The dc3tog symbol in crochet charts
Three posts, one top. Worked into one space it is the classic cluster that gives lace its texture.
- US name
- dc3tog
- UK name
- tr3tog
- In the editor
- dc3tog (cluster)
What it looks like in a chart
Three double crochet legs fanning out at the base and converging into one shared top bar — the two-legged decrease symbol with a third leg down the middle.
Craft Yarn Council lists the version worked into a single stitch as a 3-dc cluster (abbreviated CL in their master list); the version spread across three stitches is a dc3tog decrease. Same drawing, different placement.
How it is used
- Cluster texture in lace and doily rounds — a raised bump separated from its neighbors by chain arcs.
- Decreasing two stitches at once where a single dc2tog would be too abrupt.
- Building bobble-like relief on an otherwise flat motif.
Worth knowing
Look at the feet before you decide what it is. Three legs over three stitches removes two stitches from your count; three legs into one chain space removes nothing and stands proud of the fabric.
UK patterns write this as tr3tog.
Common questions
What is the difference between dc3tog and a 3-dc cluster?
The shape drawn on the chart is the same. A dc3tog spreads its three legs over three separate stitches and decreases your count by two. A 3-dc cluster puts all three legs into one stitch or chain space and does not change the count — it makes a raised bump instead.