How to Double Crochet Decrease (dc2tog)

What is a double crochet decrease in crochet?

A double crochet decrease works two double crochets together into one stitch to shape your fabric. Written dc2tog, it is common in garments and blankets where you need a gentle taper.

In US patterns it is abbreviated dc2tog. In UK terms a US double crochet is a treble, so a UK pattern writes this decrease as tr2tog. The steps are the same.

How do you work a double crochet decrease step by step?

Here is the full sequence in US terms. Take it slowly the first few times, then it becomes muscle memory.

1. Yarn over, insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop. Three loops on the hook.
2. Yarn over and pull through the first two loops. Two loops remain.
3. Yarn over, insert your hook into the following stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop. Four loops on the hook.
4. Yarn over and pull through two loops. Three loops remain.
5. Yarn over and pull through all three remaining loops. Two stitches have become one.

When do you use a double crochet decrease?

Double Crochet Decrease turns up in a lot of patterns. Here is where it earns its place:

1. Shaping armholes and necklines on a garment.
2. Tapering the edges of a shawl.
3. Decreasing evenly across a blanket row.
4. Any pattern that calls for dc2tog.

What are the most common double crochet decrease mistakes?

A few snags catch almost everyone at first. Watch for these:

1. Losing track of the half-finished first stitch while you start the second.
2. Counting the decrease as two stitches instead of one.
3. Uneven tension between the two halves, which leaves a lopsided stitch.

How do you keep count while you work a double crochet decrease?

Counting is where clean crochet is won or lost. Patterns tell you how many stitches per row and how many rows or rounds to work, and a miscount is the usual reason a piece ends up crooked. Mark the first stitch of each round, and count your stitches at the end of every row.

Some crocheters keep a paper tally, and some use an app like Worsted to count rows, hold their place in a pattern PDF, and note the yarn they used, so a project is easy to pick back up after a break. However you track it, staying on count is what turns a good pattern into a finished piece.