Retro Shell Shawl

Hello, I call this my retro shell shawl because I’ve been making it since the early
70s, when I was about 13 years old. I expect I had a pattern for it once, maybe,
but it has been changed and adapted and forgotten and re-worked-out and
remade so many times since then I’m sure it’s mine now. I made one for a friend,
then was asked for another by another friend, then made myself one, then said
yes, I’d make more if people bought me the yarn, then started charging to make
them! Over the years I must have made dozens, they go out of fashion and come
back in and I find one, wear it and it starts again. Recently I dug one out, worked
out a pattern again, made some and here it is for you to try. Enjoy.

If you like, make it finer or chunkier – just change the number of repeats to get a
size that works for you.

Pattern Overview:

It’s a shell pattern over three rows, getting one shell smaller each time as you
come in half a shell each side every repeat. I write in UK terms – US terms are
different.

Finished size: About 120cm (48”) wide at the top by 46cm (19”) middle of top
edge through the shawl to the tip PLUS the fringe.
Difficulty level:

You need to be able to do a chain, an sc, a dc, and a double treble (dtr) crochet
stitch. See abbreviations, below.

Materials :

100g of any standard DK will JUST do it, including the fringes. If when you go to
make the fringes you find you don’t have quite enough for the number of wraps,
use a slightly smaller thing to wrap around so you get enough lengths of yarn.

Hooks: 4.5mm/US 7 crochet hook – plus a yarn needle to work in the ends.

Tension: One pattern repeat to measure about 9cm, 3.5” by 6cm, 2.5” high, but it
doesn’t really matter!
Abbreviations:
Ch, ch – chain

Sc, sc – single crochet, also sometimes called slip stitch – pull a loop through the
next stitch on the previous row, then directly through the loop on your hook.

Dc, dc – double crochet

Tr, tr – treble crochet

Dtr, dtr – double treble – like a treble, but with two wraps on the hook before you
pull a loop through the stitch below, then yarn round and through two loops,
repeat until you have only one loop left and you are ready for the next stitch.

Cluster of 4dtr – Make a dtr as above in the next stitch, then in the same stitch
make another in the same place LEAVING THE LAST LOOP ON THE HOOK
three more times, so you have four dtr stitches together that are not quite
finished, then yarn round and pull through all four loops on the hook to complete
the cluster. In this pattern, you will make two clusters in the same place, with a
bit of chain between them.

Method:
Base : Ch. 198. This gives 14 shells of pattern. For a larger shawl, add multiples
of 14 chains, but remember you will need more yarn.

Row 1 : 1 dc in 2nd ch from hook, 3dc, *miss 3ch, (ch, dtr) x 5 in next ch, ch, miss
3ch, 7dc, repeat from * to last 7 ch, miss 3ch, 4 dc.

Row 2 : ch1, 1dc, *ch1, (dtr, ch3) into each of the first 5 spaces in the shell on the
prev. row, (dtr, ch1) into the last space, dc in middle one of the 7dc on prev. row,
rep from * ending in last dc of 4 instead of middle of 7.

Row 3 : (sc ch sc ch) in first space, miss dtr (sc ch sc ch) miss dtr, sc,ch (you have
now worked up the side of a shell to the middle space) 2dc in middle, dc in dtr, dc
in next space, *ch4, miss next dtrs to the dc, cluster of 4dtr in dc, ch4, cluster of
4dtr in SAME dc, ch4, dc in third 3ch space of next shell, dc in dtr, 3dc in next
space, dc in dtr, dc in next space, rep from *, end dc in next space, dc in dtr, 2dc
in next space.

Row 4 : ch1, 4dc, 3ch, *(ch, dtr) x 5 in ch space between clusters, ch, 7 dc in dcs,
repeat from * to last cluster, 4dc in last 4 dc.

Repeat rows 2-4 until finished (it gets one pattern smaller each repeat).
Add tassels: Find something about 14cm (5.5”) wide - a paperback book or a
small tablet (computer kind, I mean) for example, I use my Kindle. Wrap yarn
around it - not too tight, don’t stretch it - to make 74 wraps, and cut down one
side to make that number of pieces of yarn. Take two pieces, fold in half over
your hook and put your hook through the gap at the tip of your shawl. Use the
hook to pull the four ends through the loop made by the doubled strands, around
this part of the shawl, and pull firmly. If you have a latch hook you could use
that, it’s just like making a stitch in a latch hook rug. Repeat this at the two
starting corners and both ends of each row 4. Then fill in the gaps by putting
another tassel half way between each of the ones you've already added - see
photo.