Mardava 3D Crochet Shell Stitch Tutorial

With a simple variation in placement, stacked shell stitches twist and curve into soft, squishy, intertwined cups. Learn how in this 3D crochet shell stitch tutorial, then try it out in the Mardava Cowl pattern!

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Get the Pattern

This fun, 3D shell stitch is used in the Mardava Cowl pattern. Get the pattern and follow along!

Front Post Double Crochet Stitches

Front post double crochet stitches make these shells really pop. A front post double crochet is a double crochet worked around the post of a stitch instead of the top of the stitch as normal.

To make a front post double crochet, insert your hook from front to back before the post of the stitch, then around the back of the stitch and out to the front again on the other side. This wraps the bottom of the stitch around the post of the stitch below, making it puff out.

Working in Rounds or Rows

The dimensional shell stitch pattern is worked in turned rounds for both the Mardava Cowl and Mardava Hat (coming soon). This means that at the end of each round you join with a slip stitch to make it a round, but then you turn and work back in the opposite direction.

Since it’s a turned pattern, it works equally well in rows! Just add an hdc at each edge to make the edges nice and straight. Check out the last section of the video for this option.

Mardava Dimensional Crochet Shell Stitch Video Tutorial

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0:00 Intro
0:16 Get the Patterns
0:43 Round 1
5:00 Round 2
8:25 In Rows