How To Increase And Decrease In Corner To Corner Crochet Patterns

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If you've ever looked at a beautiful C2C blanket — you know, one of those incredible diagonal ones with pictures or color blocks worked right into the fabric — and thought “I have absolutely no idea how that's made,” you're in the right place. Corner to corner crochet is one of those techniques that looks way more complicated than it actually is. Once it clicks, it really clicks. And the key to making it all work? Understanding how to increase and decrease.

Let's break it all down in plain English.

What Even Is C2C Crochet?

Corner to corner crochet is worked in diagonal rows — you start at one corner of your project and work your way diagonally to the opposite corner. Instead of working in regular horizontal rows like you would for a dishcloth or a scarf, you're building little squares (called tiles or blocks) that stack on top of each other at an angle.

Each tile is made from 3 double crochet stitches and a few chains — it sounds simple because it is. The magic happens when you start changing colors in specific tiles to create images, words, or patterns. Those picture blankets you've seen all over Pinterest? That's C2C. To me, C2C is a little like paint by number, only with yarn — you can illustrate almost anything with a simple hook and some string.

The First Half: How To Increase In C2C

The increase is what you do for the entire first half of your project. Every single row, you add one extra tile. That's it. Your project grows diagonally — building up like a staircase — until it reaches its widest point.

In C2C, “increasing” means adding one tile per row. The first half of any project involves increasing at the beginning of each row.

Here's how it works step by step:

To start your very first row: Chain 6. Double crochet in the 4th chain from your hook, then double crochet in the next 2 chains. That's your first tile — one little block of 3 double crochets. Done! That's literally row one.

For every increase row after that: Chain 6, double crochet in the 4th chain from your hook and in the next 2 chain stitches. Then connect your new tile to the previous row with a slip stitch, chain 3, and work 3 double crochets into that chain-3 space to make the next tile. Keep repeating that across the row.

A helpful trick — for increase rows, whatever number row you are on is the number of blocks you should have at the end of that row. So row 5 should have 5 blocks. If you're off, you can catch the mistake right away.

The Turning Point: When To Switch From Increasing To Decreasing

This is the part that trips people up the most, and honestly it's simpler than it seems.

Once you have finished the longest diagonal row in your graph, you will begin decreasing at the beginning of each row. For a square project, this happens right at the halfway point. For a rectangle, it's a little different — you'll reach your desired width before starting to come back down.

Pro tip: once you've finished all the increase rows on one side of your project, place a stitch marker at that corner as a reminder to begin the next row with a decrease tile. Seriously, do this. Future you will be very grateful.

The Second Half: How To Decrease In C2C

Here's where beginners get nervous — but the decrease is just as easy as the increase once you see it. The main difference is how you start each row.

To decrease, you will not start a new block on the next row. Instead, slip stitch over to the turning chain — the chain-3 space — then work a regular block from there.

Step by step:

1. Turn your work at the end of the previous row — do NOT chain 6 like you did for increases.
2. Slip stitch into each of the next 3 double crochets.
3. Slip stitch into the chain-3 space of that last tile.
4. Chain 3, then work 3 double crochets in that same chain-3 space.
5. Continue working regular tiles across the rest of the row.
6. When you reach the very last tile of the row — slip stitch into its chain-3 space and stop. Do not add another tile.

You will continue decreasing back down to one block in the corner, and then finish off.

Each decrease row has one fewer tile than the row before it — the same rate you were increasing, just in reverse. You're essentially mirroring the first half of your project.

Watch These Awesome YouTube Tutorials

Reading about C2C is helpful, but actually seeing someone do it makes everything click so much faster. These are some of the best video tutorials out there:

Make & Do Crew — All the C2C Basics This beginner C2C video tutorial covers how corner to corner crochet works in general, what yarn to use, how to increase, and how to decrease — with timestamps so you can jump straight to any section you need. It's one of the most-recommended videos for C2C beginners and for good reason — the explanations are clear, unhurried, and genuinely friendly. 🎥 Watch on YouTube via makeanddocrew.com

TL Yarn Crafts — C2C Video Tutorial This tutorial is built on chains and mainly uses double crochet and slip stitches, and color changes are easier than you'd think. Toni walks you through each step in a calm, easy-to-follow way and this is especially great if you want to try C2C for graphgans and colorwork projects. 🎥 Watch on YouTube via tlycblog.com

Nicki's Homemade Crafts — Easy C2C for Beginners This tutorial includes a very detailed video you can follow along with — and you can even slow down the playback speed if you need to. Nicki also has a whole C2C YouTube playlist if you want to go deep on the technique. Perfect for visual learners. 🎥 Watch on YouTube via nickishomemadecrafts.com

A Few Tips Before You Dive In

Use worsted weight yarn and a 5mm hook to start. It's easy to see your stitches and the tiles work up at a nice size — not too big, not too tiny.

Make a small practice swatch first. Seriously, just 5 or 6 rows. You'll get the feel for the increase and decrease without committing to a full blanket.

Don't panic about the edges. The edges of a C2C project can look a little messy — simply add a single crochet border around the outside edges when you're done to clean everything up.

Use a stitch marker at the halfway point. The moment you finish your widest row, pop a stitch marker in that corner. It's your signal that the decrease has officially begun.

Once you get a few rows of increasing and decreasing under your belt, you'll wonder why this technique ever intimidated you at all. It really does just click — and once it does, you're going to want to make every single thing in C2C. Fair warning!

Happy daily crocheting!

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• pin now, crochet later!
• sharing is caring!
• tweet it!

• pin now, crochet later!
• sharing is caring!
• tweet it!