Half double and double crochet

Half double crochet

The extra yarn over at the start is what makes it taller. Pulling through three loops at once is the part that feels awkward for the first few stitches; keep the loops loose and tilt the hook down as you pull. Half double crochet fabric is slightly stretchy and has a horizontal bar on the back of every stitch, called the third loop. Working into that third loop instead of the top V gives a knit-look fabric that several of our hats and the yoke of the Little Acorn Cardigan use.

Double crochet

The stitch is worked off the hook in two stages, which is why it is called double. It is roughly twice the height of a single crochet, so a row of double crochet covers ground fast. The fabric is more open and softer, and it is the stitch the classic granny square and most lace patterns are built on.

Turning chains that count

Taller stitches need taller turning chains, and here is where patterns differ. The traditional rule is chain 2 to turn for half double crochet and chain 3 for double crochet, with the chain 3 counting as the first stitch of the row. That means after turning you skip the first stitch and work into the second, and at the end of the row you work the last stitch into the top of the previous turning chain.

Many modern patterns, including most of ours, use a shorter turning chain that does not count: chain 1 or 2 for double crochet and work the first stitch into the first stitch of the row. It leaves a straighter edge with no gap at the turning chain. Either way, the stitch count at the end of the row is what tells you if you have it right.

A swatch to practice both

1. Chain 17. Half double crochet in the third chain from the hook and in each chain to the end: 15 stitches.
2. Chain 2, turn, half double crochet in each stitch across. Repeat for four rows and look at the third loops on the back.
3. Chain 3, turn, skip the first stitch, double crochet in each stitch across, ending in the top of the turning chain: 15 stitches including the chain 3.
4. Repeat for four rows. Compare the height of the two sections; the double crochet rows should be nearly twice as tall.

Notice how much faster the double crochet rows went. Notice also that the fabric is more open: light passes through it, and it stretches more. That is the trade. Single crochet for firmness, half double for a little of both, double for speed and drape. Most patterns combine them, and once you have all three in your hands you can read the shop's Basic patterns without needing anything else.

There is one taller stitch left in common use: treble crochet, which adds one more yarn over and one more stage.