Double Crochet for Beginners (Video + Written Steps)

Double crochet (dc) is the tall, fast stitch that most beginners learn right after single crochet. Each stitch is about twice the height of a single crochet, so rows grow quickly and the fabric has a soft drape with a little openness between stitches.

It's beginner-friendly and it's everywhere: blankets, scarves, granny squares, and most of the stitch patterns in the Stitch Learning Center are built on it. The one thing that makes it work is the yarn over before you insert the hook. That extra wrap gives the stitch its height.

This page covers the basics for a first-timer. For the full stitch page with a swatch pattern, see the Double Crochet Stitch tutorial.

Watch: Double Crochet Video Tutorial

Watch the loop count on the hook: three, then two, then one. The second video is worked left-handed.

What You Need

A smooth, light-colored worsted weight yarn shows the top two loops of each stitch clearly, and those loops are where your hook goes on every row. A US H-8 (5 mm) hook is a comfortable match, or use whatever your pattern suggests.

Abbreviations (US terms): ch = chain, dc = double crochet, YO = yarn over, st(s) = stitch(es), sl st = slip stitch. UK patterns call this same stitch a "treble."

Double Crochet Written Steps

Supplies Needed: Yarn, Crochet Hook

First, hold your crochet hook with your dominant hand, and hold yarn tension with your non-dominant hand. Now you are ready to begin making your double crochet stitch.

Step 1: Dip the end of your crochet hook and yarn over

Step 2: Insert your crochet hook through the top two loops of the previous row's stitch

Step 3: Wrap the working end of yarn over your hook, and pull it through. There should be three loops on your hook.

Step 4: Dip your hook, and yarn over again

Step 5: Pull through two loops on the hook. Two loops remain on the hook.

Step 6: Yarn over, and pull through the remaining two loops on the hook.

Repeat as many times as needed to create your double crochet stitches.

Step-by-Step: How the Technique Works

1. Yarn over first. Before the hook goes anywhere, wrap the yarn over it once. This wrap becomes the extra height of the stitch. Forgetting it turns the stitch into a single crochet.
2. Insert and pull up. Push the hook under both top loops of the stitch below, yarn over, and pull a loop back through. You now have three loops on the hook: the new loop, the wrap, and the loop you started with.
3. Two pull-throughs. Yarn over and pull through two loops (two left), then yarn over and pull through the last two (one left). Each pull-through closes one step of the stitch.
4. Starting a row. Chain 3 at the beginning of each row. In most patterns that chain counts as the first dc, so you skip the first stitch and work your first dc into the second stitch.
5. Ending a row. Work the last dc into the top of the previous row's chain 3. If you miss it, you lose a stitch every row and the edge leans in.

Tips and Common Mistakes

• Count loops, not steps. Three, then two, then one. If you ever have four loops, you yarned over twice; if you have one too soon, you pulled through three.
• The last stitch is the one everyone misses. The top of the turning chain is easy to skip. Count your stitches at the end of every row for the first few rows.
• Go under both loops. Unless the pattern says front or back loop only, the hook goes under the full V at the top of the stitch.
• Keep the first yarn over on the hook. If it slides off while you insert, the stitch collapses. Hold a little tension on the working yarn.
• Loose edges. A chain 3 that's much looser than the stitches makes a gappy edge. Chain it a little tighter, or try a chain 2 if the gap bothers you.

When You'll Use This

Double crochet is the workhorse for blankets, scarves, shawls, granny squares, market bags, and most simple garments. Worsted weight makes a quick, warm blanket; sport and DK give a lighter fabric for shawls; bulky makes a chunky throw in a weekend. Because it's tall and a little open, it uses less yarn per inch than single crochet.

Related Stitches

• Double Crochet Stitch (full tutorial) — the complete stitch page with swatch pattern
• Half Double Crochet — one step shorter, denser fabric
• Treble Crochet — the next taller stitch, with two yarn overs
• Granny Stitch — clusters of double crochet, the classic next project
• Browse every crochet stitch tutorial

Yarn for This Stitch

Double crochet looks good in almost anything smooth. Darn Good Twist Sport Weight Silk Yarn makes a drapey shawl or light scarf, and DGY's worsted weight yarn is the fastest way to a blanket. Both are recycled silk, hand-dyed by artisans in India.

If you'd like a new skein to practice on every month, Yarn of the Month sends three hand-dyed skeins with a knit and crochet pattern written for them, $29 a month plus shipping.

Double Crochet FAQ

Is double crochet good for beginners?
Yes. It's usually the second or third stitch people learn, and because it's tall, you see progress fast. The only new motion is the yarn over before inserting the hook.

Does the chain 3 count as a double crochet?
In most US patterns, yes. Skip the first stitch of the row and work the last stitch of the next row into the top of that chain. If your pattern says the chain doesn't count, work into the first stitch instead.

Why does my double crochet get narrower every row?
You're missing the last stitch, which is the top of the turning chain from the row below. Count stitches at the end of each row until the habit sticks.