Crochet techniques
Half Double Crochet: Steps, Turning Chains & Practice
Half double crochet (hdc) makes a stitch taller than single crochet and shorter than double crochet. Its key move is pulling through three loops together. In a UK pattern, the same stitch is called half treble crochet (htr).
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Half double crochet in four moves
- Yarn over before inserting the hook. You have the live loop plus the yarn-over on your hook.
- Insert the hook into the next stitch, normally under both strands of its top V.
- Yarn over and draw the yarn back through the stitch. There are now three loops on the hook.
- Yarn over again and draw through all three loops in one motion. One live loop remains; one half double crochet is complete.
Make a 12-stitch practice swatch
Use smooth worsted yarn and a hook suggested by its label. These instructions use US terms and a turning chain that does not count as a stitch. A purchased pattern may use a different turning-chain convention.
- Chain 14. Do not count the live loop on the hook as a chain.
- Work one hdc in the third chain from the hook, then one in each remaining chain: 12 hdc. The two skipped chains do not count as a stitch in this exercise.
- Chain 2 and turn. Work the first hdc into the first stitch at the edge, directly below the turning chain.
- Work across all 12 stitch tops. Stop before the turning chain from the previous row. Chain 2, turn, and repeat for six rows.
Keep the edges straight
Mark the first and last actual stitch of the row. Move those markers up each row so the last stitch cannot hide beside the turning chain. Count 12 stitch tops before turning. If you count 13, you may have worked into a turning chain; if you count 11, you may have skipped the first or last stitch.
| US name | UK name | Pull-through after drawing up a loop |
|---|---|---|
| Single crochet | Double crochet | Through 2 loops |
| Half double crochet | Half treble crochet | Through 3 loops together |
| Double crochet | Treble crochet | Through 2 loops, then through 2 again |
Troubleshooting half double crochet
| Symptom | Likely cause | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Hard to pull through three loops | Loops are tight or the hook head catches | Relax the yarn-over and turn the hook opening slightly downward |
| Tall stitches with two pull-throughs | You may be making double crochet | Clear all three loops in one pull-through |
| A ridge on the fabric | You may be entering the third loop behind the top V | For this exercise, insert under both strands of the top V |
| A gap at each edge | The chain 2 is loose or tall for your tension | Try chain 1 on a new swatch, keeping the same non-counting convention |
Use your swatch
Measure the center without stretching. The gauge calculator converts your stitch and row counts to a standard measurement. Hdc is useful for simple scarves and blankets; use the project pattern's gauge rather than assuming your practice swatch will match it.
Questions
Does chain 2 count as a half double crochet?
It depends on the pattern. In this practice swatch it does not: work into the first stitch and leave the turning chain unworked.
Where does the first half double crochet go?
For the practice foundation, the third chain from the hook. On later rows, the first stitch at the edge because our turning chain does not count.
Is half double crochet the same as half treble?
US half double crochet and UK half treble crochet name the same stitch.
See the Craft Yarn Council half-double-crochet lesson for an additional illustrated explanation.
