In short

To half double crochet (hdc), yarn over, insert the hook, yarn over and pull up a loop, then yarn over and pull through all three loops at once. Sarah Maker (2024) places the stitch taller than a single crochet and shorter than a double crochet; the Craft Yarn Council's 2018 term table lists it as a UK half treble (htr).

Half double crochet — The half double crochet, abbreviated hdc in US patterns and called half treble (htr) in UK patterns, is a crochet stitch that starts with a yarn over like a double crochet but finishes in a single pull through all three loops on the hook, giving a stitch of middle height and a fairly solid fabric.

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The half double crochet is the middle stitch of the three that build most crochet fabric. It borrows the yarn over of the double crochet and the one-pull finish of the single crochet, and the result sits between them in height, speed and density. This page explains how the stitch forms, why it ends by pulling through three loops, what its third loop is, how its turning chain works and which mistakes show up first. It completes our pages on the single crochet stitch and the double crochet stitch; it gives no pattern, and the credited free lessons at the end show the stitch in motion.

At a glance

Half double crochet
Abbreviation (US)hdc
UK namehalf treble (htr) (Craft Yarn Council, 2018)
Chart symbola plain T, without the diagonal bar of the double crochet (Craft Yarn Council)
Heightbetween single and double crochet (Sarah Maker, 2024)
Loops on the hook before finishing3, pulled through all at once
Yarn overs per stitch3 (one before inserting the hook)
Usual turning chainch 2, usually not counted as a stitch (Sigoni Macaroni, 2022)
Turning chains comparedsingle crochet ch 1, half double crochet ch 2, double crochet ch 3 (Moogly)
Fabricfairly solid, softer and more flexible than single crochet
Special featurea third loop at the back of each stitch
Practice yarn and hooksmooth Medium (4) worsted yarn with a 5.5 to 6.5 mm (I-9 to K-10½) hook (Craft Yarn Council, 2018)
Good forhats, scarves, blankets, pillows, sweaters

Terms are US throughout, like the rest of this site. A UK pattern calls this stitch a half treble; it has no stitch named half double.

What the half double crochet is

Sarah Maker, in her tutorial updated in 2024, places the half double crochet taller than a single crochet and shorter than a double crochet, and describes the process as very similar to single crochet with one extra yarn over at the beginning. Lion Brand’s second lesson adds a warning about the name: whatever the arithmetic suggests, a half double crochet is not half of a double, and it is not a single crochet either. It is its own stitch, written hdc.

The Craft Yarn Council’s chart symbol is a plain T. A double crochet is the same T with a diagonal bar across the stem, so the bar is how you tell the two apart in a diagram. Our basic crochet stitches page shows how the five foundation stitches line up.

The logic: one yarn over, three loops, one pull

Each taller crochet stitch adds a yarn over before the hook goes in, and that extra wrap has to be worked off before the stitch is finished. The three stitches handle it differently:

StitchYarn over before insertingLoops after pulling up a loopHow the stitch is finished
Single crochet (sc)no2one pull through 2 loops
Half double crochet (hdc)yes3one pull through all 3 loops
Double crochet (dc)yes3two pulls, through 2 loops each time

The half double crochet reaches the same three loops as a double crochet, then finishes them in one movement. Because the extra wrap is never lifted into its own step, the stitch stays shorter than a double crochet, and that wrap is left lying at the back of the stitch. Sarah Maker explains that this first yarn over is what forms the third loop, a horizontal bar unique to hdc fabric.

How to half double crochet: the movement

In US terms, the stitch works the same into a chain, a row or a round:

  1. Yarn over before you insert the hook, wrapping the yarn from back to front.
  2. Insert the hook into the next stitch, under both top loops when working into a row.
  3. Yarn over and pull up a loop. Three loops are now on the hook.
  4. Yarn over and pull through all three loops. One loop remains: that is one half double crochet.

Sarah Maker, Lion Brand and Moogly all describe this sequence. Moogly’s written version fits in two lines, and its videos come in right-handed and left-handed versions.

Starting from the foundation chain

The first stitch of the first row goes into the third chain from the hook, not counting the loop on the hook. Sarah Maker and Lion Brand both start there. The two chains you skip give the row its height, which is why tutorials disagree on the starting count: Lion Brand chains 11 for a swatch 10 stitches wide, treating the skipped chains as the first stitch. If you follow a pattern, use its starting chain exactly.

Turning and the ch 2

At the end of the row, chain two and turn. Moogly’s rule of thumb is to make as many chains as the height of the next stitch: ch 1 for single crochet, ch 2 for half double, ch 3 for double. Whether the ch 2 counts as a stitch is a convention, and this is where hdc rows most often go wrong:

  • If the chain does not count, the usual case in Sigoni Macaroni’s table, work the first hdc into the very first stitch, at the base of the chain, and the last hdc into the last hdc of the previous row.
  • If the chain counts, skip the first stitch, work the first hdc into the second stitch, and make the last stitch into the top of the previous turning chain. Sarah Maker gives both cases.

Moogly sums up the principle: count turning chains as stitches only when they are used as stitches. The introduction of a pattern says which rule it follows.

The third loop and camel stitch

Turn a few rows of half double crochet to the wrong side and you will see, below the front loop of each stitch, a horizontal bar. Sarah Maker locates it there when working in rows; in the round, it sits on the wrong side, behind and under the back loop.

Working into that bar alone changes the fabric:

  • Third loop in rows. Sarah Maker describes a braided, knit-like look; some patterns call it hdc ribbing.
  • Camel stitch. Her name for half double crochet worked into the third loop in the round. The front and back loops are pushed toward the front, and after a few rounds the V shapes resemble knitting.
  • Back loop only (hdc blo). A different variation, worked under the back loop only, which gives ribbing with a knit look. Sarah Maker’s free chunky blanket pattern uses it.

Patterns that use these variations name the loop in their stitch notes, so you never have to guess.

What half double crochet is used for

Moogly calls the hdc underused: more solid than taller stitches, without much open, lacy space, yet with much more drape and flexibility than single crochet. That middle position explains where it appears:

  • Blankets. Sarah Maker lists half double crochet with double crochet and moss stitch as easy stitches for a first blanket. Lion Brand’s 2026 blanket guide calls hdc a denser, warmer fabric than double crochet, good for cold-climate throws, though slower to work. Our page on crochet stitches for blankets compares it with the other options.
  • Hats, scarves and sweaters. Sarah Maker names scarves and warm sweaters among its uses, and her list of hdc patterns includes a chunky ribbed beanie.
  • Plush yarns. Lion Brand’s 2026 yarn guide recommends single or half double crochet with chenille, because complex stitches blur in that texture.
  • Borders. Lion Brand’s 2026 border guide describes a half double crochet border as slightly taller and softer than single crochet, with 3 hdc in each corner.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

  • The hook snags on the middle loop. Pulling through three loops is the new movement. In a reply to a reader, Sarah Maker suggests checking the first yarn over and relaxing its tension slightly. Our guide on holding a crochet hook covers yarn hold and tension.
  • Rows that grow. Working into the first stitch when your ch 2 counts as a stitch adds one stitch per row.
  • Rows that shrink. Skipping the first stitch when the ch 2 does not count, or missing the last stitch, loses one per row. Count after every row, as in our page on fixing common crochet mistakes.
  • Mixing up the systems. A UK pattern’s half treble is your hdc, and its double crochet is your single crochet. Our US vs UK crochet terms page has the full table.
  • Working into the wrong loop. On the wrong side, the third loop sits close to the front loop; unless a pattern asks for it, go under both top loops.

For shaping, Sarah Maker shows that an increase is two hdc in the same stitch, and that a decrease (hdc2tog) joins two stitches into one; her tutorial gives three versions of the decrease.

How to practice

A swatch is a practice piece, not a pattern. Use a smooth, light Medium (4) yarn and a hook from our size chart; the Craft Yarn Council recommends 5.5 to 6.5 mm (I-9 to K-10½) for that weight, and our guide to yarn weights explains the label. Decide on one turning chain convention before you start, then count the stitches at the end of every row. Laying your hdc swatch next to a single crochet and a double crochet swatch shows the three heights better than any description.

Where to learn from the experts

These lessons are free, written or filmed by the people credited:

To read hdc in a real pattern, see how to read a crochet pattern; for a first large project using it, see how to crochet a blanket.

Key facts

FAQ

How do you half double crochet?

Yarn over, insert the hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, so three loops are on the hook. Yarn over once more and pull through all three loops in one movement. One loop remains and the stitch is done. Chain 2 and turn at the end of each row.

What is the difference between half double crochet and double crochet?

Both start with a yarn over and reach three loops on the hook. A double crochet then works them off two at a time, in two pulls, while a half double crochet pulls through all three at once. The hdc is shorter and denser; the dc is taller and more open.

Does the ch 2 count as a stitch in half double crochet?

Usually not. Sigoni Macaroni's table treats the ch 2 as height only, so the first hdc goes into the first stitch. Sarah Maker notes that some designers do count it, and then you skip the first stitch and end in the top of the turning chain. The pattern notes decide.

What is the UK name for half double crochet?

Half treble crochet, abbreviated htr. UK patterns never use the name half double. A US hdc and a UK htr are the same stitch, which the Craft Yarn Council's 2018 term table confirms, so only the label changes between the two systems.

What is the third loop of a half double crochet?

It is the horizontal bar left behind by the yarn over made at the start of each hdc. Sarah Maker finds it below the front loop on the wrong side when working in rows. Working into it alone gives a ribbed or knit-like look, called camel stitch in the round.

Why is it hard to pull through three loops?

The hook often catches on the middle loop. Answering a reader, Sarah Maker suggests watching the tension of the first yarn over, the one made before the hook goes in, and relaxing it slightly. A smooth, light-colored yarn, which she recommends for beginners, also makes the three loops easier to see.

Sources

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