The Paired Half Double Crochet (HDC) stitch is a simple stitch that almost looks like strings of beads that have a bit of a zig zag look as you go up the rows. In this stitch guide I will show you how to crochet the Paired HDC stitch with all the pictures that you need along with a video guide that you can follow along with too.

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I first used the Paired HDC stitch in the FrankenScrap crochet along as one of the pieces of the quilt like blanket. You can access the whole pattern for free here.

The Paired HDC is an easy stitch to make, and just by the nature of how the stitch is made it does create small holes between the stitches, but the stitches themselves are quite thick. So this stitch would suit projects that you need to be warm but breathable such as autumn sweaters or bodywarmers and the like.

For the sample in the picture below I used Rico Cotton Essentials DK for this piece in 3 different colours. This piece doesn’t need different colours, but by the time I came to making this piece I’d run down my stash enough that I didn’t have enough of a single colour left to only use 1 colour. Rico Cotton Essentials DK is one of my go too yarns, and I have several balls of it in my stash. It’s 100% cotton and is lovely and silky and soft to the touch. It is a really nice cotton to work with and doesn’t split overly much.

This how to guide is part of Froggity Frog’s Stitch Vault collection. Have you seen all the other stitches in there? You can take a look here all the guides are free to access and maybe you will discover some new stitches to create for yourself.

The yarn I used in the pictures of this stitch guide below is Stylecraft Cotton Classique DK, a 100% cotton yarn. It’s a non mercerised cotton that is lovely and soft, but it can get a bit splitty if you frog it a couple of times. It does makes lovely cosy blankets though and is the yarn that got me hooked on cotton as my fibre of choice. I think I first got a ball of this yarn in a mystery bag I got off ebay, and it was a great yarn discovery for me and I’ve been loving using this yarn ever since.

I also used my trusty Clover Amour hooks which are perfect if you are looking for a good value ergonomic crochet hook that won’t cause your hand to ache if you are crocheting for long periods of time. I’ve tried many different crochet hooks over the years, but I always end up coming back to my trusty Clovers. They just sit so well in my hand and never let me down.

How To Crochet The Paired Half Double Crochet Stitch

Click here for the left hand video

Abbreviations

• Ch = Chain
• St = Stitch
• YO = Yarn Over
• Hdc = Half Double Crochet
• Hdc2Tog = Half Double Crochet 2 Together

Start by making a foundation chain in any multiple of stitches (plus 1 for your turning chain)

Row 1. In the 3rd and 4th ch from your hook make a hdc2tog (yo, insert your hook into the 1st st and pull up a loop. YO, insert your hook into the next st and pull up a loop – gives you 5 loops on your hook. YO and pull through all loops) – The turning chain counts as the first stitch of the row.

*working in the same st that you finished your last st, make a hdc2tog in that st and the next st* repeat between *and* 

Row 2. Turn and make a hdc in the first st (this counts as your 1st st) Working in your 1st and 2nd st make a hdc2tog *working in the same st as your last one, make a hdc2tog in that st and the next st* repeat between *and* the turning chain from the row below counts as your last st of the row

Repeat row 2 until you have as many rows as you need.

How To Add A Border To The Paired HDC Crochet Stitch

The rows of the Paired HDC stitch are to be treated as a half double crochet in height. This means that every 2 rows needs 3 stitches made into the side. So you make a single stitch into the side of one row, then 2 stitches into the side of the next row and repeat this all the way up the side.

I always recommend that you make a round of single crochet stitches around your piece first before adding any border pattern that you have planned, as doing this just helps to even your stitches out and make a nice solid round to add any further stitches into.

I used the Paired HDC stitch as one of the pieces in the scrappy quilt like FrankenScrap crochet along – find out more about this free pattern here, and join in and access the entire pattern for free.

You can find more free crochet stitch guides here in Froggity Frog’s stitch vault. Come on over to our Facebook group – Froggity Frog’s Ribbit And Stitch and show us what you made with the Paired HDC stitch. I’d love to see what you created with this crochet stitch. 

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