Blended Arrows Stitch

A while back, I was Christmas shopping and ran across a crochet book.  I flipped through it, and was generally unimpressed, but I did see one afghan pattern that was interesting.  I decided not to buy the book because out of dozens of patterns only one was something I'd want and it was over twenty dollars.  Earlier this week, I recalled the pattern and decided to try it out as I remembered it.  The first attempt was a disaster.  There was no way that I would make an entire blanket in the simplistic way the pattern called for, but I liked the overall look, so I got out some paper and figured out a way to make it work.  I have since tried to find the original pattern, but I don't remember enough about the source to find it.  I don't even know the name of the book or of the pattern.

In any case, the idea of long stitches to blend colors together has merit.  There are myriad ways to arrange them to make interesting patterns.  This particular one is more complicated than other options, but it's a starting spot.

Some modifications you could try are to skip rows 7-12, which would change the shape of the arrows (to something non-arrow-like) and have them all go in one direction, or to expand it to having lsc7, with an extra row of sc and ch 1 sp, which would make the arrows change direction on their own.

This stitch is one I would normally avoid: it's slower than sc, complicated, and uses up so much yarn.  I'm surprised that I like this stitch so much because it doesn't do anything that I normally like stitches to do, and I would not recommend this stitch pattern for beginners or for something you want to work up quickly and easily.  However, I'm loving how this is turning out.  The overall effect reminds me a little of how quilts feel because it's so solid and the complicated rows fold down the simple rows, making it thicker there, basically at a seam.  So far, I've spent about 20 hours, 4 skeins of I Love this Yarn, and have only gotten about 18" of fabric.  I guess I was just up for a challenge.

Color Pattern:
Use one color for first 5 rows, then change colors every 6 rows.  Change colors at row 6, 12, 18, etc

Stitch Definitions:
lsc2= long single crochet into ch 1 sp 2 rows below
lsc3= long single crochet into ch 1 sp 3 rows below
lsc4= long single crochet into ch 1 sp 4 rows below
lsc5= long single crochet into ch 1 sp 5 rows below
lsc6= long single crochet into ch 1 sp 6 rows below

Note: st = stitch, which can be sc, ch 1 sp, or one of the long sc

Chain a multiple of 6 + 3
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, [ch 1, sk 1, sc in next 5 ch] across, sc in last 6 ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc in first 5 st, [ch 1, sk 1, sc in next 5 st] across, sc in last 2 st
Row 3: ch 1, turn, sc in first 3 st, [ch 1, sk 1, sc in next 5 st] across, sc in last 4 st
Row 4: ch 1, turn, sc in first 3 st, [ch 1, sk 1, sc in next 5 st] across, sc in last 4 st
Row 5: ch 1, turn, sc in first 5 st, [ch 1, sk 1, sc in next 5 st] across, sc in last 2 st

Row 6: ch 1, turn, sc in first sc, [sc, lsc2, lsc3, lsc4, lsc5, lsc6] across, sc in last st

Row 7:   ch 1, turn, sc in first 6 st, [ch 1, sk 1, sc in next 5 ch] across, sc in last 1 st
Row 8:   ch 1, turn, sc in first 2 st, [ch 1, sk 1, sc in next 5 st] across, sc in last 5 st
Row 9:   ch 1, turn, sc in first 4 st, [ch 1, sk 1, sc in next 5 st] across, sc in last 3 st
Row 10: ch 1, turn, sc in first 4 st, [ch 1, sk 1, sc in next 5 st] across, sc in last 3 st
Row 11: ch 1, turn, sc in first 2 st, [ch 1, sk 1, sc in next 5 st] across, sc in last 5 st

Row 12: ch 1, turn, sc in first sc, [lsc6, lsc5, lsc4, lsc3, lsc2, sc] across, sc in last st

Row 13:  ch 1, turn, sc in first 1 st, [ch 1, sk 1, sc in next 5 ch] across, sc in last 6 st

Repeat Rows 2-13 for pattern, ending with either row 7 or 13

Modified Shell Stitch Summary

We've reached the end of the shell stitch series and I for one am glad.  Since most of these stitches are very similar, it wasn't all that interesting to do, and I'm guessing, not all that interesting to read.  However, I did find some great stitches through this process that I otherwise wouldn't have tried.  The best find in this series was 10001.  Basically, all of the palindromic stitches are worth looking at, and some of the others are neat too.  Here's how it all panned out:

00000 : open, lacy, stretchy
00001 & 10000 : grid of single/double thick squares, worth a look
00010 & 01000 : complex mesh, quintessential crochet
00011 & 11000 : neat: thick vertical columns separated by open triangles
00100 : grid of triangles you can diagram and fill in like fillet crochet
00101 & 10100 : vertical columns of triangles, filled and open, good for scarves
00110 & 01100 : thin vertical columns, simple and boring
00111 & 11100 : like Stitch 2 from Darla Sim's book
01001 & 10010 : lacy network, surprisingly pretty, good for scarves
01010 : light, simple, and easy, good for scarves and baby blankets
01011 & 11010 : small holes, not really interesting
01101 & 10110 : pretty, but nothing special
01110 : twin vertical columns, simple, lacy, and elegant
01111 & 11110 : solid and boring
10001 : awesome, grid of double thick squares, try it!
10011 & 11001 : interesting, diagonal line of holes through fabric
10101 : nice, you can actually see the stitches, will reuse
10111 & 11101 : solid and boring
11011 : solid, and easy, uses less yarn and is almost indistinguishable from the original
11111 : original shell stitch

An explanation of how to read these stitches is in the introduction to this series, here.

Shell Stitch 11011

We've finally made it!  This is the last stitch in the variations on shell stitches series: stitch 11011.  I think this stitch is even easier to do than the original simple shell stitch because it is so obvious where to put your single crochet.  When I first started making shell stitches, a couple of years ago, I had some trouble deciding which one was the middle dc, but this clears all of that up.  You simply sc in the only space available.  This stitch looks virtually identical to the original, but it does use less yarn, so if running out of yarn is potentially going to be an issue, consider using this stitch instead. 

Here's the stitch pattern:
Stitch 11011:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, 3 dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc] in sc, sc in ch 1 sp) across, 3 dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern


Here's the baby blanket pattern:
Chain  95, then work stitch 11011 until work is square.  Add this border and you're done:
Round 1: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 2: dc around, 5 dc in corner
Round 3: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 4: (sc, ch 3, sk 1) around, (sc, ch 3, sc in same stitch) at corner

I made this with Lion Brand Pound of Love in Honey Bee with a J hook.

Shell Stitches 10111 and 11101

Well, we're nearing the end of this little experiment in shell stitches.  Today's offering includes 10111 (green) and 11101 (purple) are very solid and don't look very different from the original simple shell stitch.  There's nothing wrong with the stitches, but there's also nothing special with them either.  I don't think I'll reuse them, because there are so many other stitches available.

Stitch 10111:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [3 dc, ch 1, dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, 3 dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([3 dc, ch 1, dc] in sc, sc in dc after ch 1 space) across, 3 dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 11101:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [dc, ch 1, 3 dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([dc, ch 1, 3 dc] in sc, sc in dc before ch 1 space) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Shell Stitch 10101

I knew intuitively that this stitch would be good.  It has the same appearance as a normal shell stitch except you can actually see the individual stitches.  That alone makes it beautiful.  From a little further back, you can see the seemingly intricate network created by the stitch.  I like it because it is consistently solid throughout without being completely solid, if that makes any sense.  It's not a really dense stitch, but it is evenly covered, with no large holes.   I tested this out by making a baby blanket from it, which turned out great. 

Here's the stitch pattern:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc] in sc, sc in middle dc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern 

And here's the baby blanket pattern:
Chain 95, then work stitch 10101 until work is square.
Add this border to complete it:
Round 1: sc around, 3 sc in each corner
Round 2: dc around, 5 dc in each corner
Round 3: sc around, 3 sc in each corner
Round 4: (sc, ch 3, sk 1) around, (sc, ch 3, sc in same stitch) at corner

I made this with Bernat Baby Peach Blossom and a J hook. 

Shell Stitches 10011 and 11001

Continuing the shell stitch series, here are stitches 10011 (blue) and 11001 (green).  This pair of stitches looks neat because of the diagonal lines of holes throughout the fabric.  They are practically the same but for the edges.  Once again, I prefer the more solid edging of 10011.

Stitch 10011:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [2 dc, ch 2, dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, 3 dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([2 dc, ch 2, dc] in sc, sc in ch 2 sp) across, 3 dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 11001:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [dc, ch 2, 2 dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([dc, ch 2, 2 dc] in sc, sc in ch 2 sp) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Shell Stitch 10001

This variation is my favorite so far because it looks really neat, is really easy to do, and is distinctly different from all the rest.  Going through all of these stitches was worth it just to learn this stitch.  The fabric is a grid of square holes surrounded with two strands on all sides.  Since first trying out this stitch, I've made several scarves out of this stitch.  It's ideal for scarves because it's a little bit stretchy due to crocheting into spaces, which makes it more comfortable, but still solid enough to be warm.  If you're going to make a scarf, chaining 23 works great.

Without further ado:
Stitch 10001:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [dc, ch 3, dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([dc, ch 3, dc] in sc, sc in ch 3 space) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Shell Stitches 01111 and 11110

The next entries in this series are stitches 01111 (brown) and 11110 (maroon).  These are so similar to the simple shell stitch, that there is little point in using them.  However, the maroon version does have some noticeable holes, particularly at the ends.  For this reason, I prefer the maroon version over the brown version.  The holes are the only thing that makes this at all interesting, and even then, it's still not that interesting.

Anyway, here they are:

Stitch 01111:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, 4 dc in next ch, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, 3 dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (4 dc in sc, ch 1, sc in 2nd dc) across, 3 dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 11110:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, 4 dc in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, 4 dc in sc, sc in 3rd dc) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Shell Stitches 01101 and 10110

It's been a while since the last shell stitch post, and I really want to finish this, so here's the next one: stitches 01101 and 10110.  These are both easy to do, and, in my opinion, pretty.  I prefer the purple version (01101) to the green version (10110) because the edges are more consistent with the bulk of the work. 

Stitch 01101:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [dc, ch 1, 2 dc] in next ch, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([dc, ch 1, 2 dc] in sc, ch 1, sc in dc before ch 1 space) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last sc
Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 10110:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, [2 dc, ch 1, dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, [2 dc, ch 1, dc] in sc, sc in dc after ch 1 space) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last sc
Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Shell Stitch 01110

 This was actually one of the first stitches I tried out back in July.  I finished the baby blanket, then put it aside because it would be a while til it came up.  Unfortunately, I lost track of it and had failed to photograph it.  I was getting ready to just make a swatch so I could post again when I found it!  So, here it is, in all its glory. 

Here's the stitch pattern:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, 3 dc in next ch, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, [ch 1,  2 dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, 3 dc in sc, ch 1, sc in ch 1 space) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern 

And here's the baby blanket pattern:
Chain 95, then work the above stitch until it is square. 
Last row: ch 1, turn, sc in first 2 dc, (hdc in ch 1 sp, hdc in sc, hdc in ch 1, sp, sc in next 3 dc) across, hdc in last ch 1 sp, hdc in last sc

Border:
Round 1: sc around, 3 sc in each corner
Round 2: dc around, 5 dc in each corner
Round 3: sc around, 3 sc in each corner
Round 4: (sc, ch 3, sk 1) around, (sc, ch 3, sc in same stitch) at corner

I made this with Baby Bee Sweet Delight Pomp Iris Dream yarn and a J hook.

Shell Stitches 01011 and 11010

Well, here we go with the next modified shell stitches: 01011 (blue) and 11010 (green).  There's nothing wrong with these stitches, but there's really nothing special about them either.  I doubt that I will use these again because there are so many other stitches out there that are great.  In this case, I actually prefer the less solid edge version (green) because the gaps are what makes this at all interesting. 

In any case, here are the patterns:
Stitch 01011:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [2 dc, ch 1, dc] in next ch, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, 3 dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([2 dc, ch 1, dc] in sc, ch 1, sc in ch 1 space) across, 3 dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 11010:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, [dc, ch 1, 2 dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, [dc, ch 1, 2 dc] in sc, sc in ch 1 space) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Shell Stitch 01010

So, this stitch is fairly open because there is a chain between every stitch.  This is a particularly mindless stitch because of the regularity of the chains.  It's a good balance between solid and lacy.  Scarves or baby blankets out of this stitch would be pretty. 

Anyway, here's the pattern:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, [dc, ch 1, dc] in next ch, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, [ch 1,  2 dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, [dc, ch 1, dc] in sc, ch 1, sc in ch 1 space) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern 

Shell Stitches 01001 and 10010

Moving on to the next pair of stitches in the series: we have stitches 01001 (blue) and 10010 (green).  Both stitches are easy to work, and give a lacy look.  I prefer the blue version (01001) because the edges are more in line with the rest of the work.  I was actually surprised by how much I like this stitch.  It's lacy, but still mostly filled in.  It looks much more complicated than it actually is, but it still manages to look neat and tidy.  The green version is also pretty, but I really like the blue one.  I will probably use this stitch in the future to make scarves. 

Here are the stitch patterns:
Stitch 01001:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [dc, ch 2, dc] in next ch, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([dc, ch 2, dc] in sc, ch 1, sc in ch 2 space) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 10010:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, [dc, ch 2, dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, [ch 1,  2 dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, [dc, ch 2, dc] in sc, sc in ch 2 space) across, [ch 1, 2 dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern 

Shell Stitches 00111 and 11100

These next stitches are very reminiscent of Stitch 2 from Darla Sim's book.  There are solid vertical columns separated by diagonal chains.  Stitches 00111 (pink) and 11100 (gray) are simple to do, and look interesting.  Honestly though, I don't intend to use these stitches again because I prefer Stitch 2.  It's like an optimized version of these modified shell stitches.  If you don't have the book, then this is an option.  Of these two stitches I predictably like the 00111 (pink) version because of the solid edges.

Well, here they are:
Stitch 00111:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, 3 dc in next ch, ch 2, sk 2, sc) across, 3 dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (3 dc in sc, ch 2, sc in first dc) across, 3 dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 11100:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 2, sk 2, 3 dc in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, (ch 2, dc) in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 2, 3 dc in sc, sc in third dc) across, (ch 2, dc) in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Shell Stitches 00110 and 01100

It's that time of year! Time for craft fairs!  Which means that I've been working on building up an inventory of things I think will sell.  So I've made probably 20 of the Half Lace Shawls in the past month, along with probably a dozen curly scarves.  All this means, that I haven't really made much that is post worthy recently, though I have been very productive crochet-wise.  

Anyway, I decided I needed to post again, so I took some time out and tried out the next stitches in the Modified Shell stitch series: stitch 00110 (blue) and stitch 01100 (green).  There is very little difference in the two stitches; the only notable one is that the blue one has 2 dc at the end of each row, and the green one has only 1.  Also, when working the blue stitch, sc in the first dc, and when working the green stitch, sc in the second dc.  Other than that, they're identical, and pretty easy to do.  They both have columns ascending vertically throughout the work. 

Here are the patterns:
Stitch 00110:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, 2 dc in next ch, ch 2, sk 2, sc) across, 2 dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, 2 dc in sc, ch 2, sc in first dc) across, 2 dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 01100:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 2, sk 2, 2 dc in next ch, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, (ch 2, dc) in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 2, 2 dc in sc, ch 1, sc in second dc) across, (ch 2, dc) in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern 

Shell Stitches 00101 and 10100

It's been a bit crazy recently because I was moving.  Now that the move is complete, I can actually crochet and blog again, so here goes.  We have here on the left, the purple, stitch 00101, and on the right, the red, stitch 10100.  Once again, the yarn choice affects the look of the stitch.  Regardless, the overall effect of the stitches are the same: they create columns of partially filled in triangles mixed with columns of completely open triangles.  As before, I prefer stitch 00101 over 10100 because of the more filled in edges.

Here's how to do these stitches:
Stitch 00101:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, [dc, ch 1, dc] in next ch, ch 2, sk 2, sc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, ([dc, ch 1, dc] in sc, ch 2, sk dc, sc in dc) across, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 10100:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, ch 2, [dc, ch 1, dc] in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, (ch 2, dc) in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 2, [dc, ch 1, dc] in sc, sk dc, sc in dc) across, (ch 2, dc) in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern 

Open Hexagons Stitch

So, in my last post,  I observed that there are hexagons in fabric made with stitch 00100.  I decided to diagram it and figure out how it would end up.  That diagram is pictured to the right.  Note that the written pattern had to be tweeked a bit when I actually worked the pattern.  That was merely the first draft, but I thought y'all might want to see it.  It occurred to me as I was working on this, that this is similar to filet crochet.  There is a grid where you can have holes or fill them in to create a pattern.  This is simply a different grid, made up out of triangles.  In this case, filled in means 3 dc, and holes are just a ch 2 and a dc.  Unlike traditional filet crochet, diagonal edges are inherent in the grid.  To make patterns this way, I'd recommend using a more precise grid than I did.

In any case, I tried out this pattern and this is the result:  It is a pretty solid fabric done this way.  It would be a simple matter to make the inverse of this pattern: filling in the holes, and opening up the solid portions.  That might make the hexagons more readily apparent. 

Here's the complete pattern:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 2
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, 5 dc in next ch, sk 2, sc) across
Row 2: ch 3, turn, 2 dc in first sc, sk 2, (sc in dc, ch 2, sk 2, dc in sc, ch 2 sk 2, sc, sk 2, 5 dc) across, 3 dc in last sc
Row 3: ch 1, turn, sc in dc, (sk 2, 3 dc in sc, ch 2 , sk 2, sc, ch 2, sk 2, 3 dc, sk 2, sc) across, sc in last dc
Row 4: repeat Row 2
Row 5: ch 1, turn, sc in dc, (sk 2, 5 dc in sc, sk 2, sc in dc) across, sc in last dc
Row 6: ch 3, turn, 2 dc in first sc, (sk 2, sc in dc, sk 2, 5 dc in sc, sk 2, sc in dc, ch 2, sk 2, dc in sc, ch 2) across, 3 dc in last sc
Row 7: ch 1, turn, sc in dc, sk 2, 5 dc in sc, (sk 2, sc in dc, sk 2, 3 dc in sc, ch 2, sk 2, sc in dc, ch 2, sk 2, 3 dc in sc) across, sc in last dc
Row 8 : repeat Row 6
Row 9: repeat Row 5

Repeat Rows 2-9 for pattern, ending with either row 5 or row 9.

Here's a simplification of the pattern:
Row 1: shell across

Row 2: (filled, open) across
Row 3: repeat Row 2
Row 4: repeat Row 2
Row 5: shell across
Row 6: filled, (filled, open) across
Row 7:  repeat Row 6

Row 8 : repeat Row 6
Row 9: repeat Row 5

Quick definitions
Filled means either (sc, 5 dc, sc) for even rows or (3 dc, sc, 3 dc) for odd rows
Open means either (sc, ch 2, dc, ch 2, sc) for even rows or (ch 2, sc, ch 2) for odd rows
Shell and Filled are the same

Shell Stitch 00100

This stitch is probably the most commonly used of the variations, though it is probably not thought of as a shell stitch.  This is basically the backbone of the shell stitch: any stitch that wouldn't be crocheted into on the next row is replaced with a chain.   It's a lacy look, but also well defined.  You don't have to work a stitch in a space at any time.  The result is vertical stripes and diagonal lines.  It creates hexagons, which could be useful.  Imagine a swatch of simple shell stitch, with this variation used to put a hexagon in.  I'd have to diagram it to make sure I get it right, but it'd be neat looking.

So here's the pattern:
Stitch 00100:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 2, sk 2, dc, ch 2, sk 2, sc) across, dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 2, dc in sc, ch 2, sc in dc) across, dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Shell Stitches 00011 and 11000

I'm back from vacation, and it was a great one!  Here's the next installment in this series consisting of stitches 00011 and 11000.  I worked these with different yarns and they came out looking remarkably different.  The purple yarn I used for 00011 was thinner, softer, and somewhat stretchy, so the definition of the stitch was lost to some degree.  The only difference should be the edges, like in previous stitches.  00011 has more solid edges than 11000.  The brown one is made from I Love this Yarn, which lets you see the zigzagging stripes inherent in the stitch.  I like both of the stitches, neither was particularly difficult or awkward.  I prefer the finished look of the brown one, but I think that is just due to the yarn I used.  Yarn choice does matter!  I like the more solid edges of 00011. 

 

Anyway, here's how to do these:

Stitch 00011:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, 2 dc in next ch, ch 3, sk 2, sc) across, 3 dc in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (2 dc in sc, ch 3, sc in ch 3 sp) across, 3 dc in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 11000:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (sk 2, ch 3, 2 dc in next ch, sk 2, sc) across, (ch 2, dc) in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 3, 2 dc in sc, sc in ch 3 sp) across, (ch 2, dc) in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern 

 

Shell Stitches 00010 and 01000

Here's the next installment in the series: 00010 and 01000!  These two stitches are very similar to each other, almost identical.  Even the edges are not very different.  Even working the stitch feels the same for both.  It's simply a matter of the location of the ch 3 vs the ch 1 spaces.  Neither feels unnatural, so either works well.  I prefer 01000, the brown one, by a slim margin because the edge has an extra dc, making it thicker.  The general feel of the stitch is a complex mesh.  It's an interesting look that is quintessential crochet.

Here's how to do this:
Stitch 00010:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 2, dc, ch 3, sk 2, sc) across, (ch 1, 2 dc) in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 1, dc in sc, ch 3, sc in ch 3 sp) across, (ch 1, 2 dc) in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern

Stitch 01000:
Chain a multiple of 6 + 5
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (ch 3, sk 2, dc, ch 1, sk 2, sc) across, (ch 2, dc) in last ch
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc, (ch 3, dc in sc, ch 1, sc in ch 3 sp) across, (ch 2, dc) in last sc

Repeat Row 2 for pattern