How to Increase and Decrease in Crochet: The Complete Shaping Guide

Increasing and decreasing are the fundamental shaping techniques that transform flat rectangles into curves, tapers, and three-dimensional forms. Every hat, amigurumi, garment, sock, and shaped item uses increases to widen and decreases to narrow the fabric. Understanding these techniques is the single biggest skill upgrade a beginner crocheter can make because it opens up an enormous range of project possibilities.

The concept is simple: an increase adds one extra stitch (making a row wider), and a decrease removes one stitch (making a row narrower). But the execution has nuances that affect how professional your finished work looks. Placement matters, technique matters, and the type of increase or decrease you choose creates different visual effects.

Standard Increase Methods

Basic Increase (inc): Work 2 stitches into the same stitch. That is it. If the pattern uses single crochet, make 2 sc in one stitch. For double crochet, make 2 dc in one stitch. This is the most common increase for all crochet projects.

Invisible Increase: Used for amigurumi. Make 2 sc in the same stitch, but work the second stitch through the back loop only. This makes the increase less visible and creates smoother shaping for stuffed toys.

Decrease Methods

Standard Decrease (sc2tog/dc2tog): For sc: insert hook in next stitch, pull up a loop, insert hook in following stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through all 3 loops. For dc: yarn over, insert hook, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through 2 (3 loops), yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through 2, yarn over, pull through remaining 3.

Invisible Decrease (inv dec): The professional technique for amigurumi. Insert hook through front loop only of the next stitch, then through front loop only of the following stitch, yarn over, pull through both front loops, yarn over, pull through both loops on hook. Creates a nearly invisible decrease that does not leave gaps.

Even Distribution of Shaping

The formula is: divide total stitches by number of increases needed. If you have 30 stitches and need 6 increases, 30/6 = 5, so increase every 5th stitch. For decreases, divide total stitches by decreases needed and subtract 1 for the decrease itself.