How to Crochet The Half Double Crochet Stitch in the Back Loop Only

A Tutorial For Beginners

Welcome back to the Restful Stitch! You are well on your way to acquiring a peaceful past time. Very soon you will be lulled by the rhythmic swish of hook and yarn as you create wonderful works of art. The half double crochet stitch in the back loop only is one of my favorite stitches for this very purpose.

As stated, in this lesson I will teach you how to half double crochet in the back loop only (abbreviated hdc-blo). You will need to know how to create a slip knot, chain (ch) and half double crochet (HDC) to follow this lesson. In my previous tutorials, I teach each of these skills. Just click on the skill to be linked directly to the tutorial.

This stitch is simple and creates a ridged texture that works up beautifully.

Materials

Yarn – Any worsted weight yarn will do. For this tutorial I use Knit Picks Dishie yarn. It is 100% cotton and great for a variety of projects.

Hook – Use the size recommended on yarn packaging.

Scissors

Half Double Crochet in the Back Loop Only

To begin create a slip knot and chain 12.

Row 1: Half double crochet (HDC) in the 3rd chain from the hook and each chain across. (you will have 10hdc)

Chain 2 and turn. Now we will begin half double crochet in the back loop only (hdc-blo).

When you look at the top of your row of HDC, you can see that the top 2 loops of each stitch make a v. The back loop is the loop furthest from you.

Yarn over, insert hook into the back loop only.

Yarn over, draw up a loop. You will now have 3 loops on your hook. Yarn over and draw through all 3 loops on the hook to complete the hdc-blo.

Continue to hdc-blo across to complete row 2. (10hdc-blo)

Row 3: chain 2, turn. hdc-blo across.

Repeat row 3 until desired length.

Next up . . .

If you are ready to create a complete and useful project (you are), check out my next How To Crochet. We will use the hdc-blo only to make a dishcloth.

How To Crochet a Dish Cloth: Step by Step For Beginners

Thank you for visiting The Restful Stitch!

My name is Heather and I have been crocheting for over 20 years and making up my own patterns for almost as long. As a home school mother, heavily influenced by Charlotte Mason, I have a passion for mother culture – that is the continued self education of mothers. Through learning useful skills, creating art and reading great literature, all who so desire can continue to grow in wisdom and virtue. I believe that for mothers this is especially important as an example to our children and for the nourishing of our souls.

Through these free crochet tutorials and free crochet patterns I hope to share the joy and rest that I find in this art. In this space I pray to form a community of like minded woman, who are inspired to live up to their potential as whole people formed in the image of a wise, creative and good God.

-Heather