How to Decrease

Decreases are used to shape crochet pieces. They narrow your fabric where needed. They are also used in some special stitches. You can work decreases using any basic crochet stitch or with special stitches. You can also decrease as many stitches at a time as you need to. A decrease isn’t limited to just reducing one stitch at a time. Your instructions will tell you how many stitches you are working into for the decrease.

How a decrease is abbreviated can also vary. You may see it with the type of stitch being decreased and the decrease abbreviation (dec). For instance, you may see sc dec for single crochet decrease or dc dec for double crochet decrease. You may also see it written using the basic stitch abbreviation, a number for how many stitches are involved in the decrease and the abbreviation of the word together (tog). Here are a few examples: sc2tog for single crochet two together, dc4tog for double crochet four together or hdc3tog for half double crochet three together. No matter how they are abbreviated you will normally find an explanation for the abbreviation in the pattern that will tell you what you need to do.

Below are explanations of decreasing with each basic stitch.

Single Crochet Decrease (abbreiviated sc dec)

Insert the hook and draw up a loop in each of the next two stitches (three loops are now on hook), yarn over and draw through all three loops on the hook.

In this version, you worked the decrease over two stitches to make one stitch, reducing the stitch count by one.

Half Double Crochet Decrease (abbreiviated hdc dec)

Yarn over; insert the hook in the specified stitch and draw up a loop. You now have three loops on the hook.

Keeping these three loops on the hook, yarn over and draw up a loop in the next stitch, yarn over again and draw through all loops on the hook.

The half double crochet decrease has been made.

In this version, you worked the decrease over two stitches to make one stitch, reducing the stitch count by one.

Double Crochet Decrease (abbreviated dc dec)

Yarn over, insert the hook in the specified stitch and draw up a loop (three loops on the hook), yarn over, pull through two loops on the hook, yarn over, insert the hook in the next stitch, yarn over and draw up a loop, yarn over, pull through two loops on the hook, yarn over and pull through all loops on the hook. Double crochet decrease complete.

Another way this can be written is: Double crochet in the specified stitch until two loops remain on the hook.

Keeping these two loops on hook, work another double crochet in the next stitch until three loops remain on hook; hook yarn and draw through all three loops on the hook.

The double crochet decrease has been made.

In this version, you worked the decrease over two stitches to make one stitch, reducing the stitch count by one.

Treble Crochet Decrease (abbreviated tr dec)

[Yarn over twice, insert the hook in the indicated stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, {yo, pull through two loops on the hook} twice.] Repeat between the brackets in the next stitch. You now have three loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through all three loops on the hook to complete the decrease.

In this version, you worked the decrease over two stitches to make one stitch, reducing the stitch count by one.