Beginner's Guide to Crochet - UK (2019-10)

SHAPING CROCHET

O

nce you know how to work tr2tog,

it’s easy to work a larger decrease,

such as tr3tog (which means work

three treble crochet stitches together) to

decrease by two stitches.

This sort of stitch is most often used in

garments or accessory patterns, and it’s a

neat way to reduce your stitch count. It will

result in a solid fabric, rather than leaving

any holes.

We’ve explained how to do the tr3tog

stitch below, but we recommend that you

get to grips with the tr2tog stitch first,

before tackling the tr3tog. You’ll find it much

easier that way.

By working the tr3tog once in a row, you

will reduce your stitch count by two. You can

decrease at any point along the row, but the

effects will be different if you decrease at

the start, end or centre of the row.

You can practise decreasing on a small

swatch of treble fabric so you can see how

the decreases will affect your pattern. It’s a

good way to get used to the technique.

LARGE TREBLE

DECREASES

How to create a two-stitch decrease, also called tr3tog

RIGHT-HAND

3

Now complete all the part-worked tr stitches

together by working yrh and pull this loop

through all the loops on the hook.

4

This is how your finished tr3tog should

look. You will have decreased 2 stitches. On

subsequent rows, just work a stitch into the top

of the tr3tog stitch as usual.

1

Start a tr stitch as usual: yrh, insert hook

into next stitch, yrh, pull loop through, yrh,

pull through first 2 loops. Stop here. Start a 2nd

tr in next stitch: yrh, insert hook, yrh, pull loop

through, yrh, pull through first 2 loops (3 loops

on hook). Stop here.

2

Without finishing the 1st or 2nd tr, begin a

3rd tr in the next stitch: yrh, insert hook, yrh,

pull loop through, yrh, pull through first 2 loops

(4 loops on hook). (For a tr4tog, start a 4th tr in

the next stitch in the same way.)

If you’re right-handed, follow these steps to work a tr3tog...