The double crochet (dc) is the tall, quick stitch behind granny squares, blankets, shawls and most lace. One row of it grows about three times as fast as a row of single crochet, and the fabric it makes is open and soft.
This lesson shows the four steps with a photo of the loops on the hook at each one. Then it covers the part that confuses most beginners, the chain 3 that counts as a stitch, along with how to keep the edges straight and what a UK pattern calls the same stitch.
What You Need to Practice
- Worsted weight (4) yarn in a smooth, light solid color. Tall stitches show every wobble in tension, so a plain yarn makes it much easier to see what your hands are doing.
- A 5 mm (US H-8) hook, or the size on your yarn label. The hook size chart converts US letters to millimeters.
- Scissors, a yarn needle and a stitch marker.
If the foundation chain and the single crochet are still new to you, start there. The dc uses the same insert and pull up a loop, then works the loops off two at a time.
How to Double Crochet, Step by Step
- Yarn over and insert. Wrap the yarn once over the hook, then insert the hook under both top loops of the next stitch.
- Pull up a loop. Yarn over and draw the yarn back through the stitch. There are three loops on the hook.
- Pull through two. Yarn over and draw the yarn through the first two loops only. Two loops are left on the hook.
- Pull through the last two. Yarn over and draw the yarn through the two remaining loops. One loop is left on the hook and the dc is finished.
The rhythm to remember is “yarn over, insert, pull up, then through two, through two”. The height of the stitch comes from step 2: pull the loop up to the height of the stitches beside it before you start working the loops off, and every dc in the row comes out the same size.
The First Row and the Turning Chain
Into the foundation chain. Work the first dc in the 4th chain from the hook. The three chains you skipped stand in for the first stitch, so a chain of 17 gives you 15 stitches: the skipped chains plus 14 dc.
Chain 3 and turn. At the end of every row, chain 3 and turn. In most patterns this chain counts as the first stitch of the new row, which changes two things: skip the first stitch (the chain is already standing on it) and, at the end of the row, work the last dc into the top chain of the turning chain from the row below.
If your pattern says the chain does not count, work the first dc into the first stitch and ignore the turning chain at the end. Read the pattern notes; both ways are common.
How It Compares With the Other Stitches
A dc is about three chains tall, roughly three times the height of a single crochet, so rows build fast. The fabric is open and drapey, with small spaces between the posts. That makes it a good choice for blankets, shawls and summer tops, and a poor choice for amigurumi, where the stuffing would show through.
To count, look for the posts: each dc is one tall column with a sideways V on top. In a fabric worked in rows, every row of posts leans a little the opposite way from the row below, which helps you count rows too.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
- The work gets narrower. You missed the last stitch, which is the top of the turning chain when the chain counts. Put a stitch marker in the top chain of every turning chain until you never miss it.
- The work gets wider. You worked into the first stitch even though the chain 3 counts. Skip it.
- A gap along the edge. The chain 3 is often a little thinner than a real stitch. Make it snug, or replace it with a chain 2, which many crocheters find closer in height to their own stitches.
- Stitches of different heights. The loop in step 2 is not pulled up the same way each time. Keep your yarn hand still and let the hook do the pulling.
Double Crochet UK and US Names
This is where crochet names cause the most trouble. The stitch in this lesson is the US dc. In a UK pattern, the same stitch is a treble (tr), and a UK “double crochet” is the US single crochet. The US ⇄ UK stitch converter rewrites a whole pattern for you, and how to read crochet patterns lists the abbreviations side by side.
Variations Worth Knowing
- Standing double crochet. Starts a stitch with no chain at all: make a slip knot on the hook, yarn over, insert in the stitch and finish the dc as usual. It gives a tidy start when you join a new color.
- Linked double crochet. Closes the gaps between the posts. Insert the hook into the horizontal bar halfway down the previous stitch and pull up a loop, insert into the next stitch and pull up a loop (three loops), then yarn over and pull through two, twice. For the first stitch of a row, insert into the 2nd chain of the turning chain instead of the bar.
- Extended double crochet. Yarn over, insert, pull up a loop (three loops), yarn over and pull through one loop, then work off the loops two at a time as usual. A little taller and softer.
- Dc2tog, the decrease. In each of the next two stitches, yarn over, insert, pull up a loop and pull through two; then yarn over and pull through the three loops left. See increases and decreases.
Between this stitch and the single crochet sits the half double crochet, and one step taller is the treble crochet.
Patterns That Use It
- Tulip border placemat: a flat circle of dc that adds 12 stitches every round, with the chain 3 counting as the first stitch.
- Sunflower granny square: the cream rounds are classic granny clusters of 3 dc.
- Crochet heart: the first round is 12 dc in a magic ring.
- Crochet Christmas tree: every ruffle scallop is 5 dc worked into one loop.
More lessons are waiting in Learn to Crochet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to double crochet?
Yarn over, insert the hook in the next stitch and pull up a loop (three loops on the hook), then yarn over and pull through two loops, twice. One loop stays on the hook.
How to double crochet stitch into a foundation chain?
Work the first one in the 4th chain from the hook and one in each chain across. The three skipped chains count as the first stitch of the row.
Does the chain 3 count as a stitch?
In most patterns, yes: skip the first stitch and work the last dc into the top of the turning chain. If the pattern says it does not count, work into the first stitch instead.
Why does my double crochet have gaps at the edge?
The chain 3 is usually thinner than a real stitch. Keep it snug, try a chain 2 instead, or start the row with a standing dc.
How to double crochet in UK patterns?
Follow the same steps, but look for the word treble (tr): that is the UK name of the US dc. A UK double crochet is a different, shorter stitch: the US single crochet.
Clara Parker
I’m Clara — a mom who is never without a hook, and the crochet half of the Recipes Dad family. I write cozy, practical patterns you can actually finish.
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