• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Logo Image for Mezzacraft.com

Free Crochet Patterns, Crochet Classes & Techniques

  • Home
  • About
  • Crochet Classes
  • Online Granny Square Sweater Course – Signups
  • Crochet Meetups
  • Contact
  • Patterns
    • Free Crochet Patterns
    • All Patterns
  • Tips & Tutorials
  • Student Resources
  • Newsletter
  • Home
  • About
  • Crochet Classes
  • Online Granny Square Sweater Course – Signups
  • Crochet Meetups
  • Contact
  • Patterns
    • Free Crochet Patterns
    • All Patterns
  • Tips & Tutorials
  • Student Resources
  • Newsletter

crochet stitch

How to dtr3tog Cluster – UK/British Crochet Terminology

June 26, 2021 //  by mezza//  1 Comment

A lady on a Facebook crochet forum asked how to dtr3tog so I made a video showing the two possible ways you can make this stitch. Please note, these instructions are for British crochet terminology. In US crochet, the stitch I am demonstrating is a tr3tog.

What is a dtr3tog & when would you use it?

dtr3tog is short for “double treble crochet 3 together”. Sometimes it is also written as dtrc3tog. The stitch consists of 3 double treble posts but has only one stitch at the top.
This stitch combination can be used as a decorative, cluster stitch, for example, to emulate a petal or leaf. Alternatively, when worked across 3 stitches, it can also be used as a decrease.

What are the Symbols for dtr3tog?

I’ve made a few quick drawings of both versions of dtr3tog, including how they are worked for the start of a new round or row.

symbols for dtr3tog - including at the start of a row/round - British UK crochet terminology

How to dtr3tog – Instructions

I have written up 4 sets of instructions, in this post I cover the cluster stitch. I have written a separate post for the decrease/across 3 stitches version, but you can access those instructions via the links below:

  1. dtr3tog cluster – at start of the row/round…see below.
  2. dtr3tog cluster – mid row/round… see below.
  3. dtr3tog across 3 stitches – at start of the row/round… click here.
  4. dtr3tog across 3 stitches – mid row/round… click here.

How to dtr3tog at the start of the row:

If required, join new colour. I do this by holding the yarn at the back and pulling up a loop (fig. 1); chain 3 (fig. 2); yarn over twice (fig.3); insert hook into the same stitch & pull up a loop (fig. 4);

first four steps of making a double treble three together - hands crocheting with cream wool

yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 5); yarn over & pull through the next 2 loops on the hook, you should now have 2 loops on the hook (fig. 6); yarn over twice (fig. 7); insert hook into the same stitch & pull up a loop (fig. 8);

steps 5-8 of making a double treble three together - hands crocheting with cream yarn

yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 9); yarn over & pull through the next 2 loops on the hook, you should now have 3 loops on the hook (fig. 10); yarn over & draw off all 3 loops on the hook – dtr3tog made! (fig. 11)

Last three steps of making a dtr3tog - woman's hands crochet with cream wool.

To make the stitch mid row/round :

yarn over twice (fig.12); insert hook into the next stitch & pull up a loop (fig. 13); yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 14); yarn over & pull through the next 2 loops on the hook, you should now have 2 loops on the hook (fig. 15);

making a dtr3tog mid row - woman's hands crochet with cream yarn.

yarn over twice (fig.16); insert hook into the same stitch & pull up a loop (fig. 17); yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 18); yarn over & pull through the next 2 loops on the hook, you should now have 3 loops on the hook (fig. 19);

hands crocheting with teal and cream coloured natural yarn

now yarn over twice (fig.20); insert hook into the same stitch & pull up a loop (fig. 21); yarn over & pull through the first two loops on the hook (fig. 22); yarn over & pull through the next 2 loops on the hook, you should now have 4 loops on the hook (fig. 23);

crocheting double treble stitches in wensleydale wool

yarn over & draw off all 4 loops on the hook – dtr3tog made! (fig. 23)

Summary of a dtr3tog

Make 3 partial double treble crochet stitches in the same stitch and finish them all off in one go.

Tools & Materials Featured in this Post

The green & teal yarns are Falkland Poldale DK 100% Wool by WitchCraftyLady.

The cream yarn is Rare Breed Wensleydale & Bluefaced Leicester DK in Cotswold Stone by Home Farm Wensleydales.

My hook is about 7 years old and it’s handmade by Furls. Not sure if they still sell the handmade hooks – they seem to be selling mass produced ones these days.

Connect with me!

You can often find me on Instagram. Please do follow and tag me @mezzamay if you make one of my patterns, use one of my tips or stitch patterns. I really love to see what you’re making.

Newsletter

Why not sign up to my newsletter to receive news about my latest patterns, tutorials and giveaways! First name or full nameEmail By continuing, you accept the privacy policy.

Support me!

If you have enjoyed my free content or have found my tips and techniques useful, please consider making a small donation by buying me a coffee via Ko-fi.

Category: Crochet Tips, Tips and TutorialsTag: crochet stitch, crochet techniques, crochet tutorials, tips and tutorials

Perforated Pin Stripes Crochet Stitch

April 23, 2021 //  by mezza//  1 Comment

I’m going to show you how to make this very simple, but effective stitch pattern. I’ve coined it the “Perforated Pin Stripes Crochet Stitch” pattern, and it’s quite a simple crochet stitch combination. Click here to jump straight to the instructions. It only uses US double crochets (UK trebles) and US half doubles (UK half trebles). What I really like about it, is that it’s not a completely solid fabric – it has, what I call perforations, so it’s also not too open and therefore, it’s quite good for garments where you don’t want a totally solid stitch pattern, but at the same time, you want a bit of modesty that you might not get with a very lacy pattern.

close up of crocheted vest top in pinstripe crochet stitch pattern from mezzacraft ...worn by mezza

I designed this stitch pattern for a summer top. The top is crocheted from side to side so I’ve actually used the stitch pattern vertically which gives this nice, pinstripe effect. The top is crocheted with a 4ply yarn in a wool/silk blend and a 2.75mm hook, a combination that gives a really nice drape for a garment. Additionally, because of the way light shines on silk, it means that these horizontal stitches catch the light slightly differently to the vertical stitches which just gives a really interesting texture.

You can, of course, use different thicknesses of yarn and larger hook sizes.

Same stitch, different yarn!

Here you can see that the different yarns, thicknesses and hook size do generate quite different kinds of fabric that you could use for lots of different crochet projects. For example, the Aran/Worsted weight would make quite a nice cowl or even a hat. The stitch in DK could make a lovely baby blanket since the holes in the fabric are not big enough for babies’ fingers to get stuck in. You can see a stitch in a whole new light when you change the type of yarn and the hook size – each one catches the light differently and shows the stitches up in a slightly different way.

perforated pinstripes crochet stitch - sample in4ply/fingering weight yarn

4ply/Fingering

For the 4ply swatch, I’ve used a 2.5mm hook for the starting chain and a 2.75mm hook for the main stitch pattern.
The gauge is : 24sts and 13 rows to 10cm (4”).
Yarn details : Posh Yarn Undyed Dorothy Sock (50% Superwash Merino, 50% Silk) www.poshyarn.co.uk

pintripe crochet stitch in double knit yarn

DK (double knit or heavy Sport weight)

For the double knit swatch, I’ve used a 3mm hook for the starting chain and a 3.5 mm hook for the main stitch pattern.
The gauge is : 22sts and 12 rows to 10cm (4”).
Yarn details : MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino in Putty Grey (121)

simple perforated crochet stitch in worsted weight yarn

Aran / Worsted

For the Aran swatch, I’ve used a 4mm hook for the starting chain and 4.5mm hook for the main stitch pattern.
The gauge is : 18sts and 9 rows to 10cm (4”).
Yarn details : Rico Essentials Soft Merino Aran in Cream (61)

The Importance of Swatching

I wanted to make the same top again but this time in some 4ply cotton.  I crocheted up a swatch but didn’t like the drape of the fabric – it was very stiff at the correct gauge. There can be quite a lot variation in yarn thickness from one brand of 4ply to another which isn’t all that evident until you actually work it up. And that’s one of the reasons why I always suggest swatching, especially when you’re making garments, because it’s not just about getting the gauge spot on so that the item will fit you, it’s also about just seeing whether you actually like the fabric that will result in using the stitch pattern, the yarn, the hook size and getting the gauge.

Remember to wash and block your swatch too. This is particularly important if you are making a garment as the gauge, because drape and stitch definition of the fabric can alter considerably, especially with natural fibres.

Matching Chain and Stitch Gauge

two crochet swatching showing the difference in using a smaller hook for the starting chain

One thing I need to point for this stitch pattern and the resulting top that I made, is that I had to go down a hook size for the starting chain because it didn’t match the gauge of the main stitch pattern. You might be fortunate in that the gauge for your starting chain and swatch match but you won’t really know this before you start so this is another reason why it’s really important to swatch because this is the kind of thing that can show up that you might not have thought about.
So here you can see another swatch sample that I crocheted up. I used the same hook size for the starting chain as I did for the main body of the stitches. What you’ll notice is that the starting chain doesn’t match the gauge of the stitches, i.e. the gauge is bigger, resulting in the bottom edge of my swatch being distorted and too wide. If you’re making a garment or a blanket and you use the same size hook for the chain as the stitches, you’re going to end up with the bottom or edge, depending on where you’ve started being much too long. So in the case of the top, it means one of your side seams will be out of proportion.
To correct the disparity between the gauges, I used a 2mm hook for the starting chain and then for row one, I switched to the 2.75mm, which gave me matching gauges. For the other swatches in this post, I only went down 0.5mm in hook size. You might need a small amount of trial an error. I am a big advocate for adding hooks in in the smaller, 0.25mm increments to your collection, because these can often be the key to getting correct gauge for garments.

Perforated Pin Stripes Crochet Stitch – Instructions

You can find video instructions here which includes lots of additional tips. Check the comment under the video for the timestamp, click to jump straight to the stitch pattern instructions:

Downloadable Instructions

Download a .pdf here, which includes a stitch chart : Perforated Pin Stripes Crochet Stitch – Instructions

Tools & Materials

You can use any yarn weight and corresponding hook size. For these instructions, I am using a 4ply/sock weight yarn with 2.5mm hook for the starting chain and switching to a 2.75mm hook for the main stitch pattern.

Stitch pattern repeat

3 – so to make a larger piece of fabric, increase your starting chain in increments of 3.

TIP : Try to keep the chains true to hook size, i.e. when you crochet, keep the loop exactly the same size as the diameter of the hook, rather than extending the loop. For this particular pattern, it keeps the stitches really neat, minimizes the gaps between the tall stitches and enhances the effect of the “perforations”.

Start with the smaller hook, ch 26.

Row 1 (RS): Working into the back ridge of the chain, dc into the 4th ch from the hook, 1dc into each ch. (24sts, counting the turning ch)

Row 2 (WS): ch2, don’t sk any stitches; 1hdc; *sk1st 1hdc in each of the next 2sts, 1hdc around 2hdc just made*; repeat from *to* until 2sts rem; sk1st, 1hdc in last st (which was the ch3 turning ch of Row 1). (7 sets of wrapped hdcs, 8 perforations)

Note: from now on, at the start of every round, there’s going to be a ch2 turning chain. This chain is never worked into, nor is it ever counted as a stitch.

Row 3 (RS): ch2, 1dc into 1st st; *1dc in sp; 1dc into each of 2 wrapped hdcs*; repeat from *to* until 2sts rem; 1dc in last sp; 1dc in last st. (24sts)

Row 4 (WS): ch2, don’t sk any stitches; 1hdc; *sk1st 1hdc in each of the next 2sts, 1hdc around 2hdc just made*; repeat from *to* until 2sts rem; sk1st, 1hdc in last st. (7 sets of wrapped hdcs, 8 perforations)

Repeat rows 3-4 as desired, ending with a Row 3 for symmetry.

If you are swatching, make a total of 13 rows.

Hand wash your swatch in luke warm water with a mild detergent. I like to use a gentle shampoo. Do not wring. Squeeze out the excess water between two layers of a clean towel. Lay flat on a towel, gently pulling into shape to open up the stitches. You can pin it square with some stainless steel (rust free) pins if you like. Allow to dry naturally.

I hope you like my Perforated Pin Stripes Crochet Stitch – if you give it a try, please let me know!

Connect with me!

You can often find me on Instagram. Please do follow and tag me @mezzamay if you make one of my patterns, use one of my tips or stitch patterns. I really love to see what you’re making.

Newsletter

Why not sign up to my newsletter to receive news about my latest patterns, tutorials and giveaways!

Affiliate Links

I use affiliate links in my posts. If you click on a link and buy something I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Support me!

If you have enjoyed my free content or have found my tips and techniques useful, please consider making a small donation by buying me a coffee via Ko-fi.

Category: Crochet, Free Crochet PatternTag: crochet stitch, crochet tutorials, crochet videos, free crochet patterns, stitch pattern

Feather & Fan Crochet Stitch Pattern – With Video Tutorial

August 17, 2020 //  by mezza//  1 Comment

My biggest gripe with many modern crochet patterns for clothing is that the garments nearly always end up being too bulky, heavy and HOT…not to mention requiring an inordinate amount of yarn! So I often explore crochet stitches that are suitable for clothing because they are lacey or open whilst still retaining a structural integrity to the fabric. That’s why I love this Feather & Fan Crochet Stitch Pattern, a lacey, ripple stitch… it has solid areas and airy sections and when used in a fingering or 4ply/sock-weight yarn, it makes the perfect material for a top. And I did make 2 tops with this chevron stitch. While I was making the tops, I decided to try different coloured stripes with some fingering weight mini skeins I had and ended up making a baby blanket. I will share details for making the blanket and top later on. But first, here’s the stitch pattern!

Feather & Fan Crochet Stitch Instructions

Yarn Thickness & Hook Size

4ply/Fingering weight yarn – 3.5mm/E.
DK/Sport weight yarn – 4mm/G.
Worsted/Aran weight yarn – 5mm/H.

Note : hook sizes are a guide only – please use whichever hook gives you your prefered fabric, e.g. if you’re making a blanket you don’t want it to be too stiff and tight so you might opt for a slightly larger hook than usual.

What type of yarn?

This stitch pattern really comes to life after it’s been washed and blocked – the “feather” element opens up beautifully. Natural fibers with good stitch memory work best with this pattern. So wool & cotton blends are a good example. Synthetic yarns such as acrylic may not give the desired result.

In the tutorial I have used a wool & cotton blend – Cotton Merino from Mayflower.

For the colourful baby blanket, I have used 4ply Hand Dyed Superfine Merino from WitchCraftyLady on Etsy. I would really recommend this yarn, it is beautifully soft and the colours that Almas uses to dye the yarn are so joyful to work with. She’s also an excellent seller and you always receive amazing service from her.

What is stitch memory?

I’ll explain, in case you don’t know what “stitch memory” is – it means a yarn that retains the shape of the stitch you have made, rather than trying to spring back into its natural form. So fibers such as linen, cotton & wool, once washed and blocked, will open up and lock into the stitch pattern. Some synthetic fibers on the the other hand, such as acrylic, tend to spring back after washing and blocking rather than retaining some of the key features of the stitch pattern. This is particularly noticeable in stitches that are open or lacey. Having said that, you can get away with a small amount of synthetic fiber in the yarn, for example if you are using a sock yarn that has some nylon, you should still get a good result.

three colourful images showing sections of crocheted blanket in bright handdyed yarn ripple stitch

Feather & Fan Crochet Stitch Pattern

Written instructions & chart can be downloaded from my FREE Crochet Stitch Pattern Directory (opens in new tab).

Video tutorial is below:

Connect with me!

You can often find me on Instagram. Please do follow and tag me @mezzamay if you make one of my patterns, use one of my tips or stitch patterns. I really love to see what you’re making. Don’t forget to use #mezzamay 🙂

Newsletter

Why not sign up to my newsletter to receive news about my latest patterns, tutorials and giveaways!

Affiliate Links

I use affiliate links in my posts. If you click on a link and buy something I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Support me!

If you have enjoyed my free content or have found my tips and techniques useful, please consider making a small donation by buying me a coffee via Ko-fi.

Category: Free Crochet Pattern, Stitch PatternTag: crochet stitch, crochet tutorials

Copyright © 2025 Mezzacraft - Sharing the Art of Crochet · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme