Alpaca Afghan 'special stitch' is killing me!

[London Laurie]

Okay so I know the basic stitches and codes but this has me for a loop. It's a shell but it doesn't list its repeats so I think I'm doing it incorrect EVERY time I try it.

Special stitch is ... Shell: in St or sp indicated work (sc, ch3, dc).

Do I do this five times?

 

Within the pattern it reads

Row 2 shell : (see special stitch) in first Af , sk next 2 sc, [shell in next sc, so next 2 sc]

And it continues

Can anyone help me?

[magiccrochetfan]

welcome to the ville!

 

What is the name and location of the pattern?  

[London Laurie]

It is warming trend versatile afghan by Cindy Adams. It's a free pattern

[magiccrochetfan]

http://www.companyscoming.com/craft_books/ideas/16/ link to pattern.

 

I am not really sure what your question is. I don't see anything referring to doing anything five times. The "shell" is just sc, ch3, 2 dc, all made in one spot.

[London Laurie]

I guess what I'm asking is ... Because it is called a shell and I know shells have five double crochets do I do that or is this not a shell and simply a specific stitch.

[crabby rat]

Shells can be five dc stitches, but they can also be nine tr stitches, or whatever the pattern calls a shell...

 

so for this pattern, the special stitch is ... Shell: in St or sp indicated work (sc, ch3, 2dc)

 

sc, ch3, 2dc = shell

 

but that's for this pattern only.

 

[magiccrochetfan]

Just to illustrate what Melani said, that shells come in many varieties, a few examples of different shell sts:  http://crochet.about.com/od/learntocrochet/tp/shell-stitch.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Crochet-Shell-Patterns-Leisure-Arts/dp/1601402066

 

Annies has a pretty good definition:  Three or more sts with or without ch worked in same place that form a fan-look pattern.

https://www.anniescatalog.com/crochet/content.html?content_id=15

[Granny Square]

Holy cow, 280 shells!  but I'm not surprised.  

 

So-called "V" stitches are a subset of shells, there are all sorts of V stitches too and your (sc, ch3, dc) is a V stitch.  V stitches are (x stitches, x chains, x stitches) all in 1 stitch: x can be the same or different number.