How to Crochet Lace Shell Stitch Scarf

A while ago I found a photo of a stunning RAINBOW DRESS. It looked crochet with lace weight yarn. I wondered how they made it but was disappointed when it led me to one of these spam sites with just images and no patterns or information on how to get the pattern. Looking closer at the image I realized it was AI generated, and so I’d to come up with my own pattern to make it!

I started keeping an eye out for shell and scallop stitch combinations. I wanted shells that were inline, like a ripple blanket, but big and pronounced. Also I wanted more gaps so it looked like lace.

Anyway, I saw this lace shell chart during my regular Facebook doom scrolling and thought I’d give it a go.

I found it a little tricky to follow, and also wanting to make it my own, I played around with it and came up with a simpler, easier to follow version.

This pattern is a twelve stitch repeat and has 4 rows for each shell. I pulled out a skein of Lion Brand Mandala String in Beats from my yarn stash and set about making this soft and light lacey scarf. I made it 4 shells wide and kept going until the skein was gone.

I’ve included the pattern at the end of this blog post. There’s also a video tutorial too.

I hope you enjoy it!

An ad-free PDF of this pattern is available to buy on RAVELRY and ETSY

Lace Shell Scarf Free Crochet Pattern

Brighten your outfit with this colorful light weight crochet scarf.

This pattern can easily be customized for your preferred size and length. It’s a simple four row repeat and works up quickly and easily.

You are welcome to sell the items you make with this pattern, but please give me, Krazy Kabbage, a mention in your sales listing and provide a link to my website www.krazykabbage.com.

Lion Brand Mandala String (super fine; 100% acrylic) in beats. 350 yards.

You will need crochet hook size G – 4.0mm and a yarn needle to weave in ends.

Gauge: 20 single crochet x 26 rows = 4″.

This pattern uses US terminology.

Stitches and Terms Used: Chain (ch), single crochet (sc), double crochet (dc)

Construction: This pattern is a 4-row repeat.

This scarf can be made wider or narrower by adding or subtracting a multiple of 12 from the foundation chain.

The length can be altered by changing the number of rows.

Start here

Ch 51 (12×4=48, plus 3)

Row 1: Starting in 3rd ch from hk, dc in each ch across. (49 dc) Ch 2 and turn.

Row 2: Sc in top of 3rd dc. [Ch 2, skip 3, 5dc in 4th, ch 2, skip 3, sc in 4th, ch 4, skip 3, sc in 4th] 3 times. Ch 2, skip 3, 5dc in 4th, ch 2, skip 3, sc in 4th. Skip the last 2 and dc in turning ch space. Ch 2 and turn.

Row 3: *Working across shell: dc and ch 1 in each of the 5dcs. Ch 2 after 5th dc, sc in ch 4 space, ch 2. Rep from * after last dc do not ch 2. Dc in turning ch space. Ch 2 and turn.

Row 4: Skip first dc, [dc in dc, ch 2] 5 times do not ch 2 between shells. Dc in turning ch space. Ch 2 and turn.

Row 5: 3 dc in each ch 2 space across. Dc in turning ch space. (49 dc) Ch 2 and turn.

Repeat from row 2.