How to crochet: Double-treble stitch

The double-treble crochet stitch is one of the taller stitches.

When working an all over fabric in double trebles, your fabric is created very quickly with these bigger stitches, compared to shorter stitches.

Double-trebles - known simply as trebles in the US - are worked with not one, but two initial loops of yarn wrapped around the hook which require many steps to complete the stitch. The number of wraps worked dictates the height of crochet stitches. This texture is lovely on its own or mixed with other crochet stitches.

You'll see double-treble referred to as dtr in crochet patterns.

If you're keen to use your hook and yarn to crochet something with a lace look or fine finish, The Knitting Network's Freddie Patmore will talk you through the technique in the video below. 

Working into a chain

Miss the first four chains, which will count as one stitch. Yarn round the hook twice before inserting the hook under the top two strands of the fifth chain from hook, unless otherwise specified in your pattern.

Yarn round hook and pull the yarn through to make four loops on the hook. Yarn round hook again and pull the yarn through the first two loops on hook, making three loops on hook.

Yarn round hook again and pull the yarn through the first two loops on hook, making two loops on hook. Yarn round hook a final time and pull it through the remaining two stitches. This completes the stitch.

Then to do the next one, start the process again. Yarn round hook twice and insert in next stitch, yarn round hook and pull the yarn through to make four on your hook and then work them two at a time. Yarn round hook and bring through two, yarn round hook and bring through two again, yarn round hook and bring through the final two.

Working into fabric

When working a row of double-trebles, you must work four chain stitches in order to achieve the height of the dtr so that you can then work downwards into the top of your work. To achieve a straight edge, you usually miss the first stitch at the base of your chains and crochet into the following stitch before continuing into every further stitch along the row.

Yarn round hook twice and insert hook in stitch from front to back making sure to insert your hook under two strands.

Then complete the double-treble as before. Yarn round hook and bring loop through to create four loops on hook, yarn round hook and bring through first two loops on hook. Yarn round hook and bring through the next two loops, then yarn round hook again and bring it through the final two loops on hook leaving one loop remaining on the hook when your stitch has finished.

Continue until you reach the very last stitch of the row, which, if your previous row is also double-trebles, will be formed of four chains. Work one treble into the 4th of these three chains to finish the row.

Double-treble single decrease

One way to decrease in treble crochet, is to work a treble crochet two together or ‘dtr2tog’.

Dtr2tog

To work a single double-treble decrease, yarn round hook twice and insert hook in next stitch, yarn over hook and bring loop through thus creating four loops on the hook. Yarn round hook again and bring yarn through first two loops on hook, yarn round hook again and bring through next two loops on hook. You now have two loops on hook.

Yarn round hook twice and insert your hook in the next stitch, yarn over hook and bring loop through. You should now have five loops on your hook. Yarn over hook again and bring yarn through first two loops on hook, yarn round hook and bring yarn through the next two loops, yarn round hook again and bring through all three loops on hook. You have now decreased one stitch.

Double-treble single increase

In order to increase in an all-over treble crochet fabric, simply work two double-trebles into the required stitch. This creates an extra one.

Learn How To Crochet with our complete guide. 

How to crochet: Triple treble