How to Crochet a Standing Double Crochet (and Never Use a Ch-3 Again)

If you've ever changed colors in a crochet project and ended up with an ugly, bulky "step" at the start of your row - this tutorial is for you. The fix is something called a standing double crochet, and once you learn it, you'll never go back to a ch-3 turning chain again.

In this post, I'll walk you through exactly how to make one, plus show you how the same technique works for almost any other stitch.

What Is a Standing Double Crochet?

A standing double crochet (often shortened to standing dc) is a double crochet that starts directly on your hook - without a turning chain underneath it. Instead of working 3 chains to "climb up" to the height of a double crochet, you build the stitch from a slip knot right where you need it.

The result? A clean, seamless edge with no visible gap - perfect for:

• Color changes in stripes, granny squares, or motifs
• Joining a new yarn at the start of a round
• Any project where you want the edge to look polished

What You'll Need

• Your project (or a small swatch to practice on)
• A new color of yarn (or the same yarn if you're just practicing)
• Your usual crochet hook

 

That's it. No special tools, no extra steps to memorize.

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Start by making a slip knot with your new yarn and placing it on your hook (img 1). 

Wrap the working yarn over your hook, exactly like you would for a regular double crochet (img 2).

Insert your hook into the stitch where you want the standing dc to begin - usually the same place where you'd normally start the new row or round (img 3).

Yarn over again and pull the loop back through the stitch. You should now have 3 loops on your hook (img 4).

Yarn over and pull through the first 2 loops on your hook. You'll have 2 loops left (img 5).

One more yarn over (img 6), pull through the remaining 2 loops (img 7), and your standing double crochet is complete (img 8).

Joining the Round

If you're working in the round (like granny squares or circular motifs), continue the row as normal and join with a slip stitch at the end or use invisible join. The standing dc blends right into the rest of the stitches - no bulky chain, no visible seam.

This Technique Works for Almost Any Stitch

The best part about the standing stitch method is that it isn't limited to double crochet. You can use the same approach for:

• Standing single crochet - slip knot, insert hook, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through both loops
• Standing half double crochet - slip knot, yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through all 3 loops
• Standing treble crochet - slip knot, yarn over twice, insert hook, then finish like a regular treble
• Standing puff stitch - slip knot, then build your puff as usual, drawing up loops to the height you need

 

Check the video tutorial below to see all these stitches

Once you understand the principle - start with a slip knot, then build the stitch as you normally would - you can apply it to virtually any stitch in your repertoire.

The standing double crochet is one of those small techniques that completely changes the way your finished projects look. It takes about 30 seconds to learn and instantly upgrades the quality of any color change or new round.

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