How to Increase and Decrease in Crochet (Beginner Guide)

Every hat, amigurumi animal, and shaped garment you have ever admired relies on two simple tools: increases and decreases. An increase adds a stitch to make your work wider, and a decrease removes a stitch to make it narrower. Once you understand how each one works, you can shape almost anything – round it out, narrow it in, or curve it exactly where you want. Let’s walk through both, slowly and clearly, so you can shape your own projects with confidence.

What Increases and Decreases Actually Do

Think of your crochet fabric as a grid of stitches. Each row or round normally has the same number of stitches as the one before it, which keeps your piece the same width. An increase breaks that pattern on purpose by adding an extra stitch, which makes the round or row a little wider than the last. A decrease does the opposite – it combines two stitches into one, so the round or row ends up narrower.

Patterns use these constantly. A flat circle, like the base of a basket, increases every round to grow outward. A beanie narrows at the crown with decreases. An amigurumi animal is basically a series of increase rounds, to grow the body, followed by decrease rounds, to close it back up.

Before we get into the steps, a few abbreviations you will see below: st (stitch), sc (single crochet), yo (yarn over), and sc2tog (single crochet two together, the standard decrease). These are the standard US terms used throughout this article.

How to Increase in Crochet

Increasing is the easier of the two, and you already know most of the skill – you are simply working more than one stitch into the same place.

To increase by one sc (single crochet), work your first single crochet into a stitch as normal, then, instead of moving on to the next stitch, work a second single crochet into that exact same st (stitch). You now have two stitches where there used to be one, which adds one stitch to your total count.

This works the same way with taller stitches – two hdc (half double crochet) in one stitch, or two dc (double crochet) in one stitch, are increases too. Patterns will usually spell this out as “2 sc in next st” or simply “inc,” and some patterns increase by even more stitches in one spot, like 3 or 4, when they need a piece to flare out quickly, such as the brim of a hat or a ruffled edge.

A few common places you will use increases:

• Amigurumi. Almost every amigurumi pattern starts with a small magic ring, then increases every stitch, or every other stitch, for several rounds to grow a round body or head shape.
• Flat circles and hats. A hat worked in the round from the crown down, or a flat circle like a coaster, needs a steady rhythm of increases in the early rounds to stay flat instead of cupping.
• General shaping. Increases widen sleeves, shoulders, and any spot in a garment where the fabric needs to flare.

How to Work a Standard Decrease (sc2tog)

The most common decrease is single crochet two together, almost always written as sc2tog. It takes two stitches and turns them into one, so your stitch count drops by one each time you work it.

Here is exactly how it goes, step by step:

1. Insert your hook into the next stitch, yo (yarn over), and pull up a loop. You will now have 2 loops on your hook. 2. Insert your hook into the following stitch, yarn over, and pull up a loop. You now have 3 loops on your hook. 3. Yarn over one more time, and pull through all 3 loops on your hook. That completes the decrease – two stitches have become one.

That’s it. The two original stitches now share a single new stitch on top, which is exactly what pulls the fabric in.

How to Work an Invisible Decrease (Best for Amigurumi)

The standard sc2tog above is reliable, but if you have ever made an amigurumi piece and noticed a small gap or hole where you decreased, you have run into its one real downside: it can leave a slightly loose spot in tightly stuffed work. That is where the invisible decrease comes in. It is a favorite trick for amigurumi because it keeps the fabric smoother and tighter, with far less risk of stuffing peeking through.

Here is how to work it:

1. Instead of inserting your hook under both loops of the next stitch, the usual way, insert it under just the front loop only of the next stitch, then under the front loop only of the following stitch as well. Your hook will be sitting under two front loops at once, with the back loops left untouched. 2. Yarn over and pull through those two front loops only. You will now have 2 loops on your hook. 3. Yarn over one more time and pull through both loops on your hook to complete the stitch.

The result looks nearly seamless from the right side, which is exactly why amigurumi designers reach for it so often around heads, bodies, and limbs.

When to Use Which Decrease

Both decreases reduce your stitch count by one, but they are not interchangeable in every situation:

• Standard sc2tog is perfect for garments, hats, and any project where the wrong side will not be closely scrutinized, or where speed matters more than a flawless surface. Crown shaping on a beanie, for example, works beautifully with a plain sc2tog.
• Invisible decrease shines specifically in amigurumi and other stuffed toys, where the fabric is stretched over filling and every small gap shows. It is also nice for the visible front of a project worked in single crochet, where stitch definition really matters.

If a pattern does not specify which one to use, it is completely fine to swap in the invisible decrease anywhere you would use a standard one – it simply takes a beat longer to learn since it changes where you insert your hook.

Practice Tips for Clean Shaping

• Count as you go. After every increase or decrease round, count your total stitches before moving on. Catching a mismatch early saves you from unraveling several rounds later.
• Use a stitch marker. Mark the first stitch of each round so you always know where a new round begins, especially in amigurumi where there is no obvious seam.
• Slow down on decreases. Both methods above involve extra loops on your hook at once, which can feel fiddly until your hands learn the motion. Go slowly the first several times.
• Try both decreases on a swatch. Before starting a big project, crochet a small test piece using each decrease so you can see and feel the difference for yourself.

Shape With Confidence

Increases and decreases are really just small variations on the stitches you already know – a stitch worked twice in one spot, or two stitches merged into one. Once your hands get used to the rhythm, shaping stops feeling like a separate skill and starts feeling like a natural part of crocheting anything with curves, corners, or contours. Keep a swatch nearby, practice both decrease methods, and before long you will be shaping hats, amigurumi, and garments without even thinking about the abbreviations – just the shapes taking form under your hook.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between sc2tog and an invisible decrease?

Sc2tog is worked under both loops of two stitches and is the standard, quicker decrease, while the invisible decrease is worked under the front loops only, which hides the join better and is favored for amigurumi.

When should I use an increase instead of a decrease?

Use an increase whenever a piece needs to get wider, such as the early rounds of a flat circle or an amigurumi body, and use a decrease whenever it needs to narrow, such as the crown of a beanie or the top of an amigurumi head.

Why does my amigurumi have small holes where I decreased?

A standard sc2tog can leave a slightly loose spot in tightly stuffed work, since it is worked under both loops. Switching to the invisible decrease, worked under the front loops only, gives a smoother, gap-free result.

How do I know how many increases or decreases to make?

Follow your pattern’s stitch counts round by round, and count your total stitches after each increase or decrease round to make sure your total matches what the pattern expects before moving on.

— NoraEvery pattern hand-tested