Half Double Crochet Herringbone Stitch Tutorial

This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I use the funds to buy yarn and make more free patterns! I greatly appreciate your support. For more info please see my Terms & Conditions. Thank You!

The Half Double Crochet or HDC Herringbone Crochet Stitch is an easy, fun stitch to learn. It has lots of texture and creates a thicker, warmer fabric with a unique appearance. This easy to follow tutorial contains written instructions and a photo lesson.

step photo and texture photo of Half Double Crochet Herringbone Stitch with text overlay

Flat or Round?

The Half Double Crochet Herringbone Stitch can be worked both in the round and in a flat back and forth fashion. Since it is a textured stitch, the texture does change a bit depending on which style you are working. I personally prefer the look of the stitch in the round, but it is lovely worked flat also.

HDC Herringbone Crochet Stitch worked in the round, up close photo to depict texture — Worked In The Round

For the tutorial here I have taken most of my photos while working in the round, but the process to complete this stitch is the same no matter which style you are working.

Yarn and Hook for the Tutorial

You can use whatever yarn and hook you would like for this tutorial. I am using a #3 DK light weight yarn and a size H8 crochet hook. The hook is a size larger than the yarn recommends, but I have found that when I used the recommended hook size the stitches looked a little scrunched.

full set of susan bates polymer clay handle aluminum crochet hooks with multi-colored flowers and text overlay

Please use whatever yarn you like for this stitch. It looks great in every yarn size I have tried! But I always like it better when I use a hook a size or two larger than the yarn recommends.

This size #3 DK Light Yarn is great for this stitch! It is self striping and will add another dimension to your project

Half Double Crochet Herringbone Stitch in Pattern

I have never come across a stitch symbol for the HDC herringbone stitch that might be used in a pattern chart situation.

For written patterns, the abbreviations for the HDC herringbone stitch vary widely making it very important to check the abbreviation section of any pattern you want to work using this stitch.

This stitch is worked in a 1 to 1 ration with the row below. This means that you work 1 HDC herringbone stitch into a single stitch from the previous row.

Half Double Crochet Herringbone Tutorial

Setting Up For The Stitch

The HDC Herringbone Stitch is worked into the tops of a previous row of stitches. Meaning that you need either a chain or a previous row to work these stitches into. The composition of the previous row doesn’t really matter as long as you can work your next row of stitches into it.

For this tutorial, I was working with a sample for another pattern, so you are going to see a couple of rows of camel stitch (A.K.A the third loop of a HDC stitch) and then a single row of the HDC herringbone stitch before the tutorial begins.

Steps to Work the HDC Herringbone Stitch

Step 1) For my photos, I have worked 25 stitches and joined them to form a ring. For your practice swatch feel free to work as many chain stitches as you’d like and join them to form a ring.

Keep in mind you can work this stitch in a flat back and forth fashion, but your practice swatch will look different than mine does.

Step 2) Yarn over.

yarn over to start the herringbone stitch

Step 3) Insert hook into next stitch to be worked.

insert your hook under both front and back loop of next stitch to be worked

Step 4) Yarn over and draw up a loop (you should have 3 loops on your hook).

Please Note at this point, this stitch is worked the same way as a regular HDC stitch.

yarn over and pull up a loop, 3 loops on hook

Step 5) Pull the first loop on your hook (purple arrow below) through the second loop on your hook (blue arrow below). Note, you do not yarn over again before pulling the loop. (You should have 2 loops left on your hook now.)