As the name suggests, HDC is taller than single crochet but shorter than double crochet. It is a foundational crochet stitch and worked similarly to those two basic stitches. A slight difference creates a unique third loop and the smaller height. If you aren’t working from a pattern, choose your yarn then look at the yarn label to find out what hook size you need for that yarn. Beginners may want to try a worsted weight yarn and size H crochet hook as a good starting point. Tip: Smooth, worsted weight yarn in a light color is a good choice for learning new crochet stitches. Next, make a foundation chain to work the first row into. You can crochet a foundation chain, also known as a starting chain, of any length. If you are working with a crochet pattern, use the chain length specified in that pattern. When you crochet in rows, you begin the row with a turning chain. The height of the turning chain depends on the height of the crochet stitch. In half double crochet, chain two for a turning chain. Tip: Note that if you were making a double crochet stitch, you would also do this step. If you were making a single crochet stitch, you would not yarn over before inserting the crochet hook. The yarn over adds the height to the stitch, making it taller than the single crochet. That completes the first half double crochet stitch. Half Double Crochet Summary:
Yarn over and insert hook into next stitch.Yarn over and pull through.Yarn over and pull through all three loops on hook.
To begin the new row, turn the work, chain two for a turning chain. Make HDC stitches in the next stitch and all the following stitches from the row before. How to Increase HDC To increase, all you do is make an extra half double crochet stitch where you’ve already made one. Crochet patterns tell you how or where to do this. For example, to increase at the end of the row, crochet two HDC stitches in the final stitch instead of just the one you would usually work. How to Decrease HDC Decreasing is a little different, but still easy.
Yarn over and insert hook into stitch. (as normal)Yarn over and pull through. (as normal)Yarn over and insert hook into the next stitch.Yarn over and pull through. (five loops on the hook as shown above)Yarn over and pull through all five loops.
The decrease stitch works over two subsequent stitches to bring the two stitches together at the top into one stitch. You might see it abbreviated as hdc2tog (half double crochet two together) or dec hdc (decrease half double crochet).
Half double crochet is a US crochet term; it’s called half treble crochet in UK crochet patterns. You can replace the double crochet stitch in many patterns with a half double crochet stitch for a shorter design that looks the same. For example, you can make a v-stitch as a HDC v-stitch instead. Half double crochet shell stitches make beautiful edging for blankets.
Working in Different Loops You can change the appearance of a basic stitch like half double crochet by working into only one of the loops instead of into both of them. Half double crochet looks great worked into the back loop only for a ribbed design, but you can also work into the front loop only. Half double crochet has a third loop because of the way that it’s constructed (when you pull the yarn through all three loops instead of the usual two). This means that you have to understand the anatomy of the loops better to make sure that you’re correctly crocheting into the front loop or back loop. It also means that you can work into the third loop instead, a technique that creates a great knit-like fabric. Yarnspirations shows this technique in their helpful video.
