Double crochet (dc)
dc in US patterns. UK: treble (tr). German: Stäbchen.
To double crochet, yarn over, insert the hook under both loops of the next stitch and pull up a loop (3 loops on the hook). Yarn over and pull through 2 loops, then yarn over and pull through the last 2. One loop stays on the hook.
Step by step
Scroll through the steps and the model follows. Tap a step to jump to it.
- Start with one loop on your hook.
- Yarn over: wrap the yarn over the hook, back to front. 2 loops on the hook.
- Find the next stitch: the two loops lying on top of it (glowing).
- Insert the hook under both loops, front to back.
- Yarn over: catch the working yarn behind the work.
- Pull up a loop through the stitch. 3 loops on the hook.
- Yarn over.
- Pull through the first 2 loops only…
- …leaving 2 loops on the hook.
- Yarn over.
- Pull through all 2 loops…
- Double crochet made. One loop stays on the hook, ready for the next stitch.
Pull through two, not three
The first pull of a double crochet goes through two loops only, which leaves two on the hook. If you pull through all three at once, you've made a half double crochet and the row comes out shorter.
Names and turning chain
- US
- double crochet (dc)
- UK
- treble (tr)
- German
- Stäbchen (Stb)
- Turning chain
- ch 3
When you use it
Double crochet is about three chains tall and makes an open, drapey fabric quickly. Granny squares, shells, lots of blankets and most lace patterns are built from it.
The yarn over you make at the start wraps around the post and shows as a diagonal bar in the middle of each stitch. In UK patterns this stitch is called treble (tr), and a UK "double crochet" is the US single crochet, so check which terms your pattern uses.
How to count it
Count the posts (the tall uprights). The turning chain of 3 usually counts as the first double crochet, so the next dc goes into the second stitch.
Practice piece
A double crochet swatch shows you straight away whether your turning chain and your last stitch are in the right place.
- Chain 17. Double crochet in the 4th chain from the hook and in each chain across. The 3 skipped chains count as the first stitch (15).
- Chain 3, turn. Skip the first stitch, double crochet in each stitch across, and work the last one into the top of the turning chain (15).
- Work 10 rows. Hold the yarn a little looser than for single crochet so the tall posts are not squeezed.
The swatch should be a rectangle with a gap-free edge on both sides. If the right edge has holes, try chain 2 instead of chain 3 for the turning chain; many crocheters with loose tension do.
No yarn yet? For your first stitches, use a smooth, light-colored worsted-weight yarn and a 5.5 mm (I-9) hook. What yarn and hook to buy.
How it looks in a pattern
Row 2: ch 3 (counts as dc), turn, dc in next st and in each st across (15).
The three chains stand in for the first double crochet, so you skip the first stitch and start in the next one. Finish with a dc in the top of the turning chain of the row below. Counting the chain as one, you should have 15. In UK terms: "tr in each st".
Common mistakes
- Pulling through all loops at onceDouble crochet finishes in two separate pulls of 2 loops each. Pulling through all 3 at once makes a half double crochet.
- A gap at the start of the rowIf the turning chain counts as a stitch, skip the first stitch and work the first dc into the second. Work the last dc into the top of the previous turning chain.
- Leaning postsPull the first loop up to the height of the loops already on the hook before you yarn over. A short first loop makes a squat, slanted stitch.
Questions
- What is double crochet in UK terms?
- Treble (tr). A UK pattern that says "double crochet" means the US single crochet.
- Does ch 3 count as a double crochet?
- In most patterns, yes. Some modern patterns use a chainless start or say "ch 3 does not count". Follow your pattern.
- Why do my rows get wider?
- You are adding a stitch at the start when the turning chain already counts as one. Skip the first stitch after the ch 3.