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Joined at Base (JAB)
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Joined at Base (JAB)

📚 What you’ll learn

How to create a composite stitch that is made by placing several stitches into the same place. These stitches are also known as increase stitches because they increase the total number of stitches in the row.

JAB is a general term describing any stitch group where multiple stitches share the same starting point. Within this category, you’ll find more specific stitch types with names that are more common—such as v stitches, shells, and fans—which are named to distinguish their shapes and uses. These stitch groups can be made from a variety of combinations, whether all one stitch height or a mix of different heights.

🎥 Watch

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Right handed
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Left handed

📋 Instructions

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Shell Stitch

To create a shell stitch with 4 double crochets:

  1. Skip 2 stitches
  2. Make a double crochet:
    1. yarn over hook (yoh), and insert your hook into the next stitch
    2. YOH, pull the yarn through the stitch.
    3. YOH, pull yarn through 2 loops, (2 loops left), YOH, pull yarn through last 2 loops.
  3. Repeat these steps 3 more times, inserting your hook into the same stitch each time. You now have a 4-dc shell worked into a single stitch.
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Fan Stitch

To create a fan stitch of double crochets and chains:

  1. Skip 2 stitches
  2. Make a double crochet:
    1. YOH, insert your hook in the next stitch.
    2. YOH, pull the yarn through the stitch.
    3. YOH, pull yarn through 2 loops, YOH, pull yarn though last 2 loops.
  3. Repeat these steps one more time. Two dc completed.
  4. Chain 2
  5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 into the same stitch. Two more dc completed, fan completed.

🔑 Key tips

  • Give your stitches enough space to expand. This helps keep the stitch count even.
  • Keep your tension even. Stitches that are too tight or too loose can make the fabric pucker or sag.
  • A shell or fan stitch is a group of stitches worked into the same stitch or space. Chains may be included. Single crochet (sc) stitches are often placed between shells and fans to anchor them.
  • Use different stitch heights to make different effects. For example, try a shell with 1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc all in the same stitch.
  • Make sure you skip enough stitches so the shell or fan has room to fit.
  • Check out Design Crochet’s Stitch Dictionary to see more shell stitch examples.

🏋️ Practice

This is a 2 row repeat, watch your tension and placement of stitches.

  • Create a chain with a multiple of 6 + 1. The pattern repeat is 6 stitches and there is 1 extra stitch for a half shell at the end of the row.
  • Row 1: Skip the first 3 chains, (they do not count as a stitch), make 3 dc stitches in the 4th chain, *skip 2 chains, sc in the next chain, skip 2 chains, make 5 dc in the next chain*, repeat this pattern from * to * until you have 3 chains remaining, sc in the last chain, turn your work.
  • Row 2: Ch 3 (not counted as a stitch), 3 dc in the first single crochet, *sc in the center stitch of the shell (this is the 3rd dc of the group), 5 dc in the sc between shells*, repeat from * to * until 3 stitches remain, sc in last dc, turn your work.
  • Row 3 and beyond: Repeat Row 2 to desired length.

🎯 Goal

You understand how to place multiple stitches in one stitch or space to create a shell stitch. You can also practice the same technique using (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the same stitch or space to create a fan.

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