How to make a triangle crochet covers the basic shaping technique behind shawls, bandanas, and triangle motifs, built by increasing at a steady rate from a single starting point outward. I use this exact shaping logic as the base for most of my shawl patterns. This guide gives the core pattern.
Pattern Instructions
- Chain 4.
- Row 1: work 3 dc into the fourth chain from the hook (3 stitches, plus the starting chain counts as a stitch).
- Row 2: chain 3, turn, work 2 dc into the same stitch, dc in each stitch across to the last stitch, then work 2 dc into the last stitch.
- Repeat row 2, increasing 2 stitches per row, one at each edge, until the triangle reaches your target size.
This steady two-stitch-per-row increase, one at each edge, is what keeps the shape a true triangle rather than skewing to one side.
Sizing to a Target Width
Measure the flat top edge of your triangle periodically as you work, comparing it against your target finished width, and stop increasing once you reach that measurement, then fasten off.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my triangle lean to one side instead of staying centered?
This usually means the increases are not evenly split between both edges. Double-check that you are increasing once at the very start and once at the very end of every row, not just one side.
Want to build a full shawl from this shape?
A triangle base is the starting point for most crochet shawl patterns.
See more crochet chart patterns