What Does HDC Mean in Crochet

HDC or half-double crochet stitch in crochet is my all-time favorite stitch. It’s one of the basic stitches, but something about it just makes my heart happy. It might be simple, but it creates a beautiful crochet fabric and makes any project look just a tad more sophisticated.

I also love that it’s not as tight (and slow) as crocheting in single crochet (SC) but not as loose and hole-y as double crochet (DC) stitch.

What does HDC mean in crochet

HDC stands for Half Double Crochet. It’s called that cause it fits neatly between SC (single crochet) and DC (double crochet). Where SC can be thought as being 1 loop tall and DC being 3 loops tall, HDC is 2 loops tall.

HDC not as short (and simple) as SC, but it’s not as tall (and complex) as DC. It’s truly like that Goldilocks: not too simple and not too hard. I always think of it as DC’s younger brother (or sister) since it’s worked very similarly in the beginning of it.

Half Double Crochet is a US term, in UK terms it is called half treble crochet.

Where can you use HDC stitch

I love HDC because it creates a pretty crochet fabric that is really nice to be used for blankets or bags or anywhere you want the fabric to be solid with smaller holes.

SC stitch offers solid fabric as well, but let’s face it – it takes kind of forever to make anything of size with a single crochet stitch. So, if you want to crochet a bag or backpack or clutch and don’t want things like eyeliner or pen or lip gloss falling out of it, while also looking fun, HDC stitches are good stitches to use. Half double crochet stitch is great for baby blankets because it creates a nice dense fabric with smaller holes which keeps the fabric warm and cozy.

HDC also has this third loop that is created because of the way the stitch is made and you can create all kinds of neat effects with it, especially when working in the round on projects like cowls or even baskets. Half double crochet has other stitches based on it that are worked into different loops of the stitch in different ways like back loop only (BLO) stitch or herringbone half double crochet stitch.

How to crochet HDC stitch

But, before we go all crazy with all the things you can do with HDC, let’s actually see how it’s done. In this example, I’m using a worsted weight yarn in a light color since it’s the easiest to learn with. Hook size in this case would be 5.5mm or 6mm.

Here is how to crochet HDC starting with a chain

Create a slip knot and crochet a chain.

To figure how long the foundation chain should be, count how many stitches you need plus 2 more.

Since HDC can be thought of as being 2 loops tall, your first 2 loops will serve as first HDC in the row. So, let’s say you need 10 chains for the width you need. To get the correct number of chains, add 2 more. That means your foundation chain will be 12 chains long.

When you are doing half double crochet stitches beginning with a chain, the first stitch will be different than the rest.

Once you have 12 chains to start, take the crochet hook, yarn over and insert hook into the 3rd chain from the hook, front to back.

Yarn over and pull the loop through. You now have 3 loops on the hook.

Yarn over and pull the loop through all 3 loops.

Your first half double crochet is done! Now to the second stitch.

Here are step by step photos:

Yarn over, insert the hook into the next loop in the foundation chain front to back, yarn over and pull the loop through.

You have 3 loops on the chain.

Yarn over, pull the loop through all 3 loops on the hook.

Another one done!

Now, continue to repeat step after step for 8 more times till the end of the row. Your first row is done. Now let’s crochet the second row using the same HDC stitches.

Here is how to crochet HDC on the top of another row

To do HDC in the next row, chain 2 (remember, HDC is 2 loops tall and we need 2 chains to get to its height).

This turning chain counts as your first HDC (unless specified otherwise) and every new row using half double crochet will begin this way.

Now, yarn over, insert the hook into next stitch, under the 2 top loops of that stitch, front to back. Yarn over and pull the loop through.

You have 3 loops on the hook.

Yarn over and pull the loop through all 3 loops at the same time.

HDC done!

For the next stitch, again, yarn over and insert the hook, front to back into the next stitch, under the 2 top loops, yarn over and pull the loop through.

You have 3 loops on the hook.

Yarn over and pull the loop through all 3 loops at the same time.

Another one is done!

Now, continue doing this 8 more times till you crochet into the last stitch of the row. Once you are done, check that each row has the correct number of stitches, and you didn’t lose or add one accidentally.

Want to see how this stitch is done? This great video tutorial below shows you a close-up of how the half-double crochet stitch is made.

Now that you know how to make HDC in a regular row, you can repeat it as many times as you need to get your crochet fabric as long as you need it to be.

What are my favorite projects to use HDC? Well, this post is full of them, I used HDC in my own designs all the time. I love using half-double crochet in my blankets – using this beautiful crochet stitch in its original form, Front Loop Only (FLO) or with a Back Loop Only (BLO) version that creates a neat braid effect (as in creme blanket you see above).

I have also used HDC in a summer bag design, coffee cozies, beanies, and other fun projects – there is really no limit on where you can use this classic stitch. Any crochet project will look great with half double crochet stitches in it.

Beachglass Cotton Afghan

Cambria Dream Beach Bag

If you want to learn about other basic crochet stitches like SC (single crochet) and DC (Double Crochet), you can read them on this blog.