This tutorial will use US terminology.
Hello Crafty People! Welcome back to another basic stitch tutorial. This time we will be talking about the half double crochet. The half doble crochet is about the height of one and a half single crochet. So, it is slightly taller than a single crochet but not as tall as the double crochet which is how it got its name.
Here's a picture with a row of half double crochet done in red and single crochets done in light purple.
Making this stitch is only slightly harder than making a single crochet. It only has one more step. Honestly the basic stitches from here on you just add one or two more steps to the stitch I will be teaching you before to make the new stitch. This is part of the reason that I am giving you one-week in between to practice your new stitches before I give you another basic stitch.
If you read the blog from last week, you will have learned how to make single crochet stitches. You don't need to know how to make the single crochets to make half double crochets, but it wouldn't hurt to know how to make them.
Before we begin, I would suggest you use two stitch markers to mark the last (first) stitches in your rows. The stitch markers will help you to know where your rows begin and end. This will make sure that you don't add stitches or forget to work into your last stitch in your row. Finding the last stitch in a row can be hard to do when you are just beginning so the stitch markers really come in handy.
My sample for this stitch will have 10 stitches just like the single crochet did. If you want to make a sample the same size that I am making you will need a chain of 12. Just like the single crochet those two extra stitches will be our turning chain. Some patterns will have you working into the turning chains and will count them as a stitch for this sample project we will NOT be working into our chains, and they will NOT be counts as stitches.
You will be making chains of 2 for your turning chains for these half double crochets.
So, like always to start you need your chain. I have a chain of 12 in order to make my 10 half double crochets. Do not insert your hook anywhere just yet first I want to give you a little information. You will be working into the 3rd chain from your hook. As you learned in the blog about the single crochets you do not count the loop on your hook as a stitch instead you count your "v's". You can either work into one loop of the v or into the back bump. I will be working into the back bump. I'm not sure if I shared why I like working into the back bump so I will share it here. Working into the back bump means that the bottom edge of your piece looks the same as the top.
To make your hdc's the first thing you do before you even put your hook into the 3rd chain is to YO, wrap the yarn around your hook. You will have two loops on your hook now you will insert your hook into the 3rd st from the hook.
YO and pull through the first loop, the loop that is made by going into the chain. You will have 3 loops on your hook.
YO and pull through all three loops on your hook. You have just made your first half double crochet! One might even say that is easier to do than the single crochet is. It is the same amount of steps after all.
I'm going to walk you through the steps in making a half double crochet this time without pictures.
YO your hook before inserting it into the chain.
Insert your hook into the the next chain stitch.
YO and pull through the first loop on the hook. You will have 3 loops on your hook.
YO and pull through all 3 loops on your hook. You have just made a second hdc! Keep making hdc until the end of the row. If you follow along with me and made a chain of 12 you will have 10 hdc. Please count and make sure that you have 10 hdc before continuing.
Now we will talk about how to make your second row. Just like with your single crochet knowing how to work into a chain will only get you so far. You have to know how to add rows to your project if you ever want to make more than just a long string.
Having worked your last hdc into your last chain you will chain 2.
Turn your work, making sure that your yarn comes from the back of your project.
You will be working into the first half double crochet stitch. The last one that you made before you chained 2. Before you insert your hook into the stitch you will be working into YO. Always remember to YO before going into the stitch or you will not be making hdc's.
Put your hook though the stitch.
YO and pull it through the first loop on your hook. You will have 3 loops on your hook.
YO and pull through all 3 loops.
You have just made your first half double crochet on row 2. Continue making hdc's all the way down the row. Chain 2 turn and go down your row again. Keep working like this until you have made your project as long as you want it.
Once you have your project as long as you want tie off. I talked about tying off in my post about single crochet but I will go over it again here quickly,
To end your crochet, also known as tying off, you will work until you have made the last stitch in your row and chain 1. To tie off you will always make a chain of 1 it doesn't matter what stitch you are doing or if you are working in the round and not in rows. After you have made your chain 1 cut your yarn leaving about a five inch tail. Pull the yarn through the chain you made. Pull the yarn tight to make a knot. This knot is what will help keep your crochet from coming apart.
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