Learning how to make a single crochet decrease is something that all new crocheters will have to know (you will find the instructions for this further down).

Making a single crochet decrease in your work creates a decrease, that allows you to shape your crochet project.

When you see this term in your crochet pattern – decrease in single crochet or single crochet two together (sc2tog) they mean the same thing.

To decrease stitches by joining two stitches together, so they become one stitch.

decreasing single crochet sample and crochet hook

How To Do A Single Crochet Decrease

You can decrease a stitch (abbreviated dec or sc2tog), which is really just subtracting a stitch, in a single crochet row.

You decrease stitches in single crochet in the same places that you increase stitches — at the ends of the row or somewhere in the middle.

Learning how to make a single crochet decrease will allow you to decrease stitches where necessary in your crochet projects.

What Does It Mean To sc2tog?

A short explanation before we go into the step-by-step photo tutorial is that you will decrease stitches by crocheting two stitches together.

Decreasing is needed for shaping, so learning how to dec or sc2tog is much needed for any beginner.

For example, when making amigurumi projects like this crochet octopus, you need to decrease stitches (dec sc) to shape the octopus’ head and body.

If you haven’t yet learned how to single crochet, take a look at this post first – how to single crochet.

single crochet decrease example with swatch and hook

You can watch the video tutorial in this post or head over to my YouTube channel here.

How To Do A Single Crochet decrease

Step 1 – Start your first single crochet.
To begin to sc2tog, you should begin by creating a single crochet stitch.
Insert your hook into the next stitch in your pattern, where it tells you to start your decrease.
Step 2 – Hook the yarn and pull up a loop
To complete the first single crochet, you will hook the yarn and pull it through a loop, the same as any other single crochet stitch.
You should now have two loops on your hook.
Step 3 – Insert your hook into the next stitch
To continue with the decrease, insert your hook into the next stitch as if you were going to single crochet in that stitch.
Keeping those two loops on your hook, you will be making a third loop.
Step 4 – Make another loop
Hook your yarn, pull it through, and make a third loop on the hook.
This means you will have two single crochet stitches and the original stitch together side by side on your hook, ready to be joined into one stitch.
Step 5 – Hook the yarn and pull through all three loops
Yarn over with your hook and pull through all three loops on your hook in one go.
You will have made those stitches into just one stitch, meaning that you have crocheted two stitches together.
This is the dec or sc2tog completed!

Once you have learned how to single crochet and mastered this technique of decreasing stitches, you will be able to shape your work when you look at patterns like triangles (bunting), amigurumi, shawls, accessories, garments and more!