Shells and Cables Lace Stitch Tutorial
Combine lacy shells and twisty cables for a unique texture! In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to work this stitch pattern in the round. Try out this lovely shells and cables lace stitch in the Shells and Cables Market Bag.

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Bag Along CAL
The shells and cables lace stitch makes the main section of the Shells and Cables Market Bag pattern. You can find the full written instructions for the bag in that pattern.
This is the fourth of 6 bag patterns in the 2022 Bag Along CAL. See the full schedule and learn how to join in the fun, in the main Bag Along CAL post.
Shells and Cables Stitch Chart
As the chart version shows, the pattern is a repeat of 6 stitches, and a repeat of 2 rounds. The grayed-out stitches in the chart show how the start and end of each round meet.
The first round of single crochet is just a foundation round, and the shells and cables pattern starts with round 1. The foundation round does not have to be single crochet. Round 1 can be worked into any stitch, or into chains.
Notice that no round has both shells and cables. The shells are all on the odd-numbered rounds, and the cables are on the even-numbered rounds.
Shells
Each shell is (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in the same stitch. Starting the round with the 2nd dc of a shell leaves you in the right place to start the next round.

Cables
The cables build on each other, so the first cable round is a set up row. On the first cable round, the cable is a pair of crossed dc stitches. Skip a sp and a st, dc in the next sp, ch 1, dc in the first skipped sp.
For all future cable rounds, the cable is a pair of crossed fptr stitches. Fptr in the last st of the cross below, ch 1, fptr in the first st of the cross below.

Shells and Cables Lace Stitch Written Pattern:
Rnd 1: Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch-1), 2 dc in first st, ch 1, sk next 2 sts, sc in next st, ch 1, sk next 2 sts, [shell in next st, ch 1, sk next 2 sts, sc in next st, ch 1, sk next 2 sts] around, dc in same st as beginning of rnd to complete first shell, join with sl st to first dc.
Rnd 2: Sl st in first ch-1 sp, ch 1, sc in same sp, ch 2, sk next 2 dc, dc cross, ch 2, [sc in next shell, ch 2, dc cross, ch 2] around to last 2 dc, sk last 2 dc, join with sl st to first sc.
Rnd 3: Ch 4, 2 dc in first sc, ch 1, sk next ch-2 sp, sc in next cross, ch 1, sk next ch-2 sp, [shell in next sc, ch 1, sk next ch-2 sp, sc in next cross, ch 1, sk next ch-2 sp] around, dc in same st as beginning of rnd to complete first shell, join with sl st to first dc.
Rnd 4: Sl st in first ch-1 sp, ch 1, sc in same sp, ch 2, sk next 2 dc, fptr cross, ch 2, [sc in next shell, ch 2, fptr cross, ch 2] around to last 2 dc, sk last 2 dc, join with sl st to first sc.
Shells and Cables Lace Stitch Video Tutorial
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