Half double crochet (hdc)
hdc in US patterns. UK: half treble (htr). German: Halbes Stäbchen.
To half double crochet, yarn over, insert the hook under both loops of the next stitch and pull up a loop, so you have 3 loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops at once.
Step by step
Scroll through the steps and the model follows. Tap a step to jump to it.
- Start with one loop on your hook.
- Yarn over: wrap the yarn over the hook, back to front. 2 loops on the hook.
- Find the next stitch: the two loops lying on top of it (glowing).
- Insert the hook under both loops, front to back.
- Yarn over: catch the working yarn behind the work.
- Pull up a loop through the stitch. 3 loops on the hook.
- Yarn over.
- Pull through all 3 loops…
- Half double crochet made. One loop stays on the hook, ready for the next stitch.
If you only have two loops
You skipped the yarn over before going into the stitch, so you've made a single crochet. Pull it out and start again with a yarn over. On the first row, count the loops every time.
Names and turning chain
- US
- half double crochet (hdc)
- UK
- half treble (htr)
- German
- Halbes Stäbchen (hStb)
- Turning chain
- ch 2
When you use it
Half double crochet sits between single and double crochet in height. It works up faster than single crochet and makes a soft fabric that still has body, which is why it is a favorite for blankets, hats and scarves.
It is the only basic stitch where you pull through three loops at once. Behind the top V of each hdc there is a third horizontal loop; some patterns ask you to work into it for a ribbed or knit-look texture.
How to count it
Count the V's on top. The turning chain of 2 usually does not count as a stitch, so the first hdc goes into the first stitch.
Practice piece
The half double crochet is easy to work but tricky to count, so the practice piece is about finding the right top loops.
- Chain 17. Half double crochet in the 3rd chain from the hook and in each chain across (15 stitches).
- Chain 2, turn. The chain 2 does not count, so work the first half double into the very first stitch (15).
- Work 8 rows, then flip the swatch and look at the back of a row: each stitch has a third horizontal bar below the top V.
Your rows should be clearly taller than single crochet rows in the same yarn and shorter than double crochet rows. That third bar on the back is where patterns send you for the ribbed "third loop" or camel stitch; for now, always go under the top V.
No yarn yet? For your first stitches, use a smooth, light-colored worsted-weight yarn and a 5.5 mm (I-9) hook. What yarn and hook to buy.
How it looks in a pattern
Row 2: ch 2 (does not count as a st), turn, hdc in each st across (15).
Chain two for height, turn, and put the first half double crochet into the first stitch, because this pattern says the chain does not count as a stitch. Work one hdc in every stitch and check for 15 at the end. A UK pattern would say "htr".
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the first yarn overWithout the yarn over before you insert the hook, you make a single crochet. You should see 3 loops on the hook before the last pull.
- Struggling to pull through 3 loopsKeep the three loops on the thick part of the shaft, then turn the hook's throat down as you pull. Pulling up the middle loop a little higher helps.
- Stitch count driftingCheck whether your pattern counts the turning chain. The usual rule is that ch 2 does not count for hdc.
Questions
- What is half double crochet in UK terms?
- Half treble crochet (htr). Same stitch, different name.
- Is hdc harder than single crochet?
- Only slightly. It adds one yarn over at the start and the final pull goes through 3 loops instead of 2.
- How tall is a half double crochet?
- About two chains tall, halfway between a single and a double crochet.