Mock Croc, Scallop, or Shell-in-the-Yarn

Shell motifs is to crocheters as seed stitches are to knitters: a basic pattern of stitches that creates a small, textured motif in the finished work. They take little advanced knowledge and make the work go quickly. One of the most popular shell motifs today is the overlapping detached shell, also known as the crocodile stitch.


A similarly-scaled effect can be created in either knit or crochet by varying the number of threads we pick up each time we wrap the yarn over the hook or needle. The difference between this and ruching is that with the scallop stitch, we pick up all of the threads from the working edge through the indicated thread for the current wrap, rather than picking up only the thread of the current wrap. As I noted in a previous post, this will create a variable thickness in the working row; crocheters may need to use a larger hook to get the bulk of multiple working threads through the previous work. Conversely, knitters may need to use a smaller needle to manage working the multiple threads.

Single chain, Shell-in-Yarn, Starbella Flash

The basic method of working scallops is to pick up one additional thread on each stitch (or yarn-over) through the embellished edge, then one fewer thread on each stitch (or yarn-over) until only the working edge remains, and repeat.This works fine in a double or treble crochet and a wide mesh, in which the repeat may only take two or three stitches; it's a bit less obvious in knitting, where the repeat could take as many as twenty stitches.

Six rows knit scallop, Starbella Flash

One method of shortening this is to work with multiples of two, three, or more threads on each stitch.

I brought the pattern forward on the sample at right by working 1, 4, 7. all, 7, 4, 1 threads on an every third row pattern over 20 stitches. I brought all the scallops to the front of the work, and straight ruffles to the back, as follows: R1, 2: knit --start pattern-- R3: knit scallop row R4: knit R5: purl R6: purl scallop row R7: purl R8: knit --end pattern-- The scallops aren't precisely counterposed on this sample — I should have worked over 21 stitches to do perfect three-and-a-half pattern repeats: (1, 4, 7, all, 7, 4 for a six-stitch pattern) A deeper scallop might be achieved by skipping one or more spaces between each yarn-over.

6-row scallop stitch pattern

In crochet, scallops can be sent to one side of the work using the ball front/ball back technique discussed in a previous post.

Technique: Mitered Cast On and Bind Off

One method of hiding the raw edges on ruffle yarn is to work them into the bind on and cast off of a piece.

Casting On

Fold the raw edge diagonally so that the first row of alternate spaces meets the loops formed by Threads 1 and 2.
	Match the loops to the alternate spaces. You may need to pin the openings to a padded board to keep them aligned.
Cast on or chain as usual, keeping the matched openings together.

Finishing Off

As you approach the end of your piece, count out the number of loops you need to bind off and/or finish the final row or round. You should do this when you require one or two loops more than the number of alternate rows on your yarn.

Cut the yarn with two or three loops more than you need to finish your work.

Fold the raw edge diagonally so that the first row of alternate spaces meets the loops formed by Threads 1 and 2. Be sure to make your fold so that the raw edge will end up on the inside of the work, rather than the outside (as I did in following photos).
You may need to transfer the matched loops to a cable needle or other holding needle to keep them in order as you finish the final row.

A third needle keeps the loops-to-be-worked straight

Continue to crochet, or to bind off, as usual. Finish and secure the threads and open loops at the working edge.

A mitered bind-off

Note that if I had folded the raw edge to the other side of the working edge, the raw edges at the top would have been hidden.

Counting Stitches: Alternate Spaces

Some patterns and techniques will require you to make use only of spaces in a pattern that is perpendicular to a particular loop -- say, to create a mitered corner or a traditional (bent at 45-degree angles) ribbon rose.
Depending upon whether your spaces are to start, you would use either the spaces defined by the capital letters below, or the spaces defined by the lower-case letters.



Or, in the theme we discussed earlier, usually the odd-numbered spaces, but occasionally the even-numbered ones.

Binding Off

Because ruffle yarns are looser than standard yarns, a typical bind-off will appear very tight. While this is fine (even desirable) for The Scarf, it's less useful if you are using ruffle yarn for the fancy edge of a garment.

The method that seems to work for Sashay is:
(k1, slip the knit stitch back to the left needle),repeat, k2 tog, (slip the knit stitch back to the left needle, ((k1, slip the knit stitch back to the left needle), repeat, k2tog)), repeat until only one stitch remains.

This is basically knitting each stitch twice before knitting it together with the next stitch. As you can see from the photo, this leaves a pretty straight edge, though there's still a bit of tightness to it.

A variation of the more standard bind-off (k1, (sl1, pass knit stitch over sl st, knit slipped stitch), repeat) had me knitting the same Sashay stitch three times before binding off


A larger mesh, such as Starbella, may require knitting each stitch three or four times before binding it off by knitting it with (or slipping it over) the following stitch.

Design Note:

The curvature of the traditional bind-off (knit each stitch once before slipping it over the next stitch) can also be used to create a collar (see this section of Premier Yarns' Cascading Ruffles scarf) that lays flat on the neck and shoulders, an armhole trim, or other curved trimming.

Starting Work: Knitting

Casting On

After preparing the yarn, unroll a foot or two so that the working edge is at the top, and the free edge is at the bottom.

Raw edge, Starbella Flash (Premier Yarns)

Fold over the raw edge between the second and third loops so that the second and first loops exactly overlay the third and fourth loops.

Raw edge has been folded over, matching loops

Sashay (Red Heart Boutique)

Slip the first double loop of the working edge over the left knitting needle (if you knit right-handed) from back to front if you work English or Continental, or from back to front if you work Eastern.

Casting on the first stitch

Slip the second double-loop over the needle (this should bring the raw edge closer to the middle of the work.

The second stitch

Slip the first single loop (the third loop from the folded edge) over the needle. Continue until you have slipped as many loops over the needle as the number of stitches you need to cast on.

A short row of cast-on stitches

The First Row

Note how Flaunt is kept tensioned and untwisted to start the row.

Hold the yarn spread-out and flat, draped from front to back over your index finger, using your thumb and second or third fingers to tension the yarn and stretch the spaces made by threads 1 and 2 (or on a ribbon yarn such as Red Heart Boutique Ribbons, between the working-edge thread and the ribbon).

Sashay tensioned for knitting

Insert the right needle through the first stitch as usual. Use the right needle to pick up thread 1 (the working edge) of the ball yarn from the nearest unworked loop. Complete the stitch as usual.

Starbella Flash tensioned for knitting

Repeat to the end of the row, treating the loops of the folded-over edge together with the loops of yarn with which they were matched for the initial cast-on.

Finishing the first row: work in the folded-over edge

Turn the work so that the stitches are on the left needle (if you knit right-handed, or the right needle if you knit left-handed), being careful not to twist the yarn.

The Second Row

Knit (or purl) as usual.

Flaunt after three rows.
Note how the ribbon nests over each previous row.

Sashay has been kept untwisted through multiple rows

A tip about knitting needles: If you expect to have to put your work down for any reason, you will need to make sure that your stitches don't fall off either the back or the tip of the needle, as well as making sure that threads other than the working thread don't loop over either end of the needle and confuse your stitch count. One way to do this is to make a set of four hardboard or foam core disks, about 1.25" (3 cm) in diameter, with center holes just large enough to fit your needles through. Thread one disk to the back of each needle before casting on; put one at the end of work on each needle before putting it down. Another method is to knit on round needles, and bind the two needle ends together.

A hardboard disk keeps stitches from slipping off the back end

Loops, Threads, Holes, and Spaces

The next thing we need to learn about ruffle yarns is how to refer to their internal structure.

When we look at ruffle yarns, we often look at them like we looked at sewing cards as children -- that is, we see specific holes into which we are supposed to insert our knitting needles and crochet hooks to make a scarf, shawl, or fancy trim.

Depending on who you talk to and the type of ruffle yarn you are talking about, these holes may be called "loops", "spaces", or "holes". Specifically, since fabric-based ruffle yarns have regular round holes punched in the manufacture of the yarn, the place-to-put-your-needle is very definitely a hole.

Tecido Trico (Sky Blue) by Knitting Fever

Most ruffle yarns are constructed several mutiple-ply threads that are connected to each other at evenly spaced intervals, alternating between the left-neighbor and right-neighbor threads.

Starbella by Premier Yarns

For ease of navigation, I propose numbering these threads, starting from the working edge, like thus:

Sashay by Red Heart

Starbella Flash by Premier Yarns

Most patterns for working ruffle yarns ask the needleworker to work with the portions of the working edge between its connections to Thread 2, asking her to place her needle through the "loop" or "space" created between two adjacent connections.  

My next post will deal with describing the yarn across its width.