The Treble Cross (or Cross Treble) is also known as the K-stitch. This stitch is slightly more advanced than the Linen Stitch I featured a while ago. Having said that, it is not difficult, just tedious to explain. The tutorial below is very photo-intensive, be warned. I have photographed every single step! 

This tutorial includes:

• Treble Cross Stitch Chart
• Treble Cross Stitch Tutorial
• Changing Colours When Using The Treble Cross Stitch
• Sample Pattern:  Treble Cross Dish Cloth 

Treble Cross Stitch

The Treble Cross (trx), or K-stitch (k), is a combination stitch consisting of a modified treble-crochet two together (tr2tog), a chain stitch (ch) and a double crochet (dc) worked into the side of the modified tr2tog.  From the photo above you can see that the stitches look like a row of K’s, hence the name.

This stitch is not to be confused with the Crossed treble, which consists of treble crochet stitches worked in such a way that they overlap over each other, forming little X’s in the work.

How to Make The Treble Cross Stitch

Treble Cross  Stitch Tutorial

Abbreviations

US Crochet Terminology

Find a US/UK conversion chart here.

Ch	Chain
St/st’s	Stitch/stitches
Tr	Treble crochet
Trx	Treble Cross (also known as the K-stitch)
*	Repeat all instructions between asterisks the amount of times specified.

Instructions

Start with a multiple of 3 chains.  In this case I have used 21 ch st’s.

{This will give me 5 treble cross stitches, one treble crochet stitch on either end of the row and 4 turning chains.  Please note that the turning ch-4 DOES NOT count as a stitch.}

Row 1

Make 1 tr in the 5th ch from the hook.  {You will start and end each row with a tr, otherwise your edges will be ziggyzaggy.}

Treble Crochet Stitch (Tr)

Yarn over twice (Photo 1).  Insert your hook into the 5th chain from the hook (indicated with an arrow in Photo 1 and illustrated in Photo 2).  Yarn over and pull up a loop.  You will now have 4 loops on your hook (Photo 3).  Yarn over (Photo 4) and pull through 2 loops.  You will now have 3 loops on your hook.  Yarn over (Photo 5) and pull through 2 loops.  You will now have 2 loops on your hook.  Yarn over one more time (Photo 6) and pull through both loops.  Well done.  You have completed a treble crochet stitch (Photo 7).

Now that you have mad your initial treble crochet, we are going to make a Treble Cross Stitch over the next 3 st’s (chains).

Treble Cross (K-Stitch)

Yarn over twice and insert hook into the next available ch st (indicated with an arrow in Photo 1 below).  It doesn’t matter if you work into the back bump, just the top loop or the top 2 loops.  It is completely up to you.  I am working into the top loop only for the purposes of this tutorial.

Yarn over (Photo 2) and pull up a loop (Photo 3).  {4 loops on hook}

Yarn over again (Photo 4) and pull through two loops (Photo 5).  {3 loops on hook}

Skip the next chain (indicated with an arrow in Photo 6).  Yarn over and insert your hook into the next stitch (Photo 7).

Yarn over (Photo 8) and pull up a loop (Photo 9).  {5 loops on hook}  

Yarn over (Photo 10) and pull through 2 (Photo 11).  {4 loops on hook}

Yarn over (Photo 12) and pull through 2 (Photo 13).  {3 loops on hook}

Yarn over (Photo 14) and pull through 2 (Photo 15).  {2 loops on hook}

Yarn over (Photo 16) and pull through 2 (Photo 17).  {1 loop on hook}

You have now completed the modified tr2tog that forms the first part of the treble cross.  Take a little time out and have a good look at what you have done so far.  Can you see the hole right where the two legs of the modified tr2tog join?  It looks a little bit like an “A”…

Now that you have found the hole and know what to look for, chain one (Photo 19). Yarn over and insert your hook halfway down the stitch you have just made, right into that hole where the 2 lower legs join (Photo 20). Yarn over and pull up a loop (Photo 21).  {3 loops on hook}

Yarn over (Photo 22) and pull through 2 (Photo 23).  {2 loops on hook}

Yarn over (Photo 24) and pull through 2 (Photo 25).  {1 loop on hook}

Well done!  You have completed one Treble Cross Stitch.

Now repeat the Treble Cross Stitch 4 more times so that you end up with 5 Treble Cross stitches.  You should now have one chain left unworked in your foundation chain.

Make a treble crochet in the last remaining foundation chain.  Ch 4 and turn.

If you want to change colours for the next row, read the blurb below about changing colours.  If you do not want to change colours, skip it and continue on with the instructions for Subsequent Rows.  

Changing Colours

If you decide to change colours, you will need to do so on the last yarn-over of the final treble crochet of the row BEFORE the colour change.

So to change colour on the last yarn over, make one treble crochet, but STOP when you have 2 loops left on your hook (Photo 1).  Yarn over using the new colour (Photo 2).  Pull through both loops on your hook (Photo 3).

Don’t forget your turning ch-4!

Subsequent Rows

Make a Treble Crochet stitch in the first st (Photo 1).

Now make a Treble Cross Stitch:  Yarn over twice and insert your hook into the next st. Yarn over again and pull up a loop {4 loops on hook}.  Yarn over and pull through two loops (Photo 2) – {3 loops on hook}.  Skip the next st (this will be the chain stitch between the two top legs of the Treble Cross Stitch). Yarn over and insert your hook into the next stitch. Yarn over and pull up a loop {5 loops on hook}.  *Yarn over and pull through 2* four times {1 loop on hook}.

Chain one. Yarn over and insert your hook halfway down the stitch you have just made (you will notice a hole where the 2 lower legs join). Yarn over again and pull up a loop {3 loops on hook}.  *Yarn over and pull through 2* two times (Photo 4).

Make 4 more treble cross stitches.  Treble crochet in the last st, Ch 4 and turn.

Each subsequent row will be worked in exactly the same way.

Wide Treble Cross

The Treble Cross as illustrated by the Revised Beginner’s Manual, Star Book No. 62, is a wider version of the Treble Cross (or K-Stitch) and is well worth looking into.  It is made in exactly the same way as the Treble Cross, but you skip 2 stitches between the two lower legs of the modified tr2tog and you make 2 chains between the top legs.

You can find the instructions here.

Bear in mind that you will have to start with a multiple of 4 chains + 6, if you do decide to use the Wide Treble Cross instead.

Sample Pattern:  Treble Cross Dish Cloth

© Dedri Uys 2013.  All Rights Reserved.

Abbreviations

US Crochet Terminology

Find a US/UK conversion chart here.

Ch	Chain
Sc	Single crochet
St/st’s	Stitch/stitches
Tr	Treble crochet
Trx	Treble Cross (also known as the K-stitch)
*	Repeat all instructions between asterisks the amount of times specified.

 Materials

• Double knit yarn (light worsted weight/#3) in any colours you fancy. I
• 4 mm crochet hook (US G/6 UK 8)
• Yarn needle

Notes

• Because of the height of the stitches this dish cloth works up very quickly.  You only need 10 rows!
• It doesn’t matter if you work into the top loop only of the foundation chain, the back bump, or the top two loops.  It is totally up to you!
• Don’t worry about working over the tails of yarn.  It will be SO visible if you do.  Rather crochet over them when adding the border.

Size

Using the hook and yarn specified, this dishcloth will work up to 20 cm x 20 cm (8″ x 8″).

Instructions

Ch 45.

Row 1.  Tr in the 5th chain from the hook.  Trx x 13.  Tr in the last chain st, remembering to change colour on the last yarn-over.  Ch 4 and turn.  (15 st’s)

Rows 2-9.  Tr in the  first st.  Trx x 13.  Tr in the last st, remembering to change colour on the last yarn-over.  Ch 4 and turn.  (15 st’s)

Row 10.  Tr in the first st.  Trx x 13.  Tr in the last st.  Ch 1 and bind off.  (15 st’s)

Border

With a slip knot already on your hook and starting in the first st of the last row (Photo 1), NOT the last st, make a sc in the first 2 st’s.  Make a sc in the ch-1 space between the top legs of the first trx (indicated with an arrow in Photo 2 and illustrated in Photo 3). *Sc in the next 2 st’s, sc in the ch-1 sp* repeat until you get to the ch-1 space of the last trx.  Sc in the next st.

(Sc, ch 2, sc) all in the last st.  This is your corner (Photo 4).

Continuing down the side of the dish cloth, 4 x sc into the side of each row, working over your tails of yarn as you go (Photo 5).  This will give you a slightly scalloped side, but that is just the nature of the beast.

When you have worked 4 sc’s into each row down the side, (sc, ch 2, sc) all in the remaining loops of the first ch st of the foundation chain.  *sc in the next ch st, sc into the ch-1 space between the two legs of the trx, sc in the next ch st* repeat until you get to the end of the foundation row.  (Sc, ch 2, sc) all in the last st of the foundation row.

Continuing up the other side of the dishcloth, 4 x sc into each row.  Sc in the first stitch of the last row, which already contains a sc.  Ch 2 and join to the first sc with a sl st.  Bind off and work away all your tails of yarn.

Yikes!  Now that was quite a lengthy tutorial!!  I hope you haven’t fallen asleep.

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Happy Hooking!