This original pattern is inspired by the photo’s open shells and raised puff columns. It is an untested approximation, not the exact pattern pictured.
Materials
- DK yarn in plum or your preferred color
- 4 mm crochet hook
- Scissors and yarn needle
Use a slightly larger hook if your puff stitches feel too tight.
Abbreviations — US terms
- ch = chain
- sc = single crochet
- dc = double crochet
- st = stitch
- sp = space
Special stitches
Shell: Work (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) into the indicated stitch or space.
Puff: Yarn over, insert your hook into the indicated space, yarn over and pull up a loop to the height of a dc. Repeat this movement four more times in the same space. You now have 11 loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through all 11 loops, then ch 1 to secure.
Puff V: Work (puff, ch 2, puff) into the same stitch or space. The securing chain of each puff is separate from the central ch 2.
Foundation
Chain a multiple of 12 + 2.
For a sample with three repeats, ch 38.
Row 1
Sc in the second chain from the hook and each chain across. Turn.
Sample: 37 sc.
Row 2
Ch 1, sc in the first stitch.
Repeat the following across:
- Ch 1, skip 2 stitches, work a shell in the next stitch.
- Ch 1, skip 2 stitches, sc in the next stitch.
- Ch 1, skip 2 stitches, work a puff V in the next stitch.
- Ch 1, skip 2 stitches, sc in the next stitch.
Turn.
You should have three shells and three puff V groups in the sample.
Row 3
Ch 1, sc in the first sc.
Repeat across:
- Ch 1, work a shell into the central ch-2 space of the next shell.
- Ch 1, sc into the next sc between motifs.
- Ch 1, work a puff V into the central ch-2 space of the next puff V.
- Ch 1, sc into the next sc between motifs.
Skip all other stitches and spaces. The last sc is worked into the final sc of the previous row. Turn.
Continue
Repeat Row 3 until your piece reaches the desired length.
Keep the shells directly above the shells and the puff V groups directly above the puff V groups. Gently push each puff toward your chosen front side so the texture remains consistent.
Optional raised outlines
To suggest the pronounced outlines in the photo, add loose surface slip stitches after completing the fabric:
- With the right side facing, keep the working yarn behind the fabric.
- Pull a loop through at the bottom outer edge of a shell column.
- Surface slip stitch along its outer edges, following the shell shapes upward.
- Repeat along the opposite edge of the column.
Keep these stitches loose to prevent puckering. Try this on your sample before outlining the entire project.
Finishing
Fasten off and weave in the ends. Lightly wet-block according to the yarn label, opening the shells gently without flattening the puffs.
For a scarf, throw, or blanket, make a blocked sample first and use its measured width to choose your starting chain in multiples of 12 + 2.
