Try This Stitch: Crochet Shells

Variations of the shell stitch are a crochet staple. In fact, it’s likely to be one of the first “fancy” stitches a crocheter learns. As soon as you’ve mastered chain and double crochet you’re ready to dive right in.

Shells are a relatively open stitch. The amount of open space compared to stitch will vary based on gauge, but as worked here it will never be a solid fabric. (There are other ways to manipulate shell stitches to cause them to be either more dense or more open.)

You could easily chain a foundation wide enough for a scarf, shawl, or blanket and simply continue to repeat the pattern (this is a 1-row repeat!) for the desired length. Paired with the right yarn it would make a great Summer stole. (Try it with some 24/7 Cotton or Cotton Bamboo.)

The Into Spring Infinity Poncho is an example of a simple pattern using a shell stitch variation.

Crochet Shells

The Shell: [(1 dc, ch-1) 3 times, 1 dc]

Chain a multiple of 5 sts + 4 sts (swatch shown begins with chain 34)
Row 1: Work 1 dc in 4th ch from hook, *skip 4 ch, shell in next ch; repeat from *, end last repeat by skipping 4 ch, 2 dc in last ch. Turn.
Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), skip first dc, 1 dc in next dc, *shell in center ch-1 space of shell; repeat from *, end 2 dc in top of t-ch. Turn.
Rep row 2 until desired length.

Stitch directions reproduced with permission, from Vogue Knitting Stitchionary: Volume Four, Sixth & Spring Books, 2007

Abbreviations

CH = Chain

CO = Cast On

DC = Double Crochet

ST(S) = Stitch(es)