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Persia Lou

Creative. Crafty. Fun.


How to Crochet the Shell Stitch for Beginners

Learn How to Crochet the Shell Stitch with this step-by-step photo tutorial. This pretty stitch is simple to learn and great for many different types of crochet projects! A version of this post was originally shared by me at Crafts Unleashed. This post contains affiliate links, which help to support this blog. Thanks!

how to crochet the shell stitch - step by step photo tutorial

Hey there! Today I have another stitch tutorial to share with you all of one of my very favorite stitch patterns – the Shell Stitch. I love this stitch because it creates so much pretty texture and it is simple to learn and remember. It was one of the very first stitch patterns I learned when I was relearning how to crochet, and I still use it all the time!

This stitch looks a bit complicated, but it is really pretty simple to learn. It is one of my go-to stitches because of its simplicity and its lovely scalloped shape. There are different versions of the shell stitch pattern, but the one I am teaching you today produces a nice tight fabric with lots of texture and not many holes, which makes it perfect for cozy scarves or blankets and for washcloths that are as pretty as they are functional. I’m currently even working on a backpack that uses the shell stitch (can’t wait for you guys to see that! Coming soon).

how to crochet the shell stitch

So, anyway, if you have been wanting to learn how to crochet the shell stitch, you are in the right place! I am going to walk you through the stitch pattern and share a few tips for working with this stitch. You are going to be a shell stitch expert in no time!

supplies3

Crochet Shell Stitch Supplies:

  • Yarn (For my sample swatch I used Caron Simply Soft and for my little shell scarf I used Wool Ease Thick & Quick)
  • A Crochet Hook (I used an H (5.00 mm) hook for the swatch and an N (9.00 mm) hook for the scarf)
  • Scissors
  • Yarn Needle


How to Crochet the Shell Stitch

how to crochet the shell stitch - step one 1

Row 1: To start off our little swatch, we will begin with a row of single crochet. You can either start with a chain and single crochet in each chain stitch or try out one of my favorite crochet tricks, the foundation single crochet stitch. (If you have never tried the foundation single crochet stitch, I highly recommend giving it a try! I have a video and photo tutorial to walk you through it right HERE.) Whichever way you choose to make your row of single crochet stitches, you need end up with a multiple of six stitches plus one. For this sample, I started with 31 single crochet stitches, which equals five shells across.

Row 2: Once we have our first single crochet row ready, we are all set to get going with our pattern!

step two 1
  1. Start the second row by chaining one and working a single crochet in the same stitch.
  2. Next, skip two stitches, and work 5 double crochet stitches in the next stitch.
  3. Skip two stitches and work a single crochet in the next stitch. Your first shell is formed!
  4. Continue repeating the skip 2 stitches, work 5 double crochet in the next stitch, skip 2 stitches, single crochet in next stitch pattern until you reach the end of the row.
step two

Ta-DA!

Row 3: Row 3 is worked very similar to Row 2 except we will start with a half shell instead of a full shell. This way the shells we are working this row will be positioned in between the shells from the previous row.

How to Crochet the Shell Stitch third row
  1. Start by chaining 3 and working two double crochet in the same stitch
  2. Next, work a single crochet in the center double crochet of the first shell from the previous row. Your first half shell is formed!
  3. Work five double crochet in the next single crochet (it’s between the shells on the previous row) and then work a single crochet in the center double crochet of the next shell. (First full shell formed!)
  4. Repeat this pattern until you reach the end of the row.
  5. Finally, work 3 dc in the last single crochet stitch of the previous row.
step three3

For the remaining rows, you simply need to repeat rows 2 and 3 until your piece reaches the desired length. Easy Peasy!

As I said before, the crochet shell stitch is one of my favorite stitch patterns. You can use it for so many things, but I especially love it for scarfs. I used a chunky yarn and a large hook to work up a pretty, chunky scarf in just a couple of hours. And there you have a perfect little gift all ready for the holiday season – no pattern required! I love projects like this because I can work on it mindlessly while watching TV or relaxing at night without having to constantly reference a pattern.

how to crochet the shell stitch - simple shell scarf

For this scarf, I started with 19 single crochet and my scarf was 3 shells across. I just kept on repeating the pattern until my scarf was as long as I wanted. I love how quickly it worked out, and I love the look of the shell stitch in this chunky yarn – it’s so cozy!

how to crochet the shell stitch - simple shell scarf

I hope this has helped you learn how to crochet the shell stitch. If you have any questions about the stitch, just leave it in the comments, and I will do my best to help!

If this tutorial was helpful for you and you make your own project using the shell stitch, I would LOVE to see it! Share your photos to my facebook page or tag me on instagram or twitter (@persialou), and don’t forget to use the hashtag #persialou for a chance to be featured.

Happy Making!

signature reading xoxo alexis

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how to crochet the shell stitch - this is a great stitch with rich texture and a pretty scalloped shape. It's easy to do and perfect for scarves, blankets, and washcloths

September 6, 2016 1:59 pm Alexis 32 Comments Filed Under: Crochet

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Penny says

    September 7, 2016 at 2:31 pm

    Hi Alexis,
    love this pattern, has an original vintage yet modern look, would love to try it on a clutch project maybe!
    The tutorial rocks, thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      September 7, 2016 at 9:07 pm

      Hi Penny! It would be beautiful on a clutch! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. 🙂

      Reply
  2. laure says

    September 8, 2016 at 2:15 am

    Hi Alexis,
    J’adore tes créations !!! … et je vais tenter de refaire tes jolies crochets 🙂
    Ton site est une réelle découverte de bonheur 😉

    I love your créations they are so lovely !!! and I will try to do it by my self 🙂
    Your website … what a great discovery !!!

    Sorry for my English … I’m french 🙂

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      September 8, 2016 at 11:58 am

      Hi Laure! Merci Beaucoup! Thank you so much for such a nice comment! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Karla says

    November 1, 2016 at 9:47 pm

    Hi! I love this pattern and am near the end. How do I complete it?

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      November 2, 2016 at 11:24 am

      Hi Karla! You can just finish off when you reach the end of one of the rows, if you like the shell edge, which is what I normally do. If you want a flat edge, you can crochet the five stitches between each shell bump together. To do that, you would work a single crochet into the center dc of each shell, then yarn over (yo), draw loop through next stitch (like you were starting a dc), then yo and draw through the first two loops, leaving two loops on the hook. You will repeat that four times until you have worked the first half of a dc through five stitches and you have six loops on your hook. Then you will yo, and draw through all six loops. Ch 1 and sc in the center dc of the next shell. If you have ever done the Catherine’s wheel stitch, this is kind of like that. I know the straight text can be a bit confusing. I hope that helps! I can try to put together a video or photo tutorial soon. Good luck!

      Reply
  4. Cindy from California says

    March 18, 2017 at 8:27 pm

    I am a “beginner” crocheter. I made this pattern for a baby blanket for my new granddaughter. It was super easy, but looked more complicated! I love it and will make more. I agree the pattern is very “mindless”.

    Thanks so much for sharing! Very clear directions!

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      March 19, 2017 at 5:24 pm

      Yes! That is absolutely why I love it – it looks way more complicated than it is! 🙂 Thanks so much, Cindy!

      Reply
  5. Katie says

    March 28, 2017 at 8:37 pm

    I swear I’m following your tutorial exactly, but my shell stitch scarf keeps turning out a triangle. I know I’m chaining, and I’m not missing stitches that I can tell. What could I possibly be doing wrong? 🙁

    Reply
  6. Eunice Flagler says

    May 14, 2017 at 5:37 pm

    Can you use this shell pattern to make an afghan? I think the shell stitch is very pretty.

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      May 15, 2017 at 5:58 pm

      Yes! You could definitely make an afghan with this stitch. You could try a larger yarn and hook to make things go a bit more quickly. 🙂

      Reply
      • Reanna says

        June 28, 2017 at 5:59 am

        I would like to do a king size blanket but I am confused about how to count my stitches for my start and figuring out how many I need in order to make the Shelia come out right. How many starting stitches do I need for a king size quilt? And how many shells would that make across? Please help!

        Reply
        • Alexis says

          June 28, 2017 at 3:26 pm

          Hi! To figure out that I would recommend starting with a little swatch using the hook and yarn you will be using for the blanket to determine your gauge. Once you have your swatch, you need to measure to determine how many shells you get per inch. A king sized blanket is usually about 106″ x 95″. Use that information to figure out how many shells you will need to crochet to get the width you want. For example, if you crochet one shell per inch, then you would want to start 95 shells across each row. Hope that helps!

          Reply
  7. Michelle says

    November 20, 2017 at 12:20 pm

    I love the single crochet row to start! I like how clean it looks versus starting the shells in a chain.

    Reply
  8. Lorraine says

    February 13, 2018 at 7:13 am

    Is the shell stitch the same as a puff stitch?

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      February 13, 2018 at 11:56 am

      Hi Lorraine! No, usually with a puff stitch you only work half of each double crochet stitch leaving loops on your hook, then you finish off all of the loops at the same time. I need to do a puff stitch post!

      Reply
  9. Paula says

    June 24, 2018 at 12:26 pm

    I have only been crocheting a little over a year. I wanted to master a new stitch this year. Your instructions had me working the shell stitch in just a few hours! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      June 27, 2018 at 4:56 pm

      Oh yay! Love to hear that! Thanks so much for leaving me a sweet little comment, Paula! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Minnie Sasso says

    August 27, 2018 at 5:14 am

    Is It possible to speak to someone by telephone. Working a blanket doing the shell stitch

    First row 1 sc then 5 dc then 1 sc until the end of 1st row with 5 dc and 1 sc.
    2nd row 3 dc 1 sc until end of row with 3 dc
    Continue with pattern until end of rows.

    The problem is that the blanket is getting wider as I go along. Your help would be very much appreciated. Thank you Minnie Sasso

    Reply
    • Mary says

      February 12, 2019 at 9:16 am

      Are you remebering to skip 2 stitches between the shells and the single crochet? When I first started, I always forget the skips.

      Reply
  11. Ruth June Konopka says

    September 9, 2018 at 10:22 am

    I crocheted a lovely afghan following your tutorial on you tube…as well as reading the beautifully pictured instructions…so I searched and found your web site …so I was able to print out the instructions because I intend to crochet at least two more afghans in this beautiful shell stitch.
    Thank you Alexis for sharing your expertise…I keep wanting to learn more of these stitches…you make it so easy.

    Reply
    • Alexis says

      September 12, 2018 at 10:22 am

      Thanks so much for your sweet comment! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Marissa says

    September 30, 2018 at 7:06 am

    Do you have a video tutorial for this stitch? I think I’m messing up between the end of row 2 and beginning of row 3. I followed your video on the FSC and it was so helpful!

    Reply
  13. Layne says

    January 7, 2019 at 7:21 pm

    Thank you for a well written pattern and good pictures!!
    I tried two other shell stitch
    patterns first and got very frustrated. After trying yours, I
    can see why. They were poorly written. Glad I kept looking!

    Reply
    • Leta says

      February 12, 2019 at 8:36 pm

      I’m having the same problem

      Reply
    • Tracy says

      August 13, 2020 at 10:07 pm

      I had the same experience. This was so simple! Thank you for the tutorial, I will be looking at more for sure.

      Reply
  14. Melissa says

    February 28, 2019 at 11:42 am

    Hi! I love this pattern and would like to make it into a scarf, but I think I might have messed up the first row. I ended up with 5 shells and then 2 extra stitches at the end. Is there a video I can watch so I can see how to do it step by step?

    Reply
  15. Melissa says

    February 28, 2019 at 12:01 pm

    Is it 31 fsc + ch 1?
    Or
    30 fsc + ch 1?

    Reply
  16. Carol Mcvicker says

    July 30, 2020 at 10:10 am

    Hi, Loved your instructions and pictures. My question is how many chains to start with for a medium baby blanket or what is the repeat pattern to determine the number of starter chains. Thank you very much.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Crochet Stitches - Midwestern Moms says:
    November 4, 2016 at 4:26 am

    […] Shell Stitch – Persia Lou Great photo tutorial showing how to crochet the shell stitch. Several other […]

    Reply
  2. Learning the Shell Stitch – Home Blanket says:
    January 31, 2017 at 9:15 am

    […] also loved learning the shell stitch which I learned from this awesome blog . She explains everything really well and the finished result is super […]

    Reply
  3. Take Me to the Beach Tote - Stitching Together says:
    May 12, 2017 at 11:29 am

    […] Since this tote is made up of two rectangles and handles it is very beginner friendly. The shell stitch is not a hard one to master and it adds such delightful texture.  If you need some visual guidance on the shell stitch, Persia Lou has a handy photo tutorial. […]

    Reply

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