and “CC” can be used to refer to the different colors and tell you which yarn to use when.

Check the list of yarns, which usually appears near the start of a pattern, to see which color yarn each abbreviation (e.g. MC, CC, CC1, CC2, etc) refers to.

Are the Abbreviations “MC” and “CC” Always Used?

The abbreviations “MC”, for main color, and “CC”, for contrast color, might not always be used. This could be the case if there is not a main color as such in a project, but rather two or more different colors that are used in equal or different amounts, without one color really dominating over the others.

In these cases, the abbreviations “A”, “B”, “C”, etc might be used to designate the different yarn colors. Or sometimes “CC1”, “CC2”, “CC3”, etc.

Top Tip

If a pattern uses several different colors, to keep track of which color each abbreviation stands for, you could attach a small strand of each yarn to a piece of paper or card and label it with its abbreviation.

How do Patterns Indicate When to Use CC?

Different patterns will be written in slightly different styles and there is no single way in which all patterns indicate which color yarn to use. However, here are a few common examples.

• “With CC, …” – A pattern instruction, such as “3 ch” or “4 dc”, might be preceded with the phrase “With CC” (or MC, CC1, CC2, etc..). This tells you that the stitches indicated should be made with CC.
• ” … in CC” – In this case, the yarn color may be indicated after the pattern instruction. For example, you make see something like “4 dc in CC”, which tells you to make 4 double crochet stitches in yarn CC.
• Using brackets – brackets of parentheses may be used to indicate a larger group of stitches that should all be made in the same color yarn. For example, you may see “(2 dc, 2 ch, 2 dc) in CC”. In that case, all of the stitches in the brackets should be made with yarn CC.

Always take note of how the pattern you are working on is structured to ensure that you use the right color yarn for each stitch or group of stitches.

How to Change Colors

The method of changing colors will depend on the technique you are using.

In techniques such as brioche crochet and mosaic crochet, each row or round of the project is made with a single color yarn and you do not need to change colors during a row or round. When you get to the end of a row or round and are instructed to change color, simply drop the yarn you have finished with and pick up the next yarn ready to make the next stitch. This is usually a chain stitch, formed by pulling a loop of the new color yarn through the loop of the previous color that was already on your hook.

In tapestry crochet, you will need to change color (often several times) during a particular row or round. All of the yarns are carried along and crocheted over by the stitches you form as you go. When you need to change color, this is performed in the final pull through of the previous stitch. In other words, perform all of the previous stitch as usual, then before the final pull through, drop the yarn you are using for that stitch, pick up the new color that’s requied for the next stitch, and pull that new color through all the remaining loops on your hook. You are then ready to make the next stitch with the new color.

How to Stop Yarns from Tangling in Tapestry Crochet

Using multiple yarns at a time can sometimes pose a bit of a challenge with tapestry crochet, in terms of preventing tangles. However, there is a very simple way to prevent your yarns from tangling. If you are using two yarns, place one ball towards the front of your work and the other towards the back. When you drop a yarn you have finished with and pick up the next one, always drop and pick them so that the one from the front is in front of the one from the back. In this way, your yarns will never get tangled. Watch this short video tutorial to see exactly how it’s done.

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