How to Half Double Crochet (hdc): Steps, Video + Decreases

Updated: 11 November 2026 by Sylwia (MyCrochetory)

Learning how to half double crochet is like finding the middle seat that’s actually comfy. Hdc is taller than a single crochet, shorter than a double, and it builds a solid fabric faster than you’d expect.

Stick around for the photo steps, a video, increases, three ways to decrease and a few variations that change the whole look of your fabric. And if a row comes out looking odd, there’s a fix list near the end.

How to half double crochet, a beginner pin with a blue swatch

What is hdc in crochet?

Hdc is short for half double crochet. Yarn over, insert the hook, pull up a loop, then pull through all 3 loops in one go, and that’s the whole stitch.

Spot a T in a crochet chart? That’s an hdc, so a row of T’s is a row of half double crochet.

A crochet hook and a ball of blue cotton yarn for learning how to half double crochet

Video: how to half double crochet

Pulling through 3 loops at once is the bit that makes most beginners pause. The video walks you through it, along with the increase and all three decreases.

Seeing a gap instead of a video? That’s usually an ad blocker at work, so allow ads on this page and refresh.

How to half double crochet step by step

How to half double crochet the first row

Make a slip knot and chain as many stitches as you need.

Yarn over and insert your hook into the 3rd chain from the hook. You have 2 loops on the hook now.

The hook inserted into the third chain from the hook

Yarn over again and pull up a loop. Now there are 3 loops on the hook.

Three loops on the hook for a half double crochet

Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops. That’s your first hdc.

Yarn over before pulling through all three loops

For the next stitch, yarn over, insert the hook into the next chain, yarn over and pull up a loop, then yarn over and pull through all 3 loops.
Repeat step 5 in every chain to the end of the row.

Starting the next half double crochet in the next chain

How to half double crochet the next rows

Turn your work and chain 2.

Turning chain of 2 at the start of a new half double crochet row

Yarn over and insert the hook under both top loops of the first stitch, or of the second stitch if your turning chain counts as a stitch.
Finish the hdc as before, and work 1 hdc in each stitch to the end of the row.

The hook under both loops of the first stitch in the second row

Working half double crochet across the second row

Done with your swatch? Cut the yarn with a short tail, pull it through the loop on the hook and weave in the ends. If the edges go wavy, my straight edges trick sorts that out.

Does the turning chain count as a stitch in hdc?

Short answer? It depends on the pattern, so peek at the pattern notes first.

If it counts, skip the first stitch, work your first hdc into the second one and end the row in the top of the turning chain from the row below. If it doesn’t count, work the first hdc into the very first stitch, at the base of the turning chain.

Want a neater edge than a turning chain gives? For hdc rows I start with a standing stitch instead, and the edge stays straight.

How to half double crochet increase

Need your piece to grow? An increase is just 2 hdc in the same stitch, handy for widening a piece or shaping a circle.

Two half double crochet worked into the same stitch, a half double crochet increase

How to half double crochet decrease (hdc2tog)

Going the other way, a decrease joins 2 stitches into 1 at the top. There are three ways to do it, and I saved my favorite for last.

Regular hdc decrease

Yarn over and insert the hook into the next stitch.
Yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on the hook).
Yarn over and insert the hook into the following stitch.
Yarn over and pull up a loop (5 loops on the hook).
Yarn over and pull through all 5 loops.

Less bulky hdc decrease

Yarn over and insert the hook into the next stitch.
Yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on the hook).
Without a yarn over, insert the hook into the following stitch.
Yarn over and pull up a loop (4 loops on the hook).
Yarn over and pull through all 4 loops.

Invisible hdc decrease

Here’s my favorite, and the one I use. Working only in the front loops keeps the decrease flat, so it almost disappears into the fabric.

Yarn over and insert the hook into the front loop of the next stitch. Don’t pull up a loop.
Without a yarn over, insert the hook into the front loop of the following stitch (4 loops on the hook).
Yarn over and pull through the first 2 loops (3 loops left).
Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops.

My invisible decrease tutorial shows the same trick in single, half double, double and treble crochet.

Three half double crochet decreases compared, the invisible, less bulky and regular hdc decrease

How to half double crochet in other loops

Same stitch, different hook spot, brand new fabric. A regular hdc goes under both top loops, so try one of these instead and watch the texture change.

Hdc in the back loop only

Go under the back loop only and soft ridges show up, a lot like knit ribbing.

Half double crochet in the back loop only, a purple swatch with ridges

Hdc in the third loop (camel stitch)

Look at the back of an hdc and you’ll find a little horizontal bar, the third loop. Work into it on every row and the front loops roll to the right side in a braided, knit-like line, which many crocheters call the camel stitch.

Half double crochet in the third loop, a purple swatch with braided lines

Hdc between stitches

Here the hook goes into the gaps between the stitches of the row below, not into their tops. I used it in my Rhea V-Neck Cardigan so there’s no visible line between the rows, and my hdc between stitches tutorial shows how.

Half double crochet between stitches, a purple swatch with a smooth texture

Problems when you learn how to half double crochet

My stitches are different heights

Short hdc next to tall ones? That usually happens when each loop gets pulled up by a different amount. Lift every loop to the height of the loop already on your hook, and the row evens out.

My edges have gaps or keep growing

Gaps at the edge often come from a loose turning chain, so try a standing stitch instead. If the edge grows, count your stitches at the end of every row, because an extra stitch in the turning chain is easy to add by mistake.

Bookmarks get lost, pins don’t. Save this to your crochet board on Pinterest for your next hdc refresher.