Advertisement
Home LIFESTYLE Craft

How to double crochet: a beginner’s guide

Master double crochet with ease.
Loading the player...

One of the key stitches in crochet is double crochet (DC), a simple, compact stitch that forms a dense fabric. 

Advertisement

Watch: How to make pots out of newspaper

Follow these written steps with pictures on how to double crochet, and you’ll master the stitch in no time. 

RELATED: How to chain stitch: a beginner’s guide

How to double crochet

US verse UK crochet terminology

The terminology can confuse beginners when they start learning to crochet. Crochet terms differ depending on whether the designers use US or UK terms (Australian designers will use UK terms). 

US crochet terms start with single crochet, while UK terms call the same stitch double crochet. The next stitch is the US double crochet, but it’s called treble crochet in the UK.

Advertisement

If you remember that UK stitch names are one step above the US crochet stitches, you can translate all patterns to crochet, depending on where the pattern was created. 

The instructions below show how to double crochet using UK terminology. 

double crochet
(Credit: Getty) (Credit: Getty)

Double crochet: step-by-step instructions

Step 1

how to double crochet (dc)
Advertisement

To make a double crochet stitch, insert the hook under the top two loops of the next stitch on the previous row. 

Step. 2

how to double crochet

Wind the yarn around the hook (yrh).

Step. 3

how to double crochet
Advertisement

Pull the yarn through the stitch, giving you two loops on your crochet hook.

Step. 4

how to double crochet

Pull the yarn through the stitch, giving you two loops on your crochet hook.

how to double crochet
(Credit: Getty) (Credit: Getty)
Advertisement

Double crochet tips

Remember to keep your tension even and consistent throughout your work and to turn your work at the end of each row. With practice, you’ll be working single crochet quickly and confidently in no time. 

How to do a turning chain

In crochet, you must add turning chains (t-chs) to the beginning of rows. This is to bring the hook up to the height of the stitches you’re crocheting. Each basic stitch has its own number of chains. 

For double crochet (dc), usually, the turning chain does not count as a stitch, and the first stitch of the row is worked into the stitch at the base of the turning chain. 

The following table shows how many t-ch sts are needed for the first stitch.

Advertisement
turning chain chart

Our new knit and crochet collection is out now

The Better Homes and Gardens Knit & Crochet Collection 2023 has more than 76 fabulous projects and comes with free chunky knitting needles and a crochet hook. Plus, there are stylish and simple patterns from Cardigang, the cool new kids on the knitting block!

SHOP NOW

Craft kits

Advertisement

You might also like:

How to crochet a stunning blanket with Kmart chunky yarn

How to crochet a granny square

9 free on-trend crochet patterns you can download right now

Advertisement

Related stories


Advertisement