How to Half Double Crochet Stitch for Beginners: 4 Easy Steps
Learn the HDC stitch the easy way!
How to Half Double Crochet Stitch for Beginners: 4 Easy Steps
Ready to take that step up from single crochet? Today, we’re learning how to make the half double crochet stitch. This quick and easy stitch is a fun way to add some height and texture to your crochet projects.
The half double crochet is typically referred to as HDC in crochet patterns. That’s just because it’s shorter and much easier to say. So if you see “HDC” in the pattern, it’s telling you to do a half double crochet.
Materials & Skills
You’ll only need 2 things to make the half double crochet. Take a look:
Supplies
- 4-Ply worsted weight acrylic yarn (Red Heart Yarn is an excellent brand to start with!)
- Crochet hook (I’m using an H – 5mm crochet hook)
Skills You Need To Know
- How to tie a slip knot
- How to chain stitch
Yarn tip: Don’t like how thin worsted weight yarn is? Choose super bulky or chunky yarn. They are much easier to hold on to and stitches show up much clearer. Opt for more affordable yarn brands so you don’t feel too bad about scrapping your first few attempts.
Try to avoid fuzzy yarn like chenille and velvet yarn as stitches become hard to distinguish once crocheted!
Slip-Proof Crochet Hooks
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How to Half Double Crochet Stitch for Beginners: 4 Easy Steps
The half double crochet is a super easy stitch to do. I love using it to add subtle textures to my crochet projects. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it yourself:
Step 1: Yarn over
Before you go into your chain, yarn over once.
Step 2: Go through the chain
After yarning over, go into the chain and grab a loop.
You should have 3 loops on your hook like the image below.
Pro tip: Make sure your hook is facing towards you to have an easier time grabbing a loop.
Step 3: Yarn over
Go from under your working yarn and over, grabbing a loop using your hook.
Step 4: Go through ALL 3 of your loops
Make sure to go through all three loops on your hook.
Pro tip: When working with multiple loops on your hook, try rotating your hook 90° downward without dropping your yarn-over and pull it through.
You can see how this looks in the second image of Step 4.
YOUR FIRST HALF DOUBLE CROCHET (HDC)
This is how your first HDC stitch should look! Continue repeating steps 1 to 4 until you’ve reached the end of your foundation chain.
Why did we need to chain an odd number?
The extra stitch we made at the end was simply for raising the first stitch of the row. It’s not usually included in the stitch count. So the 11 to 21 chain stitches you made are really just 10 to 20 stitches. Making an extra chain one will help give you a neater and straighter edge. Extra “chain ones” are also used to go up a new row.
How is the half double crochet stitch different from single crochet?
The half double crochet stitch has an extra yarn over before you go into the chain stitch to pull up another loop. This results in three loops on your hook that you have to go through in order to form the half double crochet. It’s also slightly taller than the single crochet stitch!
FINAL LOOK
Your half double crochet swatch should look somewhat like this. Easy, right? Don’t worry if your first attempt isn’t perfect. Your stitches will get better the more often you practice them.
