A beautiful shell stitch can't go wrong. There are many varieties, and I'll teach you an easy one!
Shell stitch stitch repeat
Width: The multiple of this stitch is 5+1. That means that for your starting chain, you need to take a multiple of 5 and add 1 stitch. This gives you the number of stitches for full shell repeats. So for example, 10 x 5 = 50, + 1 = 51 stitches. or 15 x 5 = 75, + 1 = 76 stitches. Sticking to this means that you don't have to fiddle with half shells at the end of a row.
Height: The shell stitch consists of one row, so you do not need a fixed number of rows for a pattern repeat. However, you will need at least one row of chains, sc's or another type of stitch to adhere your first row of shells in.
Shell stitch tutorial
First row of shells
Join your colour with a ss in the first stitch. Crochet four ch, that count as dc and ch (photo 1). Crochet two dc in the same stitch (photo 2). This is your first half shell. Skip four stitches, and crochet two dc, two ch and two dc in the next stitch (photo 3) This is a full shell. Repeat the skipping of four stitches and working a shell in the next stitch until the end of the row. In the last stitch, work a half shell by making two dc, a ch and another dc (photo 4). Turn your blanket.
Second row of shells
Crochet a ch, and work a sc in the chain space of the half shell (photo 5). Crochet in the space between the shells of the previous round, making a shell consisting of two dc, two ch, and two dc. Crochet another sc in the chain space of the next shell (photo 6).
Continue like this until the end of the row (photo 7). Cut your yarn and turn your blanket.
third and fourth row of shells
Join a new colour with a ss in the chain space of the shell two rows back, over the sc of the previous row (photo 8). Crochet four ch (count as dc and ch), crochet two dc in the same chain space (photo 9). Work a sc in the chain space of the next shell (photo 10). Now crochet a shell by working two dc, two ch and two dc in the chain space two rows below, over the sc of the previous row, and then make a sc in the next chain space (photo 11).
Repeat the shells and the sc in between until the end of the row, ending with two dc, a ch and a dc in the final chain space (photo 12).
Repeat the second row just like two rows back: Start with a sc, crochet shells in the chain space two rows back. This is how you crochet dense shells!
Patterns using this stitch
More tutorials
Comments
Be the first to comment to this post!
