Crochet 101 – Half Double Crochet Stitch
Welcome to the next post in the Crochet 101 series! Last week I showed you the double crochet stitch and today we’re going to learn how to do a half double crochet stitch (abbreviated as hdc). I love the half double crochet stitch. It’s one of my favorites (single crochet being my least favorite). I use it a lot for afghan trims and dish cloths. It’s not as tall as the double crochet but works up easily and it has a nice look to it. It’s also a lot tighter than a double crochet.
Let’s begin!
1. Start with a chain. Keep in mind that for however many half double crochet stitches that you want to crochet, you will need two extra chain stitches. In this example, I chained 12 stitches which means I will end up with 10 half double crochets.
2. Yarn over
3. Insert your hook into the third chain from your hook.
5. Pull your yarn through the chain. You should now have 3 loops left on your hook.
6. Yarn over one last time.
7. Pull yarn through all 3 loops on your hook.
8. Repeat the steps above across your row until you’ve reached the end. Here’s what your finished row will look like:
And there you have your half double crochet stitch. This particular stitch is great for blankets and hats for quick projects.
I hope that you enjoy this tutorial and practice your newly learned half double crochet stitch. If you have any questions or are having a hard time with the tutorial, just leave me a comment and I will make sure to answer you as soon as I can. Stop by next week for the next post in the Crochet 101 series. I will be teaching you how to do the treble crochet stitch.
Happy Crocheting! 🙂
How many turn stitches is required
Hi Lorraine! I normally chain 1 for the turning chain because I like to work into the first hdc stitch. Some people chain 2 to turn and skip the first hdc stitch. It’s really a personal preference 🙂
NEVER COULD UNDERSTAND HOW TO DO THE HALF DOUBLE CROCHET STITCH. NOW I DO, THANKS! YAY!!! 😁
So glad that my tutorial helped!
Ive discovered that this stitch has a back loop to it and while making a hat i did not catch that back loop. Does that matter in your opinion?
Hi Diana! Working in the back loop or the hidden third loop of the hdc st will give you a very different look than when you work through the top two loops.