Back Post Treble Crochet (bptc) for Beginners

The back post treble crochet stitch (bptc) creates raised, textured ridges by working treble crochet stitches around the post of the stitch rather than through the top loops. This textured crochet technique is commonly used for ribbing, basket weave, cables, and decorative crochet fabric. This tutorial will show you how to crochet the back post treble crochet step by step.

What is Back Post Treble Crochet?

Back post treble crochet (bptc) pulls stitches back, creating an attractive ridge line that shows the tops of stitches from the row below. Some patterns use the back post stitches ridge to create crochet ribbing, but others show a horizontal ridge throughout the fabric.

Learn more textured crochet techniques in the complete crochet stitches glossary.

Before you begin, I believe you should be familiar with doing the front post treble crochet before the back post treble crochet. It’s simply a little less difficult. Go over this lesson if you don’t know how to do the fptc yet. You can also read more about post stitches in crochet.

Back Post Treble Crochet Stitch BPTC (Step by Step)

Doing back post treble crochet means crocheting around a post of the stitch in the preceding row, rather than into the top of the stitch as with conventional treble crochet. The following are the steps for working back post treble crochet:

Written BPTR Pattern

1. Work a foundation chain and a row of ordinary treble crochet.

2. Turn and chain 4 (turning chain).
3. YO twice, insert your hook from back to front around the post of the previous row’s stitch, working from right to left if right-handed or left to right if left-handed.

5. YO and pull through. (Your hook should now have four loops.)

6. YO and draw your hook through the first two loops. (Your hook should now have three loops.)

7. YO and draw your hook through the next two loops. (Your hook should now have two loops.)

8. YO and draw your hook through the last two loops. (You will now have one back post treble crochet stitch completed.)

9. Repeat for each stitch you want to work back post treble crochet around.
10. Work 1 row of regular treble stitch in between each row of bptc.

Back Post Treble Crochet Techniques

How to Increase BPTR

Back-post increases vs. regular increases: Usually, you work two stitches together in the same stitch to make an increase. To make a back post increase, you crochet one stitch into the top of a stitch and one stitch around the post of the same stitch.

1. Work like this along your row of treble stitches where you need to create more stitches.
2. YO hook twice.
3. Insert your hook into the top of the stitch from the previous row, just like you would for a normal treble. Complete the treble stitch.
4. YO twice again.
5.  Work your bptc by inserting your hook from the back to the front and out the back of the same stitch and working the treble. (You have added one stitch because you worked two stitches into one.)

Back Post Treble Crochet Decrease

To make your row a stitch smaller, you will work two stitches together. Where you need to decrease along your row of treble crochet, you work it like this:

1. YO twice, insert hook in front of post.
2. YO, bring the loop back through. (4 loops)
3. YO, pull through the first two loops. (3 loops) Don’t complete the stitch.
4. Go to the next stitch. YO twice,  insert hook around next post.
5. YO, bring loop through. (6 loops).
6. YO, draw it through the first 2 loops.
7. YO, pull it through the 5 remaining loops on the hook. You’ve just combined two stitches into one.

What Can I Make with Bptc?

Back post treble crochet is a versatile stitch that can be used with other stitches to make interesting and complex crochet patterns. Here are some stitches that you can make with bptr:

• RIBBING: Combine bptc and front post double crochet .
• CROCHET CABLES: Use bptc with regular treble crochet.
• TEXTURES: Use bptc with other stitches like single crochet, half double crochet, and double crochet.
• BASKET WEAVE CROCHET STITCH

A lovely example of a textured stitch using back and front posts is crochet basket weave stitch.

Back Post Treble Crochet FAQs

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In Conclusion

The back post treble crochet stitch creates raised textured crochet fabric by working stitches around the back of the stitch posts. Although the hook placement may feel unusual at first, the stitch quickly becomes easier with practice. Back post treble crochet is especially useful for crochet ribbing, basket weave stitch, cables, and textured crochet projects.

• Front Post Single Crochet (fpsc)
• Front Post Half Double Crochet (fphdc)
• Front Post Double Crochet (fpdc)
• Front Post Treble Crochet (fptc)
• Back Post Single Crochet (bpsc)
• Back Post Half Double Crochet (bphdc)
• Back Post Double Crochet (bpdc)
• Crochet Post Stitches