How to Crochet 9: The Triple Crochet

Yarn: KnitPicks Swish DK yarn in Rouge Fabric: Liberty Tana Lawn Betsy in Pink

I am excited to resume my Head Over Heels in Crochet series. The love affair continues for me, but it's been challenging to fit everything in (my life and my blog!). I have some crochet projects planned but I'm also happy about picking up my How to Crochet posts. There is still so much to learn, starting with the triple crochet. Anyone notice that's where we left off? Sorry to leave you hanging for a bit...

The triple crochet is a tall stitch, as you can tell from my little sample above, so there is a lot of space around it. It's a great one for bohemian crochet skirts (I made one for myself and love the idea of some for my girls), airy sweaters and other patterns. And though it sounds impressive (something like the triple lutz), it's really just a simple extension of the single crochet and double crochet stitches you have been working. (If you haven't viewed the tutorials for those please start there as I break down the movements, such as yarning over, to a greater degree than I do in this tutorial.)

Are you ready to triple?

Click to view the photo and video tutorial for creating the triple crochet stitch.

To work a triple crochet stitch into the foundation chain you will skip the first FOUR chain stitches from the hook (not counting the chain on your hook, as pictured above), working into the FIFTH. (The skipped chains will count as your first triple crochet in most patterns you are working.)

So find the FIFTH chain from your hook and get ready to work your first triple crochet into that.

To work the triple crochet, yarn over twice, insert your hook through the FIFTH chain, yarn over, and pull the yarn back through the chain. You will now have four loops on your hook as pictured above.

Yarn over and pull the yarn through the first two loops on your hook. You will have three loops remaining on your hook.

Yarn over and pull the yarn through the first two loops on your hook. You will have two loops remaining on your hook.

And finally, yarn over one last time, and pull through the last two loops on your hook. You are left with one loop, the working loop and have just finished a triple crochet! Called a triple because you work the yarn-over-and-pull-through-first-two-loops three times.

Want to see this in action? You can view the video below:

Now, continue working triple crochet stitches down your chain.

Work into every chain stitch including the very last one, next to your initial slip knot. (Don't work into the knot).

Before turning your work you will chain four (as pictured above). This is the height of a turning chain in triple crochet. (The turning chain occurs at the end of the row and raises your work to the correct height for starting the next row--it eliminates the "squishness" that might occur at the ends of the rows, and subsequent "wonkiness" to your project if you skipped it.)

Then turn your work and get ready to work the next row. The turning chain typically serves as the first triple crochet in a row, but your pattern will indicate whether or not you should count it.

You will begin this row by skipping the base of your turning chain and working into the top of the second triple crochet on the row below. You work the triple crochet on this row in the same way. First, yarn over two times...

...insert your hook into the top of the second triple crochet on the row below (under the top two loops on the stitch), yarn over, and pull the yarn through so you have four loops on your hook.

Continue with a yarn over, pull through (you have three loops on your hook), yarn over, pull through (you have two loops on your hook) and yarn over, pull through (you have one loop on your hook. The photo above shows the finished triple crochet.

So in summary, to triple crochet yarn over two times, insert your hook under the top two loops of the stitch, yarn over, pull the yarn through creating four loops on the hook, yarn over, pull the yarn through the first two loops on the hook leaving three loops on the hook, yarn over and pull it through the first two loops on the hook leaving two loops on the hook, and finally, yarn over and pull it through the last two loops on the hook. Voila!

You can view a view of this below:

The photo above shows the almost-end of the second row of triple crochet. Don't forget to work one last triple crochet into the top of the turning chain at the end of each row. Do this by inserting your hook through the top/fourth chain and working a triple crochet as you would into any other stitch. Then you will chain four and turn to work another row.

That's it! Stay tuned for posts about working in the round, figuring out gauge, and other fun things...

How-to tutorials, patterns, giveaways, reviews and interviews to make certain you are smitten.

Click on the "HOH in Crochet" label or button to view all the content in this series.

Here's a quick list of all the "How to Crochet" posts:

How to Crochet 1: The Slip Knot

How to Crochet 2: Holding the Yarn

How to Crochet 3: The Chain Stitch

How to Crochet 4: The Single Crochet

How to Crochet 5: Seaming Your Work

How to Crochet 6: The Double Crochet

How to Crochet 7: Weaving in the Ends  

How to Crochet 8: The Half Double Crochet

How to Crochet 9: The Triple Crochet

How to Crochet 10: Working in the Round

How to Crochet 11: Understanding Gauge