Learn how to do front post treble crochet (fptc). If you have never worked “post stitches” in crochet, now is the time to learn, and you will open up a whole new variety of stitches you can work with this technique. Once you have learned the placement of your crochet hook for front post stitches, you will find any type of post stitch really easy to work.

Front Post Treble Crochet Tutorial

Supplies for Fptc

Yarn and a crochet hook compatible with that yarn.
It will be handy to have scissors and a yarn needle nearby too!

Abbreviations for Post Stitch Crochet

All instructions are in US terms. Read more on the crochet glossary.

fptc = front post treble crochet. It can also be abbreviated to fptr crochet.
ch = chain stitch crochet
tr = treble crochet stitch (Also called triple crochet stitch)
YO = yarn over
st (s)- stitch (es)
hdc = half double crochet

Because treble crochet (US terminology) is called double crochet in the UK, this stitch would be called front post double crochet, or a raised double crochet if you are using a UK pattern.

What is Front Post Treble Crochet?

Ordinary treble crochet stitches are tall and can give a lovely lacy look to your work. The post of your stitch is the tall, vertical part of the stitch that gives the stitch its height.

When working a normal treble crochet, you insert your hook through the top loops of the stitch from the previous row.

When working front post treble crochet (fptc), instead of working into those top loops, you will be working around the vertical post of that stitch. The great advantage of fptc is that those posts are really easy to find, as the stitches are so tall! My picture below shows my needle inserted into the post of a treble stitch.

What is Front Post Treble Crochet - Post of the Stitch

The post is in front of the needle, hence the name front post treble crochet.

How to Do Basic Treble Crochet

Because treble crochet is not used all that often, here is a quick recap on how to work basic treble crochet:

Start with a slip knot and then make a foundation chain.
Chain 4 more stitches for your turning chain.
Wrap the yarn around the hook twice, from back to front.
Insert the hook into the fifth chain from the hook.
Wrap yarn over again and draw this loop through the chain stitch only. (4 loops on your hook.)
Wrap the yarn over again and draw through the first two loops only. (3 loops on your hook.)
Yarn over again and draw through the next two loops. (2 loops on the hook.)
Wrap the yarn over once again and draw through the last two loops on the hook. (You are now left with one loop on the hook.)

Your treble crochet stitch is complete. Continue working treble stitches all the way across your foundation chain.

How to Do Front Post Treble Crochet

Here are the written instructions and step by step photo tutorial for fptc:

Start with a foundation chain the length you desire.
Work a row of treble stitches,
Turn and chain 4.

Work 1 treble into the first stitch.
Wrap your yarn around your crochet hook twice.
Put your hook between the current stitch and the next stitch, below the current stitch. Here you are inserting the hook into the post, from front to back, then out the front again.

Yarn over again.
Pull the yarn back through the spaces between the stitches. (Now your hook has 4 loops.)

Yarn over.
Use your hook to pull the yarn through two loops. (Your hook will now have 3 loops.)

Yarn over. And pull the yarn through the next two loops.

Yarn over, and pull yarn through the final 2 loops.

That's it. Your front post treble crochet is now done.

Row 1 Continued: Work fptc into each treble stitch from the previous row.
Row 2: Turn, chain 4, and work a row of ordinary treble in between each row of fptc, as this makes it possible to insert through the post again in the next row.

Once you have worked your test swatch, and are familiar with the way it works, here is the short version of how to crochet a fptc:

FRONT POST TREBLE CROCHET: Yarn over (YO) hook twice. Insert hook behind stitch post. Pull up a loop, four loops on hook, YO hook. Pull through 2 loops, 3 loops on hook, YO hook, pull through 2 loops. 2 loops on hook. YO hook, draw through the last two loops.

Front Post Treble Crochet Increase

Regular increases vs. front-post increases: Traditional increases are made by working two stitches together in the same stitch. To make a front post increase crochet one stitch into the top of a stitch and one stitch around the post of the same stitch.

So working along your row of treble, where you need to increase:

Insert your hook into the top of the treble in the previous row, just as you would work a normal treble stitch.

Now insert your hook around the post of that same stitch, and work your fptc.

You have worked 2 stitches into one, so have increased one stitch.
When you are working on the next row, be sure to work into both of these stitches.

How to Decrease in fptc.

To decrease, you will be working 2 together.

Working along your row of treble, where you need to decrease:

Yarn over twice, insert hook under post.
Yarn over, bring the loop back through. (4 loops on hook)

Yarn over, pull through first 2 loops. (3 loops)
Yarn over, pull through next 2 loops. (2 loops) Do not complete the stitch!

Move to next stitch.
Yarn over, insert hook under next post.
Yarn over, bring loop through. (5 loops)

YO, draw it through the first 2 loops. (4 loops)
YO draw through next 2 loops. (3 loops)
YO, pull it through all 3 loops left on the hook.

You have now made two tr sts into one.

How Front Post Treble Crochet In The Round

Foundation:

Start with a magic ring or chain 3, and slip stitch to form a ring.

Round 1:

Chain 4 (counts as first treble)
Make 13 trebles into the ring,
join to the top of your beginning chain with a slip stitch. (14 stitches)

Round 2

Chain 4 (counts as the first treble).
Make a fptc around the beginning chain of the previous round.
*Treble stitch into the top loops only of the next fptc.
Then work fptc around the post of the same stitch.
Repeat from * into every stitch of the round. (28 sts, 14 tr, 14 fptc)

Round 3:

Chain 4 (counts as the first treble).
*Treble into the next stitch. This will be into the fptc of the previous round.
Make an fptc into the same stitch.
Treble in the next stitch.
Repeat from * 13 times, leaving out the last treble in the last repeat.
Join to the top of the 4 chain with a slip stitch. (36 sts, 24 tr, 12 fptc.)

Continue in this way in rounds, working the fptc in each previous fptc and increasing the number of treble by one in between each fptc

So round 4 will be 2 trebles, 1 increased fptc all around,
Round 5 will be 3 trebles, 1 increased fptc all around, and so on.

Work until your circle is the required size.

What Can I Make With fptc?

Textured Fabric

A good example of a textured fabric made from fptcstitch is the Waffle Stitch.

Crochet Cables Using Front Post Treble Crochet

Fptc is also a great starting point for learning to crochet cables. You need the extra length of the fptc to be able to cross over other stitches.

This pattern is for a narrow cable that uses fptc only. The more complex cables require more stitches!

The easiest cable is crocheted across four stitches rather than six, with a half double crochet backdrop.

Start with the required amount of foundation chains.
Rows 1-3: The base fabric is hdc, so work 3 rows of hdc. (starting with 2 chains as turning chain. )
Row 4: Turn, ch2, and work hdc to the position where you want the cable. Skip two stitches, fptr around the next two, (loosely!) fptr around the two skipped stitches, working in front of the stitches just formed. Hdc to end.
Row 5: Turn, ch 2, and work hdc across next row.
Row 6: Work as row 4, working your fptc into the posts of the hdc row you have just worked.
Repeat rows 5 and 6 until your work is the desired length.

Experiment with constructing larger and smaller cables!

Front Post Treble Crochet Stitch- In Conclusion

Working the front post treble crochet is really easy if you understand the placement of the hook for any front post stitches. Because it is such a tall stitch, it allows you to work all sorts of crossing-over options. Once you have tried the ideas I have mentioned, have fun playing around with this stitch, and see how you can use it with your own basic crochet patterns!