Foundation half double crochet stitches are a useful technique to know that can be a real time saver because it creates a base chain and your first row of half double crochet stitches for your project at the same time.
In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to do the Foundation Half Double Crochet Stitch with written instructions and a step by step photo tutorial. I’ve also included a video tutorial for added support.
Be sure to check out the list of free crochet patterns that I’ve collected for you that you can use to start practicing this new stitch technique right away.
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Terminology:
In this tutorial, I use the US crochet terminology. In the UK terminology, this stitch would be called a foundation half treble crochet.
Abbreviations:
In crochet patterns, you’ll often see the foundation half double crochet abbreviated as FHDC. It is also sometimes called the chainless half double crochet.
When Can I Use Foundation Half Double Crochet Stitches?
While the occasional crochet project will specifically tell you to start with chainless foundation rows you can substitute this technique in patterns that don’t specifically tell you to use it.
If you have a pattern that has a long chain (or even a short chain) and the first row of stitches is a row of hdc (half double crochet) stitches, you can substitute this technique for the chain and first row.
How to do it:
You need to know the number of stitches needed at the end of the first row. When you are using the foundation hdc, you create the chains and the stitches at the same time so the number of chains indicated at the beginning of the pattern will be wrong (since there is an extra chain or two that act as a turning chain counted in there).
So if your pattern tells you to create a chain of 201 and then you have 200 half double crochet stitches at the end of your first row, just do 200 foundation half double crochet stitches instead. Then follow the rest of the pattern as written starting in row 2.
What About Working In Joined Rounds?
If your crochet project instructs you to join your foundation chain and then create a row of half double crochet stitches, you can still use this technique.
Make sure that your beginning tail of yarn from when you create your slip knot is at least 8 inches long so you can use it to join the bottom sides of your FHDC row together to mimic a slip stitch join at the bottom of the stitch.
Materials You Need:
- Yarn of any weight – I’m using King Cole Timeless Chunky (available at your local yarn store or here on Lovecrafts)
- Crochet Hook – I’m using a 6.0mm (J) Crochet hook
- Stitch Marker (optional)
Foundation Half Double Crochet Step-by-Step Video Tutorial
How to Crochet the Foundation Half Double Crochet Photo Tutorial
Step 1: With a slip knot on your hook, chain 2.
Step 2: Yarn over and insert your hook into the 2nd chain from the hook (we never work in to the first chain).
Step 3: Yarn over and pull up a loop. You should have 3 loops on your hook.
Step 4: Next, you’ll yarn over and pull through 1 loop on your hook. This creates the what would be the chain part if you were working into a beginning chain.
Tip: You can place a removable stitch marker in this first chain to help you find it when you’re creating your next stitch. You can move it up each time you do this step to help keep track of where to work.
Step 5: Yarn over and draw through all three loops on your hook. This creates your first foundation hdc stitch.
For the next foundation stitch (and subsequent stitches):
Step 6: Yarn over and insert hook under the 2 loops of the chain part of the previous stitch.
Step 7: Yarn over and pull up a loop. You should have 3 loops on your hook again.
Step 8: Yarn over and draw through the first loop on your hook. There should be 3 loops on your hook.
Step 9: Yarn over and draw through all three loops on your hook. Now you have 2 foundation half double crochet stitches (FHDC).
Repeat steps 6 to 9 until you have the number of foundation crochet stitches you need for your project.
That’s it! I hope that you enjoyed this foundation half double crochet tutorial and are excited to get started using the foundation half double crochet stitch technique!
If you did enjoy it, I’d appreciate it if you took a moment to pin this post to your Pinterest boards and/share it with your friends. This is a great way to help support me so that I can keep bringing you great free crochet content like this.
Other Foundation Stitches
Want to learn other foundation stitches?
Ready to Practice This Technique in a Crochet Project? Try These Fun Free Patterns:
- Cozy Wool Houndstooth Scarf
- Easy Chunky Crochet Scarf for Kids
- The Eleventh Hour Crochet Blanket
- Shoreline Seeker Tote Bag
- Savvy Muse Crochet Cowl Pattern
- Crochet Tartan Cowl
Ready to learn some new crochet stitches techniques? Here are some other great crochet tutorials to broaden your crochet skills:
- How to do the Single Crochet Stitch and Yarn Under Single Crochet Stitch
- How to Crochet a Flat Circle
- How to Crochet in the Back Bumps of A Chain
- How to Work on both sides of a Crochet Chain
- Learn some Tunisian Crochet Stitches: Tunisian Simple Stitch, Tunisian Knit Stitch, Tunisian Extended Simple Stitch
Be sure to check out my Crochet Stitch Tutorials page to get a list of other tutorials with step by step instructions for other crochet stitches in both traditional crochet and Tunisian, tips, tricks, special stitch patterns and techniques and more. Happy Crocheting!
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