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If you are looking for a crochet stitch for a lighter weight blanket – perhaps a gift for baby – this Shelled Cluster Stitch is beautiful!
I love the texture and the weight of this crochet stitch. It is very pretty and similar on both sides. The fabric is solid but with beautiful drape and not as dense as some of the other cluster stitch patterns that are out there. You can work this stitch pattern in a variety of different yarn weights and fibres.
Materials for this Tutorial:
For this tutorial today I will be using a small amount of the Basic Stitch Anti Pilling yarn by Lion Brand. It is a soft worsted weight 100% acrylic yarn. The hook shown in the video below is a 5 mm (H/8) hand carved and hand painted hook by Hand Carved Hooks and Roux Studio. Another favourite is a 5 mm Birchwood Crochet Hook by Rowan Yarn – one of my favourites! However you may use any hook and yarn combination you choose.
Thank you so much for stopping by! If you enjoy the tutorial below, be sure to also check out some of the many other crochet stitch tutorials on my site and pin this for later! You may wish to start with the Crossed Cluster Stitch | How to Crochet.
Shelled Cluster Stitch Crochet Pattern
Stitches and Abbreviations:
Beg CL – Beginning Cluster (ch 2, yo, insert your hook into the 1st stitch, yo and draw up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops on your hook, yo and draw through all the loops on your hook]
Ch – Chain Stitch
CL – Cluster Stitch ([Yo, insert your hook into the stitch indicated, yo and draw up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops on your hook] twice, yo and draw through remaining 3 loops on your hook. Cluster Stitch made.)
CL Shell – Cluster Shell (([CL, ch 2] twice, CL) in the indicated stitch. CL Shell made.)
Dc – Double Crochet
Rpt – Repeat
Sc – Single Crochet Stitch
Sl St – Slip Stitch
V-St – V Stitch ([dc, ch 1, dc] in the indicated st or ch-1 sp. V-st made.)
Yo – Yarn Over
Pattern Notes:
This stitch is worked in rows in this tutorial and it may be worked in one colour or many. I will be working this pattern in a solid colour.
This pattern is written using American crochet terms.
To begin make a slip knot and make a foundation chain. For this stitch you will need a multiple of 8 + 2 stitches for your foundation chain.
For example, ch 34.
Row One:
Sc in the 2nd ch from your hook and into each st across. Ch 2 (counts as the first part of your Beg CL), turn.
Row Two
Beg CL in the 1st st, Ch 2, CL in the same st, *sk the next 3 sts, v-st in the next st, sk the next 3 sts, CL Shell in the next st; Rpt from * across to the final st, (CL, ch 2, CL) in the final st, ch 4 (counts as dc, ch-1), turn.
Row Three:
Dc in the same st, *CL Shell in the next ch-1 sp, v-st in the middle CL of the next CL shell; Rpt from * across, Ch 2 (counts as the start of the next Beg CL), turn.
Row Four:
Beg CL in the 1st st, Ch 2, CL in the same st, *v-st in the middle CL of the next CL shell, CL Shell in the next ch-1 sp; Rpt from * across to the final st, (CL, ch 2, CL) in the final st, ch 4 (counts as dc, ch-1), turn.
And that’s it!
For the rest of the pattern simply repeat rows 3 and 4 for the pattern. Fasten off, weave in your ends.
