📚 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
📋 Instructions
Shell Stitch
Fan Stitch
🔑 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.