Chapter 6: The Half-Double Crochet
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Overview
Wait… why are we going to half double crochet before the double crochet? Well for a few reasons:
First, you already know almost all the steps for this stitch from the sc2tog from the last chapter, and it’s going to be just a bit easier to go from the half double crochet to the double crochet.
Why is it called that?
I know, it’s a weird name, but it’s called the “half – double crochet” because it’s just a little bigger than the single crochet and a little smaller than the double crochet (which is double the size of a single crochet).
What you'll learn
What you'll need
Cotton Yarn
Any color
Crochet Hook
Size G6 / 4.00mm
Abbreviations
ch
Chain
st
Stitch
yo
Yarn Over
sc
Single Crochet
hdc
Half-Double Crochet
The Lesson
Note:
These boxes are checkboxes
The half double crochet (aka hdc) looks a bit more complicated than the single crochet but it’s not that tough. You can use it to get some variation in your Rnds or Rows of your piece and add a little bit of height too. I like to use them for hat brims because it adds a bit more yarn to the piece for warmth and looks nicer than just using the same stitch for the whole thing.
01
The Half-Double Crochet
The slip knot is the first step to begin most crocheted projects. Think of it as kind of a mini noose; you can pull one end and it will tighten or close the loop, but when you pull the other end nothing happens. They’re very easy to make, here’s how:
Step 1
Start off by yo (yarning over)
Step 2
Insert your hook in the next stitch
Step 3
Yo and pull that loop through the stitch
Step 4
Yo again, and pull that loop through all three loops on the hook to finish up the stitch.
Remember how after turning a Row of scs you had to ch 1 and skip the ch to continue? Well, with hdcs you need to make 2 chs and skip them before continuing to keep it going evenly.
This also means that before measuring how many chs you’ll need before starting, you have to account for those 2 chs, so +2 to all beginning chs.
Continue to Project 5...
This is definitely my favorite pattern here, and a great way to practice your half-double crochets. Not only can this pattern make a pretty neat bow neck tie, but also can make a pretty cute bow headband with just a few extra stitches!
Continue to Chapter 7...
The double crochet is another great way to get variation and it gives even more height to the stitch. It’s also is pretty fast to do, and because it’s so tall, you’ll feel like you’re getting the project made faster, making it a favorite for scarves and blankets!
yes, one of my favorite sts, not as tedious as sc, yet not as open as a dc