CJ’s Shell Stitch Blanket

pink and white crochet blankets

I absolutely loved re-creating this older pattern for my best friend Shauna. Her mom made the pink blanket years ago. Her name was Carole Jean but always went by C.J. 

Shauna and I have been friends since we married cousins about a week apart. We’ve been at each other’s big events for the last 30 years. I held her newborns and she held mine. And at every event, C.J. was usually there, greeting me with a warm hug and a smile. 

C.J. suddenly passed away over a year ago, leaving a giant hole in everyone’s heart-especially her grandchildren. I knew she had loved to crochet and remembered seeing her crocheted blankets displayed at her funeral. 

Shauna’s daughter Kelsey just had her first baby girl and named her Goldie Carole, and I just wanted to bring a little bit of C.J. to her blessing. I asked Shauna if she had any of her mom’s blankets that I could try and re-create and she brought me the pink blanket. 

I hope when Goldie is blessed she will feel a little bit of Great-Grandma C.J.s love. 

Here’s a photo of Goldie with the pink blanket, isn’t she just precious? 

baby with crochet blanket

white crochet blanket

Materials

Patons Beehive Baby Sport (70% acrylic, 30% nylon, 100 g/3.5 oz, 328 m/359 yds)

5 skeins Angel White

Size F/3.75mm hook, tapestry needle, scissors

Size

Finished size 40 in x 40 in

Gauge 4 in = 3 sets of shells and 2 DC and 10 rows

Stitches (US Terms)

Double Crochet (DC): Yarn over, insert hook, yarn over and pull a loop back through, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through final two loops on hook. 

Pattern

Chain 167. (Pattern repeat is any odd number x 3, plus 8.)

Row 1: Work 1 DC into the 8th chain from the hook.  *Ch 2, skip 2 chains, DC into the next chain. Repeat from * across the row. End with 1 DC into the final chain of the row. CH 3 and turn. 

Row 2: *Work 5 DC into the DC of the row below, skip 2 chains, 2 DC into the top of the next DC of the row below. Repeat from * across the row. Work final DC into the top of the 3rd chain. CH 3 and turn. 

Row 3: 1 DC into the 2nd DC of the shell stitch in the row below, 1 DC into the next, skip 2 stitches, *5 DC into the next st, (the 5 DC are worked into the first DC of the pair of DC in the row below.) Skip 2 stitches, 1 DC into each of the next 2 sts. Repeat from * across the row. Work final DC into the top of the turning chain. CH 3 and turn. 

Row 4: *5 DC into the first DC of the pair of DC in the row below, skip 2 sts, 1 DC into each of the next 2 sts, skip 2 sts, repeat from * across the row. End with 1 DC into the top of the turning chain. CH 3 and turn. 

Row 5 until the blanket is a square: repeat rows 3 and 4. 

(Tip: make your last row of the blanket with row 4 instructions so it matches the first row of the blanket.)

Tie off and weave in all ends before beginning the border. 

white crochet blanket

Border

(Have the blanket facing you so that you are working up the right side of the blanket, across the top, and then down the other side. We are working to match the very first row of the blanket.)

Round 1 first side: Pull up a loop in the starting chain corner and chain 5. (This counts as a DC and ch 2.) work 1 DC at the end of the first row, *CH 2, 1 DC at the end of the next row. Repeat from * up the first side. After working the last DC on that side, CH 4, work 1 DC into the same stitch to make the corner. 

Round 1 across the top: *CH 2, skip 2 sts, 1 DC into the next st. Repeat from * across the top to the next corner. 1 DC into the final stitch of the row, CH 4, 1 DC into the same stitch. (If it doesn’t work exactly to have 2 skipped stitches when you are close to the corner, it’s okay to just skip one or three, you just want to make sure your last DC stitch is in the last stitch of the row.)

Round 1, second side: CH 2, *1 DC at the end of the next row, CH 2, repeat from * to the next corner. Join with a slip stitch after your ch 2, to the top of the 3rd chain. 

Tip: The next rounds can be worked into the back loop only to give you a “line” on one side of the border.

Round 2: Do not turn, CH 3, *2 DC around the ch 2 spaces, (first 2 DC are worked around the last DC you made in round 1.) CH 2, repeat from *. In the corners, work 6 DC. To join the round, work 3 DC into the last corner, slip stitch to the top of the chain 3. 

Round 3: Do not turn, CH 3, work 2 DC into the top of each DC, and 1 DC around the ch 2 spaces. Join with a slip stitch to the top of the chain 3. 

Rounds 4 and 5: Do not turn. CH 3, work 1 DC into the top of each DC, join with a slip st to the starting ch 3. 

Round 6: (picot or small dot border): Do not turn. *CH 3, slip stitch to the first chain. Skip one stitch, slip stitch. Repeat from * around. Join with a slip st to first chain, tie off and weave in all the ends. 

close up crochet shell stitches

If you need further help, I made a YouTube Tutorial for this blanket. Watch below: 

 

Thank you so much for stopping by! We’d love to see if you make the CJ Shell Stitch Blanket. Feel free to join our Daisy Farm Crafters Group on Facebook and post photo. Or, if you are on Instagram, add #daisyfarmcrafts to your public posts and we share into our stories every Sunday. 

Have a beautiful crochet day! 

XO, Tiffany

Click here or on image below for printable pattern

*Stitch Ambassadors for Yarnspirations.com, the home of Caron, Bernat, Paton, Red Heart and Sugar Bush yarn. All yarn provided by them.