Trebles are my favourite crochet stitch (shh, don’t tell the other stitches!), and it’s because of their versatility. You can create all sorts of fabrics, from lacy shawls to granny squares to flower motifs and cabled scarves. With this versatility, though, comes potential confusion when you’re following a pattern – the one I see most of all is ‘3-treble cluster’.
Some patterns will use the term 3-treble cluster to refer to a tr3tog or a group of three treble stitches. If there is no explanation of the abbreviation in the pattern, you can often guess which one you need to make from the photos of the finished item or changes to the stitch count in the pattern. Don’t worry, you can work it out – and we’ll help.
In this guide, I’ll explain the differences between a tr3tog, a 3-treble group and a 3-treble cluster, how to work them and what they look like. This will help you get it right every time. Let’s hook!
How do I work a tr3tog?
Here’s how to make a tr3tog...
Sometimes a ‘3-treble cluster’ may refer to a ‘treble 3 together’.
This technique involves making three part-treble stitches across three stitches or spaces on the row or round below, and then finishing them all together.