Crochet texture sometimes gets a bad rap.
Think massive 5+ stitch popcorn stitches in a worsted weight yarn on an old blanket with outdated colors.
Yeah, I know, some people still love them!
But crochet texture can be as loud and flashy as the crocodile stitch, or it can be elegant and subtle.
Like the almost beaded effect you get with this simple stitch pattern that creates what I call tiny treble popcorns!
(They're also way easier to crochet than the traditional popcorn stitch—there's no removing your hook from the loop or anything!)
So let's dig into this simple yet dynamic textured stitch, shall we?
How to Crochet Tiny Treble Popcorns
For a flat project worked in back and forth rows, you'll want to begin with an odd number of stitches.
If you'd like to use this stitch for a project in the round, you'll need to have an even number of stitches.
For this example, I'm working flat and so I have a small swatch that begins with an even number of chain stitches (ten in this case) with one single crochet worked into the 2nd chain from the hook and then each chain remaining all the way across for a total of nine sc in Row 1. This will give us four treble crochet stitches and five single crochet stitches in Row 2 as demonstrated in the video below.
Tiny Treble Popcorns Written Instructions:
Chain one and turn. Single crochet in your first stitch.
*Treble crochet in the next stitch, single crochet in the next stitch, allowing the treble crochet to bow outwards on the wrong side of your fabric (so away from you) as you insert your hook into the next stitch for the single crochet.
Repeat from * all the way across or as desired.
That's it!
I've added a row of single crochet stitches in between each row of tiny treble popcorns for a simple, textured fabric, but you can, of course, place any sort of stitch you'd like in the next row.
In fact, my scarf pattern Sibyllinity uses tiny treble popcorns in alternating rows with treble crochet stitches for a beautifully but subtly textured fabric:
You'll also find this stitch in my Wendover and Highclere Wrap patterns, where it's used as a single row of texture in just a few places.
To me, these sort of look like rows of beads, like a strand of elegant pearls!
Especially so in this tonal white (with sparkles!) version of Wendover:
Do you see them there running along the center of the scarf in two rows? I just love them!
I'm excited to be including this stitch sequence in a brand new pattern, too, which I am sharing AS I design it as part of this year's 100 Day Project. You can read more about it over on Patreon, as well as get a look at the instructions. (The first part comes with a video tutorial, too!)
Just check out those beautiful little rows of texture!
I hope you have some fun with this stitch combo—it really is one of my favorites!
Don't forget that you can work this in the round, too, BUT keep in mind that you'll want to work the rounds for this stitch with the Wrong Side facing you so that the trebles pop out on the Right Side of your project. (Don't try to force them to pop out on the side that's facing you; it'll drive you bonkers.) You'll also need an even number of stitches!
Oh and one more tip for you!
You may notice that the tops of your treble crochet stitches are a tad bigger than the tops of your single crochet stitches.
Here's a look at mine (tilted so that you can see the tops of the stitches that sit more to the back side of the fabric):
The red Vs mark the tops of the slightly larger trebles and the blue Vs mark the tops of the smaller singles.
This is totally normal and quite common for taller stitches!
If you'd like to keep a little bit better control over them so they don't stretch out so tall and lanky like, be sure to check out my post and video about keeping your trebles from being too loose.
I do touch on this briefly in today's video, but the other post is more comprehensive.
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. Otherwise, happy crocheting!