How to Increase and Decrease in Crochet

Once you can make a chain and work basic stitches, the next thing that opens up your projects is shaping. Adding and removing stitches is how a flat rectangle turns into a hat crown, how a granny square forms its corners, and how an amigurumi (crocheted stuffed toy) gets its round body. The two tools for all of that are the increase and the decrease.

This guide covers the most common methods in US crochet terms. Where the UK term differs, it is noted in parentheses. You do not need to master every version at once; most beginners only need the single crochet (sc) increase and the sc2tog decrease to finish dozens of projects.

What Increases and Decreases Actually Do

A crochet fabric grows or shrinks in width based on how many stitches are in each row or round. When you increase, you add stitches by working more than one stitch into the same spot. When you decrease, you remove stitches by joining two (or more) stitches together into one.

Shaping is not magic, it is just controlled stitch counting. A pattern will tell you exactly where to place these stitches, usually with notes like "2 sc in next st" (an increase) or "sc2tog" (a decrease). The tricky part for beginners is keeping track of the count, which is why a stitch marker or a simple tally on paper helps a lot.

If you also knit and want to compare the two crafts, the concepts carry over well. The knitting side of shaping is covered in detail in our guide to increases and decreases in knitting explained.

How to Increase in Crochet

The standard crochet increase is simply working two stitches into one stitch. No yarn-overs, no hooks through unusual places; you just insert your hook into the same stitch twice.

Single Crochet Increase (sc inc)

In US terms, a single crochet is abbreviated sc. In UK terms, this stitch is called a double crochet (dc).

1. Work to the stitch where the pattern calls for an increase.
2. Insert your hook into that stitch as normal.
3. Complete a full single crochet (yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops).
4. Without moving to the next stitch, insert your hook into the same stitch again.
5. Complete a second single crochet in that same stitch.
6. Move on to the next stitch.

You now have two stitches where there was one. That is the entire increase. In a pattern, this may be written as "2 sc in next st" or simply "inc."

Double Crochet Increase (dc inc)

A double crochet (dc) in US terms is called a treble crochet (tr) in UK terms.

The method is the same as above: work two double crochets into the same stitch. Patterns often write it as "2 dc in next st." The stitch is taller, so increases made with double crochets are more visible and create a sharper angle, which is useful for things like hexagon motifs or shawl corners.

Tips for Clean Increases

• After completing both stitches, give the yarn a gentle tug so the two new stitches sit upright and even.
• Use a stitch marker in the first stitch of an increase pair when working in the round. This helps you find the right spot on the next pass.
• Always make a gauge swatch before a project where size matters. Increases land in the same row position every time, but if your tension is tighter or looser than the pattern assumes, the finished shape will be off.

How to Decrease in Crochet

A decrease joins two stitches at the top so that they share one chain. The most common is the sc2tog (single crochet two together).

Single Crochet Two Together (sc2tog)

1. Insert your hook into the next stitch.
2. Yarn over, pull up a loop. Do not complete the stitch yet. You have two loops on the hook.
3. Insert your hook into the following stitch (the one right after).
4. Yarn over, pull up a loop. You now have three loops on the hook.
5. Yarn over and pull through all three loops at once.
6. One stitch completed, two stitches consumed.

The abbreviation sc2tog appears in most US patterns. You may also see it written as "sc next 2 sts tog" or "dec 1."

Invisible Decrease

This variation produces a neater result in amigurumi and other projects where the wrong side will show. Instead of inserting the hook through the whole stitch (under both loops), you insert it under only the front loop of each stitch.

1. Insert hook under the front loop of the next stitch only.
2. Insert hook under the front loop of the stitch after that.
3. Yarn over, pull through both front loops.
4. Yarn over, pull through the remaining two loops.

The finished decrease blends in better because the front loops sit flat against the fabric.

Half Double Crochet Two Together (hdc2tog)

A half double crochet (hdc in US terms, htr in UK terms) is decreased similarly, but with an extra yarn-over at the start.

1. Yarn over, insert hook into the next stitch, pull up a loop. Three loops on hook.
2. Yarn over, insert hook into the following stitch, pull up a loop. Five loops on hook.
3. Yarn over and pull through all five loops.

Patterns using hdc2tog are common in hats and bags where the taller stitch is the main fabric.

Double Crochet Two Together (dc2tog)

For projects worked in US double crochet (UK treble), the dc2tog removes two stitches and leaves one.

1. Yarn over, insert hook into the next stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through two loops. Two loops remain on hook.
2. Yarn over, insert hook into the following stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through two loops. Three loops remain.
3. Yarn over and pull through all three loops.

Reading Shaping Instructions in Patterns

Patterns mix increases and decreases with regular stitches, and the wording can look dense at first. Here is a quick reference for common shorthand.

Pattern text	What it means
2 sc in next st	Work 2 sc into one stitch (increase)
inc	Increase (usually 2 sc in next st unless noted)
sc2tog	Decrease over next 2 stitches
dec	Decrease (usually sc2tog unless noted)
[sc, inc] x 6	Repeat the bracketed section 6 times
evenly spaced	Distribute increases/decreases around the round at regular intervals

When a pattern says "increase evenly" it means dividing the row into equal sections and placing one increase at the end of each section. For example, if you have 30 stitches and need to add 6, you would work an increase every 5 stitches.

If you are learning to work in the round, shaping is especially useful there. Our guide to knitting in the round for beginners explains how circular construction works, and the same logic of adding and removing stitches applies when you crochet hats or bowls in continuous rounds.

For knitters branching into crochet, a related skill worth bookmarking is the guide on how to knit ribbing, since ribbing uses a different kind of stitch alternation to add texture rather than shape.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I increase and decrease in the same stitch when shaping?

No. Increases go into one stitch to make it two. Decreases pull two stitches together to make one. They are never worked in the same spot at the same time, though a pattern might place an increase a few stitches before a decrease in the same row to create a curve.

Why does my stitch count keep coming out wrong after a decrease row?

The most common cause is miscounting where you insert the hook. It is easy to accidentally skip a stitch or work into the chain at the top of the decrease instead of the next real stitch. Count your stitches at the end of every row when learning. Stitch markers placed at regular intervals (every 10 stitches, for example) make it much faster to spot an error before it travels several rows down.

What is the difference between sc2tog and the invisible decrease?

Both remove one stitch. The sc2tog goes through both loops of each stitch and leaves a small bump. The invisible decrease goes through only the front loop of each stitch and sits flatter. For toys and bags where the fabric folds around a stuffed shape, the invisible version looks cleaner. For blankets and dishcloths, sc2tog is fine.

Can I increase more than two stitches in one spot?

Yes, though it is less common for beginners. Working 3 stitches into one stitch creates a sharper point or a fan shape and appears in lace and shell stitch patterns. The same principle applies: just work the stated number of stitches into a single stitch.

My decreases leave a hole. How do I fix that?

A loose tension or a yarn-over that is too large can create a gap before the decrease. Try pulling the working yarn a little more firmly before drawing through the final loops. Switching to the invisible decrease also helps, since the front-loop entry leaves less of a gap than the standard method.