If you are a beginner at crocheting and are thinking about how to finish a shell crochet blanket, you can finish it off with a border by doing a straight edge.
This article will help you learn about how to give your rectangle shell blanket a straight edge and many more crochet-related problems.
How To Finish A Shell Crochet Blanket Using Different Kinds Of Shell Stitches
Before diving straight into finishing your shell crochet blanket, it’s better to know its variations first.
We enumerated three kinds of shell stitches for you:
The Five Double Crochet Shell Stitch
As its name implies, this shell stitch is made up of five double crochets. You will work later on how to finish shells made out of these stitches.
They are commonly used in shawls and rectangle blankets.
Chain Stitches
In this type of shell stitch, the middle stitch is replaced by a chain stitch. This creates a V-stitch variation.
They can be used in shawls, as well as cardigans for babies.
Across Multiple Stitches
Most crochet shells are made out of a set of stitches done in the same stitch.
However, some shells are done with working stitches of varying heights and across multiple stitches.
You mostly see these on the shell border.
How To Give Your Rectangle Shell Blanket A Straight Edge
After learning about the variations of shell stitches, we now focus on how to do a straight edge border on your rectangle shell blanket.
Step #1. Prepare your materials
Make sure you have your blanket, a crochet hook, your yarn of choice, scissors, and a sewing needle.
You will use the sewing needle to sew in the ends.
Step #2. Chain one
In this scenario, your shells have five double crochets because it’s a rectangle blanket.
You need to join your yarn in the third double crochet of one of the side shells. This will be your chain one.
Do single crochet on the same stitch. In the next stitch, do another single crochet. Then, in the third stitch, do a half double crochet.
Step #3. Double crochet
In the single crochet between the shells, do a double crochet.
To do this, you pull your yarn over, insert your hook. Then, grab your yarn and pull up a loop.
Yarn it over again and pull the first two loops. Yarn over, then pull through the second two loops.
Step #4. Half double crochet
For the next stitch, do a half double crochet.
Yarn over, then insert your hook. Grab your yarn and pull a loop. You have three loops on your hook.
Yarn over the three loops
Step #5. Single crochet
For the next stitches, do a single crochet into each stitch.
Do three single crochet stitches into each stitch. At the end of the shell, do a half double crochet.
Then, do a double crochet on the single crochet in between the shells.
Take note that you have to do three single crochets for each shell.
Step #6. Valley set
Whenever you encounter the sides and the middle of the shells, you have to do the half double, double, and half double crochet, respectively.
You do half double crochet for the sides and double crochet for the middle.
Step #7. Continue the set until corners
Continue doing step #5 and Step #6 along the edge of the blanket until you reach the corner.
When you get to the corner, do three single crochet on the corner shell.
Do the half double crochet on the side, then double crochet in the middle.
However, as you do the double crochet, you are to create a chain two.
Then, do another double crochet on that same stitch. This is to round the corner.
After that, proceed into doing a half double crochet on the side.
Step #8. The end
Continue doing the three single crochets, the valley set, and the round corners until you reach the end.
In the end, you have to do a slip stitch to join the stitches. You can proceed to add stitches to the border again or leave it be.
It’s entirely up to you!
Why is my crochet blanket not straight?
Most beginners would find that their crochet projects look uneven, and this may be because you have a varying number of stitches on your rows.
In doing stitches for borders, it wouldn’t be surprising to have mishaps along the way.
These mishaps will then lead to an uneven blanket. Hence, the easiest thing to do is to pay attention to the number of your stitches.
Carefully look where you put your first stitch or if you put two stitches in one place. Simply counting your stitches goes a long way!
Conclusion
It’s not easy learning about how to finish a shell crochet blanket. We bet it wasn’t easy to get started on your crochet blanket in the first place, either.
However, you pulled through and learned more about the art of crocheting in the process.
Just remember that while doing your crochet project, count your stitches and enjoy the process.