How to Work Half Double Crochet (US) / Half Treble Crochet (UK)

Half double crochet — hdc for short — is the friendly middle stitch: taller than single crochet, shorter than double, so it builds fabric quickly while keeping it dense and warm. In UK terms it’s the half treble, and it’s the stitch our tea cozy bodies are built from, the striped body of the drop bear mug cosy, and the angel gowns that widen in half double rounds.

Step by step

Yarn over before the hook goes in — that’s the move that separates this stitch from single crochet, and forgetting it is the beginner’s only real trap.
Insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over, and pull up a loop. You now have three loops sitting on your hook.
Yarn over again and pull through all three loops in one go. That’s one half double crochet: a plump, squarish stitch with a little horizontal bar across its face.
Mind the name if you learned in the UK: this exact stitch is your half treble. US patterns say half double, UK patterns say half treble, and the stitch itself doesn’t care — same yarn over, same three loops, same pull-through.
Start a row with a turning chain of two. Patterns disagree on whether that chain counts as a stitch, so follow yours: our patterns say which way they’ve counted, and the stitch count at the end of the row tells you if you got it right.
Work the first real stitch of a row into the base of the turning chain’s neighbour (or into the first stitch, if the chain doesn’t count) — the likeliest place to lose a stitch in hdc is the row ends, so count as you go until the rhythm settles.
For the thick, ribbed fabric our tea cosies use, work each stitch through the back loop only: the unworked front loops line up as ridges across the front, the panels stretch sideways like knitted rib, and the double layer of loops insulates the pot.
Keep the pull-through smooth and even. Half double crochet sulks if it’s worked too tight — the three loops bunch and the hook starts to fight — so aim for relaxed stitches with a touch of height in the pull-up.
Practise a square and measure it: our patterns gauge hdc at figures like 18 stitches by 15 rows to 10 cm, noticeably fewer rows than single crochet — that’s the extra height paying you back in speed.

Patterns that use it

Drop Bear Mug Cozy Crochet Pattern | Funny Aussie Mug Hug, Brown & Gold Stripes, 2 Sizes PDF

Bush Christmas Angels Crochet Pattern | Three Hanging Angels, Waratah Wattle & Bottlebrush Wreaths PDF

Aussie Flora Tea Cozy Crochet Patterns | Waratah, Golden Wattle & Bottlebrush | 3 Cozies in 2 Sizes PDF

Crochet Market & Beach Bags Vol 1 | Gum Leaf Tote, Navy Stripe Shopper and Cream Mini Tote Patterns PDF

Aussie Pet Crochet Vol 1 | 12 Crochet Pet Jumper Patterns PDF

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Common mistakes

Forgetting the yarn over before the hook goes into the stitch. Without it you’ve made a single crochet, not a half double — it’s the one move the whole stitch hangs on.
Losing stitches at the ends of rows. Between the turning chain of two and the question of whether it counts as a stitch, the row ends are where hdc counts quietly drift.
Working the stitch too tight, so the three loops bunch on the hook and every pull-through becomes a fight. Half double crochet sulks when it’s strangled — keep the loops relaxed with a touch of height.

Tina’s tips

While you’re learning, pop a marker into the first and last stitch of every row. It takes two seconds, and the count at the end of the row will thank you every single time.
Lift the loop up a little as you pull it through the stitch, giving the stitch its full height before you pull through all three. That small lift is the difference between a plump, even fabric and a squashed one.