Half Double Crochet

For a long time, I always crocheted hats in single crochet, but I find that construction tedious, and I don't like the texture or how the resulting fabric drapes. As much as I like my basic baby cap pattern for fingering, sport, and DK weight yarns, it doesn't scale up for worsted weight yarn very well. Half double crochet has long been touted as a happy medium between single and double crochet, having the softer texture and drape of double crochet and fabric that is, like single crochet, more solid and less "gappy" than double.

Both swatches were worked in hdc. 

The top has 10 increases per round, and the bottom has 8.

Over the past year or so, while I've made lots of caps in double crochet, I've used half double crochet for larger gauges. Half double crochet, when worked in the round, requires ten increases per round to lie flat, which makes stitch counts really mindless, and that's what I normally use. However, for a crown that's curved, Practical Crocheter's basic half double hat pattern uses seven increases per round. Half double crochet has the additional advantage of looking interesting on both sides of the fabric. The wrong side of half double crochet worked in the round has a strong horizontal line that actually reminds me of the look of a straw hat.

If you're looking for a quick and easy hat formula, especially for worsted or Aran weight yarn, half double crochet might be the way to go.

This post has been linked to Busy Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Senior Salon, WITS, Wonderful Wednesday, Thursday Favorite Things, and The Stitchin' Mommy.