Shell stitches: a first row of little fans

A shell is a family, not a fixed recipe

A shell normally puts several stitches into one stitch or space, making a fan. The exact number and height come from the pattern. In this exercise a shell means five UK trebles, which are US double crochets, in the same base stitch. This is one original practice row, not instructions to repeat blindly for a whole blanket.

Build a foundation with room for two fans

1. Chain 14. Make UK double crochet in the second chain from the hook and each chain across: 13 stitches.
2. Chain 3 and turn; for this row those chains count as the first UK treble, sitting above the first foundation stitch.
3. Skip stitches 2 and 3. Make five UK trebles in stitch 4. Skip stitches 5 and 6, then make one treble in stitch 7.
4. Skip stitches 8 and 9. Make five trebles in stitch 10. Skip stitches 11 and 12, then make one treble in stitch 13.

Check the picture and the arithmetic

There should be two fans, with a single tall stitch at each outer edge and another between the fans. There are 13 tall-stitch tops when the starting chain is counted: five plus five plus three. Skipping foundation stitches creates space for the fans; adding shells without those gaps would change the width.

Decide what the next row needs

Many shell patterns place the next fans in different positions to nest them between the previous ones. Others use a plain row between fan rows. Read that row’s own directions instead of copying this one. For now, fasten off the practice piece and circle the two shared bases in a photograph. Seeing where several stitches enter is the main lesson.

Words in this lesson

Notes & further reading

Original explanations and practice exercises by Crochet By Micky. UK stitch names are used; check the stitch key in any other pattern you follow.

• Crochet chart symbol reference

Reviewed 25 October 2026. Cover artwork is an original illustration, not a third-party pattern or event photograph.