Half Double Crochet Increase

The half double crochet stitch is a quick and easy stitch that can be used on projects from hats to socks. For some patterns, increasing within a half double crochet fabric is necessary and an increase may need to be used. Fortunately, the half double crochet increase is easy to work. Typically, you’ll work two stitches into a single stitch. In this video, Corrina Ferguson demonstrates how to work this increase.

An increase in crochet can be used simply to make a piece of crocheted fabric wider. It can also be used for other shaping, like in a garment or for shaping in a crochet baby hat pattern. To work a half double crochet increase, Corrina follows these steps:

• Yarn over, from back to front and bring hook under both legs of the stitch
• Yarn over and draw through a loop (3 loops on hook)
• Yarn over and draw through all three loops (1 loop remains on the hook and half double crochet stitch has been completed)

• Yarn over (from front to back) and bring hook under both legs of the stitch originally worked into, from front to back
• Yarn over and draw through a loop (3 loops on hook)
• Yarn over and draw through all three loops (1 loop on hook—second half double crochet is created; 1 stitch increased)

Corrina demonstrates this increase again. She notes that once the first half double crochet is completed, it’s easy to see where to work to go back into the same stitch to increase—the space has become slightly larger by the first stitch being created in it. As stitches are increased, the shape of the fabric will change and start to get wider.