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Crochet stitches, step by step

How to half double crochet

Half double crochet (hdc) · Half treble crochet (htr) in UK patterns

Half double crochet sits between single and double crochet in height. There's one yarn over before the hook goes in, and all three loops come off the hook together, giving a soft fabric that grows faster than single crochet.

  1. Half double crochet, step 1, in 3D yarn on a hook
    Yarn over (2 loops on hook).
  2. Half double crochet, step 2, in 3D yarn on a hook
    Insert the hook into the next stitch, under both loops.
  3. Half double crochet, step 3, in 3D yarn on a hook
    Yarn over and draw up a loop (3 loops on hook).
  4. Half double crochet, step 4, in 3D yarn on a hook
    Yarn over and draw through all 3 loops on the hook (1 loop on hook).
  5. Half double crochet, step 5, in 3D yarn on a hook
    One half double crochet made.

Rendered from Krowshea's 3D yarn, not photographed or drawn by hand, and shown for a right-handed crocheter.

Good to know

Turning chain
Usually ch 2, and often it doesn't count as a stitch. Patterns say which.
The third loop
Behind the top of every hdc is a horizontal bar. Working into it leaves a ridge that looks a little like knitting.
Chart symbol
A T shape.

Written in Krowshea

Half double crochet as code

Krowshea is a programming language for crochet. The ch 2 at the start of each row doesn't count as a stitch, so every row is 12 hdc. Krowshea checked it, then wrote the pattern and drew the chart.

half-double-crochet.krowKrowshea

STASH {
    YARN sea = #2F8C8A [ weight: 4 ]
}

LAYOUT Linear {
    ROW 1 [COLOR: sea]: CH 12, TURN
    ROW 2..6: CH 2 TURNING, HDC 12, TURN
}

Written pattern · US terms

  1. Row 1 (sea): Ch 12, turn. (12 ch)
  2. Rows 2–6: Ch 2 (does not count as a st), hdc in each st across, turn. (12 hdc)
Written by Krowshea from the code, with every stitch count checked

Symbol chart

Crochet symbol chart of the half double crochet swatch, drawn by Krowshea
Drawn by Krowshea. Symbols follow the Craft Yarn Council chart standard

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