Half Double Crochet – How To HDC

In knitting, one of the most basic stitches that you should master is the half double crochet stitch. This simple yet exquisite stitch can make your creations more unique and pretty. If you have mastered the single and double stitches, then take the challenge and master this with this new stitch.

If you’re wondering what does HDC mean in crochet, well, to give you an idea, the half double stitch is a little shorter than a double stitch but longer than a single stitch. If you have mastered the two stitches, then you will get used to the half double stitch much faster, it just has a different third loop than the two mentioned stitches.

At a glance: How HDC Works

To put it simply, here’s the basic process of how to half double crochet:

1. First, yarn over then insert the crochet hook into the stitch.
2. Next, yarn over again then pull the yarn through the stitch.
3. Lastly, yarn one more time then pull the yarn through all the three loops.

That’s the short answer to what is a half double crochet. Now, there are two ways to call the half double crochet stitch. If you’re in the US, you will usually hear the same term. But if you’re in the UK, it is usually termed as the half treble crochet. You can interchange the double and half double stitches to make unique patterns to unleash your creativity.

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Step-by-step Guide on HDC

When it comes to how do you do a half double crochet, the first thing you should consider is choosing your yarn and hook.

For a double crochet, you may work with any of your preferred yarn and hook, depending on the project that you will be working on. Usually, if you would be knitting with a pattern, then your chosen pattern will guide you through the materials that you need to complete it.

If you’re just working on your own creativity, you can check the label of the yarn to see which hook size will fit with the yarn. For newbies, you can try using a yarn with worsted weight and a crochet hook with an H size. One friendly tip is to use a yarn with light colors when practicing new stitches so you can easily check if there are any mistakes on your stitches.

All that said, here’s a detailed half double crochet instructions:

Step One: Make a Foundation Chain

The first thing to do is to create a foundation chain which is called a slip knot. This knit is always the first step to do for most crochet creations. All you need to do is create a straight foundation chain. If you’re working on a pattern, the pattern will tell you how long your chain should be. One thing to remember that the slip knot is not included in the stitch when it comes to crocheting.

So, if you have some guidelines for your first crochet project, do not include the slip knot that you made when counting the number of stitches on your foundation chain. This will save you from any mistakes when finishing up your project.

The next thing to do is to create the first foundation chain row. As said earlier, you should follow what the pattern tells you, but you always have the flexibility to increase or decrease the length of the foundation chain.

Step 2: Do a Turning Chain

The most important thing to remember when doing a half double stitch is that you should count 3 chains away, always. The turning chain should be your starting point, and it will depend on your crochet stitch’s height. Since we’re making a half double chain, you should have two turning stitches.

These turning stitches will help maintain the right height for the succeeding stitches. You can either create grouped chain stitches or just a single one. This will all depend on what stitch you would be using for your row. Now that you have made your first row, you can turn the craft over and proceed to make another row.

Step 3: Create the first HDC

Now, let’s start creating the first half double crochet stitch. Put yarn over the hook, then insert the hook on the chain stitch that you have initially created.

You should also be doing the same technique when creating a double crochet stitch. On the other hand, for a single crochet stitch, do not yarn over prior to inserting the hook because adding a yarn can increase the height of the stitch.

Step 4: Yarn Over

The next step on how to HDC is to yarn again, then draw the yarn over the 3 loops on your crochet hook. Then, yarn over again and pull your yarn through the stitch. Now, you have got yourself one half double crochet stitch.

Step 5: Finish Your Row

Here’s the final step on how to make a half double crochet: to finish your row, just repeat the same steps that we have provided above and work your way across your foundation chain. If you’re ready for your new row, just turn the piece over and follow the steps in creating a turning chain. Then, proceed on making your half double chains again.

How To Increase / Decrease HDC

For straight rows, getting used to doing double crochet stitches is easy. Now, we will be guiding you on how to increase or decrease the height of your HDC stitches to create a more unique craft.

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Increasing HDC

If you want to increase the height of your half double crochet stitch, just add another HDC to where you have stitched one. If you’re working on a pattern, it will tell you where exactly will you add the stitch.

Decreasing HDC

When decreasing a half double crochet stitch, follow these steps:

1. Yarn over, then put the hook into the stitch like normal.
2. Yarn over, then pull the hook through.
3. Yarn over,  then put the hook onto the next stitch.
4. Yarn over, then again pull through.
5. Yarn over, then pull the hook through the five loops.

Bonus: Using Different Loops

If you are thinking if it is possible to change a basic stitch, you can definitely do so by only pulling through one loop instead of two loops. For ribbed designs, you can make a half double crochet stitch working on the back or front loop.

Making sure that you fully understand the parts of your loops makes it easier for you to do the double crochet stitch. This stitch has three loops instead of two because that’s the way it makes it unique from other stitches.

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Final Thoughts

Creating crafts using half double crochet just reduces one step on the double stitch. Always remember not to include the first slip knot on your counting, unless the pattern dictates otherwise. Just keep practicing and you will surely master this stitch in a matter of hours.