Shell Stitch Crochet Scarf Pattern

Get cozy in the Layered Shells Scarf! This shell stitch crochet scarf pattern is fluffy and warm enough for the coldest winter days. Blending solid and variegated or self-striping yarns creates the lovely marled effect. Have fun experimenting with different combinations on this relaxed, easy project!

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Christmas in July Crochet Along

The Layered Shells Scarf is my pattern in the 2022 Christmas in July Make Along hosted by Underground Crafter. Check out the full schedule of crochet, knitting, and even sewing patterns in the main MAL post. While you’re there, be sure to scroll down and enter the giveaway too!

Join in the fun on the Facebook group, and be sure to use the hashtag #CALCentralCrochet when you share your projects!

Blending Yarns

The unique look of this pattern comes from using 2 different weights of yarn held together as one. A worsted weight, solid color sets a background.

Neutral or muted colors are a great option for the background. I used Red Heart With Love yarn in Pewter. This was leftover from the yarn that Yarnspirations had given me for the Twists and Turns blanket square.

3 skeins of Red Heart With Love Yarn in pink, blue, and grey

A lighter weight, self striping or variegated yarn dances in and out of this background, creating a colorful, marled effect. For this yarn, I chose Willow Yarns Wheels in the Eden colorway. I got this in a goodie bag at a conference a few years ago, and it was just waiting for the right project.

I love this combination because one of the colors in the Eden colorway matches the grey of the With Love yarn almost perfectly. So at parts of the striping pattern, the color difference disappears and then re-appears later.

Layered Shells Scarf

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Materials

Yarn:
- 370 yds worsted weight yarn (shown in Red Heart With Love, color 1401 Pewter)
- 370 yds sport or fingering weight yarn (shown in Willow Yarns Wheels, color 0006 Eden)
Hook: US size M/N (9 mm) crochet hook or size needed to match gauge
Notions: Yarn needle

The scarf can be made to any length. Normally I pad the yardage a bit to account for gauge variations, but this time I did not. For this length I used 1 full skein of each of the yarns. If your gauge or yardage varies slightly, you can stop when you run out of yarn.

Project Level

Easy – Repetitive stitch pattern, working into the row below, holding 2 yarns together as 1.

Size

8.5 inches x 64 inches

Gauge

9 hdc x 8 rows = 4 inches.

Use pattern as gauge swatch – rows 1-8 should measure 8 inches x 4 inches. Exact gauge is not critical for this pattern.

First several rows of shell stitch crochet scarf, showing a ruler measuring 4 inches over rows 1-8.

Abbreviations used

ch = chain

dc = double crochet

hdc = half double crochet

shell = shell stitch (see Special Stitch)

st(s) = stitch(es)

Special Stitch

Shell Stitch (shell): On the row below, under the next ch-1 sp, there are 3 unworked sts.

Working around the chain so that it is encapsulated within your stitches, 3 dc in the 2nd (center) stitch of the 3 unworked sts on the row below.

Instructions:

Scroll down for chart.

Work entire pattern with 2 strands of yarn (1 of each weight) held together as one.

Ch 20.

Row 1: Hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (19 hdc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, hdc in first st, sk next st, (3 hdc in next st, ch 1, sk next 3 sts) across to last st, 2 hdc in last st. (15 hdc, 4 ch-1 sps)

Row 3: Ch 1, turn, hdc in first st, (shell, ch 1, sk next 3 sts) across to last st, 2 hdc in last st. (3 hdc, 4 shells, 4 ch-1 sps).

Repeat row 3 an additional 123 times, or to about 1 inch shorter than desired length.

Next row: Ch 1, turn, hdc in first st, working around the chain, 3 hdc into the 2nd unworked st below the next ch-1 sp, sk next dc, hdc in next dc] across to last 2 sts, sk next dc, 2 hdc in last hdc. (19 hdc)