Glossary / Half double crochet
hdcHalf double crochet
A medium-height stitch between single and double. UK half treble.
Also written: h dc
How to work it
Yarn over first, then insert your hook into the next stitch. Yarn over and pull up a loop (three loops on the hook). Yarn over once more and pull through all three loops. It sits between single and double crochet in height. Written htr (half treble) in UK terms.
US and UK
This stitch is also called Half treble (UK). Always check which term set a pattern uses before you start, since the same name can mean a different stitch across the two.
Common confusions
What does hdc mean?
Half double crochet. It is a US term for a stitch that sits halfway between a single and a double crochet in height. You yarn over first, pull up a loop so three loops sit on the hook, then close all three at once. UK patterns call the same stitch a half treble (htr).
What is the third loop everyone talks about?
Because a half double closes three loops at once, it leaves an extra horizontal bar behind the usual top V. Working into that bar instead of the normal two loops gives a knit-like ribbed texture, and patterns call it the third loop or the hidden loop. It exists only on half double crochet.
In other languages
| Language | Term | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| English | Half double crochet | hdc |
| Español | Punto medio alto | pma |
| Deutsch | Halbes Stäbchen | hStb |
| Français | Demi-bride | db |
| Italiano | Mezza maglia alta | no standard code |
| 日本語 | 中長編み | no standard code |
Guides that use this stitch
Related stitches
Keep your place while you work this stitch. Worsted counts your rows and rounds and remembers your spot in the pattern, for crochet and knitting.
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