What is a half treble crochet stitch? You may already know about single, double, and treble crochet, now why do you need a half treble stitch? The answer is that sometimes double crochet is too small and a treble is too tall! Especially if you are trying to shape something and want a gradual change in height, rather than a ‘stepped’ height change.
Table of Contents
Half Treble Crochet
It is useful when making a gentle slope, or to make indentations or scallops, or flower petals. In this picture, the slope has been created by doing 2 of each stitch, double treble down to single crochet. Including half treble and half double.
Of course, you may also want to learn to do half treble stitches because that is what your pattern is asking for!
Country of Origin
As usual with crochet, a US half treble and a UK half treble are two completely different beasts. A UK half treble is the same as a US half double crochet. So do check where your pattern originates to be certain you are crocheting the correct stitches!
To clarify, I am writing about the US half treble stitch here. All terms and abbreviations are in US format.
Many US patterns require the half double crochet stitch, which is halfway between a single crochet and a double crochet. Now we are moving on from that to a half treble stitch, which is halfway between a double crochet and a treble crochet.
| United States (US) | United Kingdom (UK) |
| Single crochet (sc) | Double crochet (dc) |
| Half double crochet (hdc) | Half Treble Crochet (htr) |
| Double crochet (dc) | Treble crochet (tc) |
| Half treble crochet (htr) | Half double treble (hdtr) |
| Treble crochet (tr) | Double treble (dtr) |
USA vs UK Terminology
Materials
Yarn and a crochet hook suitable for that yarn.
Abbreviations Used for Half Treble Crochet
- ch - chain stitch
- sc - single crochet
- dc -double crochet
- hdc - half double crochet
- tr - treble crochet
- htr - half treble
- st -stitch
- YO- yarn over hook
How To Half Treble Crochet
To make a half treble stitch, you need to start off exactly as you would if you were going to make a treble crochet stitch. The difference is, when you have 3 loops left on your hook, you will pull the hook through all 3 loops at once.
Foundation
- Start with a foundation chain. (To practice, let's do 12 chains, plus 3 chains for the turning chain.)
Row 1
- YO twice
- Insert the hook into 3rd chain from hook
- Yarn over
- Draw up loop. (You now have 4 loops on the hook.)
- Yarn over
- Draw hook through 2 loops. (3 loops on hook.)
- Yarn over
- Draw hook through all 3 loops. (Only 1 loop on hook)
This is your half treble stitch.
- Continue making 1 half treble into each chain to the end of the row.
- Turn your work.
Row 2
- Turning chain for a half treble is 3 chains. So, chain 3.
- YO twice
- Insert hook into next stitch, YO and draw up a loop ( 4 loops on hook.)
- YO
- Draw hook through 2 loops. (3 loops on hook)
- YO
- Draw hook through all 3 loops. 1 loop left on hook, 1 htr formed.
- Continue to end of row.
- The last half treble will be into the turning chain.
- Continue with these 2 rows until your fabric is the required length.
What Do I Use Half Treble Stitches For?
If you are using the half trebles for your entire garment or blanket, it has the advantage of crocheting up very quickly. It is not as holey or as wobbly as the treble stitch and gives a more solid fabric.
However, half trebles are most commonly used in combination with other stitches to create sections of different heights within a row. For example to make petals of flowers or wave stitch.
Half Treble Variation - Wave Stitch
Wave stitch is a variation of the half treble crochet. It is best to make wave stitches in at least 2 different colors so that the wave shape is visible.
- Foundation chain must be a multiple of 10 + 2 ch (turning ch.)
- Row 1, Color 1.
- Sc into second ch from hook,
- * sc in next ch,
- hdc in next ch,
- dc in next 2 ch,
- htr in next 2 ch,
- dc in next 2 ch,
- hdc in next ch,
- sc in next ch,
- repeat from * to end of row.
- Turn and change color.
- Row 2, Color 2.
- Ch 3 (turning ch)
- *htr in first st,
- dc in next 2 sts,
- hdc in next st,
- sc in next 2 sts,
- hdc,
- dc in next 2 sts,
- htr in next st.
- repeat from * to the end of the row,
- htr into last st.
- Row 3, Color 2.
- Ch 3 and turn.
- Htr in first st,
- dc in next 2 sts,
- hdc,
- sc in next 2 sts,
- hdc,
- dc in next 2 sts,
- htr.
- Repeat to the end of the row,
- htr in last st.
You can clearly see the different heights of the different stitches now.
- Row 4, Color 1.
- Ch1 and turn.
- *sc in next st,
- hdc,
- dc in next 2 sts,
- htr in next 2 sts,
- dc in next 2 sts,
- hdc,
- sc.
- Repeat from * to last st,
- sc in last st.
- Row 5, Color1.
- Ch1, turn.
- *Sc in first st,
- hdc,
- dc in next 2 sts,
- htr in next 2 sts,
- dc in next 2 sts,
- hdc,
- sc.
- Repeat to the end of the row.
- Change color.
- Repeat rows 2-5 until the crochet fabric is the desired length.
- Finish off with row1, color1.
This pattern makes a really pretty afghan rug. You can work it in 2 colors as shown, or make your waves in ombre shades, blending from light to dark and back again. You could also make each ‘wave’ (2 rows) in a whole rainbow of bright and cheerful colors. This would be a good ‘stash buster’ project.
You can also use this pattern stitch as the basis for a crochet garment. Just tweak the number of stitches required to a multiple of 10 +2. Then crochet the garment as given in the pattern being careful to keep the sequence of stitches correct when required to increase or decrease.
How To Make A Flower Using Half Treble Crochet
There are many different patterns to create crochet flowers, but here is an easy one that uses the half treble stitch.
- Color 1: start with a magic ring or a 4 ch foundation ring.
- Round 1:
- Ch 3, (1 htr, ch1) 7 times into the ring.
- You will now have 8 ‘spokes’.
- Round 2:
- Change color for petals.
- Into each ch space, work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 htr, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc.)
- Repeat 7 times.
- This will give you a flower with 8 petals , and 8 stamens in the center.
- Weave in the loose ends.
These flowers can be used as key chains, garlands, curtain tie backs, as a brooch with a pin on the back, or as a hair clip with a clip attached to it. They also make lovely decorations for gifts.
Half Treble Crochet - In Conclusion
I have been reading a lot lately about a UK group called ‘Random Acts Of Crochet Kindness’. People who belong to this group crochet small items such as flowers or ‘worry worms’, and leave them in public places for anyone to find. They attach a label so that people know it is a little gift. Here is an example of one of the gift tags, composed by Michelle Bools:
"This little crochet gift is especially for you
It carries happy thoughts in case you’re feeling blue
Sometimes life is hard, but burdens we can share
With random acts of kindness to show you someone cares."
This idea really appeals to me, for anyone who has the time to crochet small, simple gifts, such as the flower explained above. It must be lovely to be the recipient of such a random act of kindness! Perhaps you will make a small gift using your half treble stitches, or perhaps you will choose to make a lovely large blanket for yourself! Whatever you decide to do, happy crocheting!
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