Q&A for How to Crochet a Shell Stitch

A shell stitch can be made with any type and size of yarn, as long as you have the correctly-sized hook for that yarn. However, I'd recommend against using fuzzy or novelty yarns, as their bulk isn't evenly distributed along the length of the yarn. It's better to use a yarn with a consistent diameter.

Not always; it depends on the pattern instructions.

Simply put, it is a single crochet that you do back through the previous row. You do not turn your work. When you pull the loop through the previous stitch, the two loops on the hook will look crossed with this stitch.

It means that the pattern is created in four stitches. Each repeat of the pattern is done in four stitches. So you start with any multiples of four -- 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 -- plus one extra stitch.

You need to work in multiples of 6 plus 5. That means you make your beginning chain with multiples of 6 until you have the desired length, and then you add 5 extra stitches. Every time you count 6 stitches will be one shell. The number of stitches you can do that is closest to 57 would be 59. This gives you a basis of 54 stitches, which is 6 multiplied by 9, so you get 9 shells. Then you add 5 stitches extra, so you get 59. If you can't use any more than 57 stitches, you need to go with 53. This is 48 base stitches, 6 x 8, so 8 shells and 5 extra stitches added on.

A shell stitch can contain as many dc or tr as you want. 3 or more make up the shell stitch. Some call for 5, some 7. It depends on the pattern.

A graduate shell starts with a sc, hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sc all in the same stitch.

Most shell stitches are double crochet, though triple and more isn't unknown. Can’t do a single crochet shell, as it just doesn’t work with the small stitch.

The additional stitches compensate for the height of the shell stitch. Once you complete the row, they will be up the side rather than across the bottom.

Do a cross not and tie it to the adjacent loop. Next, pull it to begin the row and keep doing it.

Look for the little gaps on the edge of your Afghan. It's hard to explain, but there should be gaps where you can insert your hook to put the shell stitch.

You're not doing it wrong––the spaces are supposed to be there. That's how the stitch is meant to look.

Typically for the shell stitch, you want to create a pattern with them, because the material you are making can become very, very, very inconveniently bumpy when you just do a shell stitch. When beginning, start with a base of a stitch such as single crochet, or double crochet, or hdc. Anything you want. Then you want to pull up seven loops. So yo, insert hook into the next stitch, yarn over again, and continue until you get seven loops. Then yarn over one more time, pull the yarn through those 7 loops, then insert your hook into the next stitch. Again, typically, you want to spread out the shell stitches, so make a couple, possibly 3, regular stitches.

To increase during crocheting in the round, create two of the same stitch in one stitch.