How to half double crochet
Published on March 22, 2019 By Yazmin 1 min readIf you’ve mastered your single and double crochet, the half double crochet is a fabulous stitch to give variation and dimension to your crochet project!
The half double crochet (hdc), also known in the UK as half treble, is an easy yet essential stitch for beginners and seasoned crocheters alike. It gets its name because its height falls between a single crochet and double crochet.
The half double crochet, ‘hdc’, is simply yarn over, hook into next stitch, yarn over again pulling your hook back with your working yarn to produce 3 stitches on your hook. Finally, draw the yarn through the 3 loops, all at the same time, and that’s it! What is different about the hdc is that it misses out one step of the double crochet, and asks you pull the yarn through 3 loops instead of 2.
The half double crochet is a popular medium height, snug stitch and a crochet staple. It's an especially handy crochet technique when creating height gradient effects and whipping up warm crochet clothing, soft home furnishings and cozy accessories such as the gorgeous Hudson Scarf, by Two of Wands, which you can crochet using our free step-by-step video tutorial.
How to half double crochet (hdc)
1
Starting off. Although this tutorial shows you how to stitch your half double crochet mid-row, it’s worth remembering that when you stitch your ‘turning chain’ at the beginning of your row you need to skip the first two chain stitches, then insert your hook into the third chain to continue first half double crochet.
Pro Tip
When you chain your row make sure you include an extra chain, so there is one chain more then the number of half double crochets you intend to stitch.
2
Yarn over. When you’re ready to make your first half double stitch, take your working yarn over your crochet hook.
3
Insert hook. Insert your crochet hook into the next stitch, making sure your hook goes under the two loops of your chain.
4
Yarn over again. While your hook is inserted in your stitch time for another yarn over. Using your hook pull your yarn back through the stitch. You should now have three loops on your crochet hook.
5
Final step. Yarn over your crochet hook again, and this time pull the working yarn through all three loops to complete your first half double crochet. You did it!
