Needlecrafts Crochet Crochet Basics

How to Treble Crochet

Simple Steps to Make a Triple Crochet Stitch

How to Treble Crochet: Yarn Over, Pull Through
Kathryn Vercillo

The treble crochet or U.S. triple crochet is the next basic stitch (in height) after the double crochet. You can use the terms "triple" or "treble" interchangeably. The treble crochet is frequently used in crochet patterns and is typically one of the first crochet stitches learned by beginners to the craft. If you have already learned how to double crochet, then it will not be difficult to learn how to treble crochet.

About The Treble Crochet Stitch

The treble crochet is used when a long stitch is needed within a crochet design, something taller than a double crochet but based on the same design. The abbreviation you will see in crochet pattern instructions is tr.  

Treble Crochet Stitch Details

  • Abbreviation: tr - note that this is the term for the American treble crochet; U.K. crochet stitches are different
  • Difficulty Level: Easy. This is one of the basic stitches you should learn when beginning to crochet.
  • Time Required: 5 minutes. You should be able to pick this up pretty quickly.

How to Crochet the Treble Stitch

Here are the step by step instructions that you'll need to know to be able to treble crochet:

  1. Yarn over hook twice, then insert hook into next stitch.
  2. Yarn over hook and draw yarn through stitch - (there are four loops on the hook).
  3. Loop yarn over hook and draw through two loops, (there are now three loops remaining on the hook).
  4. Yarn over hook and draw through two loops.
  5. Again, loop yarn over hook and draw through the last two loops on the hook (there is now one loop remaining.)
  6. This completes one treble crochet.

See a step-by-step photo tutorial with instructions for treble crochet. In addition to seeing each step of making the stitch, you will also learn how to make a turning chain and create rows of treble crochet stitches. 

Tips for the Treble Crochet Stitch

  1. At the end of a row of treble crochet, you would chain 4 to turn. The turning chain will be the same height as the rest of the stitches in the row.
  2. The treble is often used when crocheting a front post or back post stitch. This is used to create crochet cables, basketweave stitch, and other designs.
  3. In advanced crochet, the treble is often used when crocheting in the remaining loop (loop made when a stitch is done in back loop only) of a stitch which is several rows below.

Taller Crochet Stitches: DTR and TrTr

Once you have learned to double crochet, learning the treble crochet should be easy. There is simply one more yarn over at the beginning, which makes the whole stitch taller. The same thing is true for going taller than the treble crochet; each stitch taller in height will have one additional yarn over at the beginning, meaning there are more loops on the hook to work with. The basic motions are all the same. Learning how to go from a double to treble crochet will prepare you for making the double treble, triple treble, and taller crochet stitches in the future.

Double Treble Crochet Stitches

The U.S. double treble crochet stitch (also called double triple) is the next step up in height from the treble crochet stitch. The crochet abbreviations for it is dtr. It is used when a long stitch is needed within a crochet design, one that is even taller than triple crochet.

  1. Yarn over hook three times, then insert hook into next stitch.
  2. Yarn over hook and draw yarn through stitch - five loops on the hook.
  3. Loop yarn over hook and draw through two loops, (there are now four loops remaining on the hook)
  4. *yarn over hook and draw through two loops**, repeat * to ** twice more.
  5. This completes one double treble crochet.

Triple Treble Crochet Stitch

The triple treble crochet stitch, sometimes called the treble treble, is abbreviated TrTr. It is used when you really want tall crochet stitches, such as for openwork scarves and blankets. Here are the basic instructions.

  1. Yarn over hook 4 times,
  2. insert hook into next stitch and draw loop through - 6 loops on the hook.
  3. *yarn over and draw through two loops**, repeat * to ** four more times.
  4. This completes a triple treble.