Half Double Crochet Baby Blanket: A Soft One-Stitch Pattern

Half double crochet sits between the two stitches beginners usually meet first. It is taller than single crochet, so the rows add up sooner, and shorter than double crochet, so the fabric stays fairly close with small gaps. A half double crochet baby blanket has a soft, slightly slanted texture and enough body to lie flat.

The pattern below uses one stitch from the first row to the last. It is written in US crochet terms, and the only shaping decision is when to stop.

Materials

• Worsted weight (#4 medium) yarn, about 900-1,100 yd
• US H-8 (5 mm) crochet hook
• Locking stitch marker
• Blunt yarn needle
• Scissors and a tape measure

Treat the yarn amount as an estimate. It changes with your gauge and with any border you add, so buy a little extra from the same dye lot.

Finished Size

About 30 x 35 in (76 x 89 cm) before the border.

Gauge

Target gauge: 13 hdc and 10 rows = 4 in (10 cm).

Matching the gauge matters for the size of the blanket and for how much yarn it uses. Make a swatch first: chain 21, work 20 hdc per row for about 15 rows, and measure 4 in across the middle of the fabric.

Here is how the starting chain comes out of the gauge:

• 13 hdc over 4 in = 3.25 hdc per inch
• 3.25 x 30 in = 97.5, rounded up to 98 hdc
• 98 hdc + 1 turning chain = 99 chains

Ninety-eight stitches at this gauge measure just over 30 in (76 cm). If your swatch gives a different number of stitches per inch, use it in the same sum. The article on how many chains to start a baby blanket walks through more examples.

Abbreviations

• ch = chain
• hdc = half double crochet
• st(s) = stitch(es)
• yo = yarn over (wrap the yarn over the hook)

Pattern Notes

Patterns handle the half double crochet turning chain in two ways: ch 2 that counts as a stitch, or ch 1 that does not. This pattern uses the second method throughout.

• Begin every row with ch 1. It does not count as a stitch, and you never work into it.
• Work the first hdc into the very first stitch of the row, the one at the base of the ch 1.
• Every row has 98 hdc.

A ch 1 that is not counted keeps the edge free of the small holes a counted ch 2 can leave, and it removes the question of whether to work into the chain at the end of a row.

How to Make a Half Double Crochet

1. Yo once before you insert the hook.
2. Insert the hook under both top loops of the next stitch.
3. Yo and pull up a loop. You now have 3 loops on the hook.
4. Yo and pull through all 3 loops in one motion.

The single pull through three loops is what separates this stitch from double crochet, which removes the loops two at a time. If the hook catches on the way through, loosen your grip and point the hook head down toward the fabric as you draw it out.

Instructions

Foundation: Ch 99 loosely.

Row 1: Hdc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Count: 98 hdc.

Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a stitch), turn. Hdc in the first st and in each st across. The last hdc goes into the last hdc of the row below, not into the turning chain. 98 hdc.

Repeat Row 2 until the blanket measures 35 in (89 cm) from the foundation chain.

At the target gauge of 10 rows to 4 in, that is 2.5 rows per inch, and 2.5 x 35 in = 87.5, so expect about 88 rows. Row height varies from one crocheter to the next more than stitch width does, which is why the pattern gives a length to reach instead of a fixed row count. Lay the blanket flat on a table to measure it, without stretching.

Keeping 98 Stitches

Clip a stitch marker into the first hdc of each row as soon as you make it. On the way back, that marked stitch is the last one you work into. It often tilts toward the edge and hides beside the turning chain, so look for the marker instead of trusting your eye.

Count the row every five rows or so. If you find 97 or 99, pull back to the row where the count changed. Adding or skipping a stitch later to compensate leaves a visible step in the edge.

Finishing

When the blanket reaches 35 in, cut the yarn and leave a tail of about 6 in (15 cm). Pull the tail through the last loop and tighten. Use the yarn needle to work every tail through the back of the stitches in at least three directions, as described in the guide to weaving in ends, then trim close to the fabric.

An edging is optional. A round or two of single crochet frames the blanket and covers the row ends. Along the sides, about 3 sc for every 2 hdc rows is a common starting ratio, with 3 sc in each corner. The tutorial for a simple baby blanket border explains how to adjust that ratio if the edge ruffles or pulls in. Keep the border flat and close to the fabric.

Wash and dry the finished blanket following the care instructions on the yarn label.

Why Half Double Crochet Is a Common Middle Ground

Each basic stitch gives a different balance of pace and density. Single crochet makes the firmest fabric and needs the most rows: the single crochet baby blanket on this site takes 136 rows to reach 34 in. Double crochet is the fastest of the three and the most open, as the double crochet baby blanket shows.

Half double crochet lands between them. It reaches 35 in in about 88 rows, the gaps between stitches stay small, and the fabric bends more easily than single crochet. The stitch also has no multiple to track, so you can change the width by any number of stitches.