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Shell Centerpiece (1915): vintage crochet pattern
A 32-inch centerpiece of round medallions, each built from a padded ring, raised petals and rings of single-crochet shells (fans), with a mesh section worked "across"; the photograph shows six medallions around a six-sided linen centre. Originally published as "Shell Center Piece (Plate No. 6)" in Center Pieces and Lunch Sets in Crochet Work by Anne Orr in.
By the crochetpatterns.io editorial team · Updated · Editorial policy · pattern testing in progress
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Skill level | Advanced |
| Yarn weight | Lace (#0) |
| Yardage | 6 balls as printed; ball yardage not printed. |
| Hook | 1.4 mm |
| Gauge | Not given in the original — work to the printed size of 32 in (81 cm). |
| Finished size | 32 in (81 cm) as printed. |
| Time | about 7 hours |
Materials
- 6 balls size 10 mercerised cotton crochet thread (ball yardage not printed — check your ball band)
- Six-sided linen centre (not listed in the original; size not printed — see the photograph)
- Tapestry needle
- Hook: Start with 1.4 mm (US steel 9), the modern hook of the printed number, and change size to reach the printed finished size.
Smart Yarn Matcher
Compare all yarns →Yarn Kit & Substitution Options
This pattern calls for 350 yards of weight #0 yarn. Select a suggested yarn to see required skeins and estimated cost:
Caron Simply Soft · 100% Acrylic
315 yds per skein · High-yield yardage, silky no-scratch texture
2 skeins required
approx. $$10.98 total
Abbreviations (US terms)
- chain
- slip stitch
- single crochet
- stitch
- stitches
- space
- round
Notes before you start
- Source: "Shell Center Piece (Plate No. 6)", Center Pieces and Lunch Sets in Crochet Work, Anne Orr, 1915. Public domain in the USA.
- As printed — materials: 6 balls of Silkine Crochet Cotton No. 10, 1 Steel Needle No. 9.. Gauge: Not given.
- Modernisation note: The padded ring is worked as printed: the chain ring and 3 wraps of thread around the finger are covered with 27 sl st.
- Modernisation note: A "fan" in this pattern is 3 sc, ch 2, 3 sc in the same ch-2 space (a single-crochet shell).
- Modernisation note: Check: from rnd 7 the book works most of the round in fans ("repeat same 14 times") and the rest "across" in 1-ch spaces, forming the mesh section that fits against the linen; the exact number of spaces is not printed. The photograph shows the mesh as triangles between the medallions and the linen centre.
- Modernisation note: Check: the book does not say how many medallions to make, how to join them or how to attach them to the linen; the photograph shows six medallions around a six-sided linen centre.
- Modernisation note: Check: rnd 18 prints "ch, sl st to middle of lower ch" without a chain count; kept as printed.
- Modernisation note: "Silkine Crochet Cotton No. 10" was a lustrous mercerised cotton; the nearest modern equivalent is size 10 mercerised cotton crochet thread.
- Modernisation note: Stitch names mapped by the book's own definitions: its single crochet = modern US sc, double crochet = modern US dc, treble crochet = modern US tr, slip stitch = sl st, picot = ch 4, sc in 4th ch from hook. These match modern US usage, so no stitch was converted; only the abbreviation "tc" (treble crochet) is written "tr".
- Modernisation note: The book calls every round a "Row" ("First Row—"). Pieces worked in joined rounds are labelled "Rnd 1:" etc.; pieces worked back and forth keep "Row". Run-on paragraphs were split into one round or step per line; no stitches were added, removed or reordered.
- Modernisation note: Anne Orr's phrasing "1 sc, join into …" / "join to top of sc" means work the stitch into the place named; it is kept as printed. "St of ch" (e.g. "middle st of ch 5") is kept.
- Modernisation note: Steel crochet needle (hook) numbers of 1915 were not standardised to millimetres; the starting hook is the modern US steel hook of the same number. Change size so the piece reaches the printed size.
- Modernisation note: Thread is printed in balls only; ball yardage is not printed, so no yardage has been invented. Buy the printed number of balls of a comparable modern thread and check your ball band.
- Modernisation note: No gauge is printed in the book.
- Modernisation note: Metric conversions and modern thread and hook suggestions were added; they are not in the original.
Smart Pattern Companion
Row progress: 0 of 20 done (0%)
Medallion
0 of 20 done- Chain of 12 st, join, hold ch ring around finger, wrap thread around finger with ch 3 times, sl st and tie, sl st over ch and thread 27 times making a padded ring.Mark row complete
- Rnd 1: 6 ch, 1 sc, join to 3d sl st of ring, 3 ch, 1 sc, skip 2 sl st in ring, join in 3d, repeat 9 times, join.Mark row complete
- Rnd 2: 3 ch, sl st to top of sc, repeat around.Mark row complete
- Rnd 3: 6 sc, join into ch 3, sl st to top of sc 1, repeat around.Mark row complete
- Rnd 4: 4 ch, sl st to top of sc 1, holding petals that are made over with finger so ch 4 will be underneath petals, repeat around.Mark row complete
- Rnd 5: 8 sc, join into ch 4, sl st 1, repeat around.Mark row complete
- Rnd 6: 1 sc, join to 2d st of sc 8, 2 ch, 1 sc, join to same st, 4 ch, 1 sc, join to 5th st of sc 8, repeat same over 7 petals, 4 ch, 1 sc, join to 2d st of sc 8, 1 ch, 1 sc, join to 5th st of petal, 1 ch, 1 sc, join to next petal, 2d st, 1 ch, 1 sc, join to 5th st of petal, 4 ch, join.Mark row complete
- Rnd 7: 1 sc, join in ch 2 between sc, 2 ch, 1 sc, join in same, 4 ch, 1 sc, join in next ch 2 and repeat same 14 times, 1 ch, 1 sc, join in lower ch 4, 1 ch, 1 sc, join in to top of sc, repeat across, join.Mark row complete
- Rnd 8: 2 sc, join into ch 2 between sc, 2 ch, 2 sc, join into same, 4 ch, 2 sc, join to next ch 2, repeat around 14 times, 1 ch, 1 sc, join into ch 1, 1 ch, 1 sc, join to top of sc, repeat across.Mark row complete
- Rnd 9: Same as 8th row.Mark row complete
- Rnd 10: 3 sc, join into ch 2 between sc 2, 2 ch, 3 sc, join into same ch, 4 ch, 3 sc, join into next ch 2 between sc 2, repeat same 14 times, finish across same as last row.Mark row complete
- Rnd 11: 3 sc, join into ch 2 between sc 3, 2 ch, 3 sc, join into same ch, 2 ch, sl st to middle st of ch 4, 2 ch, 3 sc, join into next ch 2 between sc 3, repeat around 14 times, finish across as before.Mark row complete
- Rnd 12: Same as 11th row, except ch between fans are 4 ch, sl st to lower sl st, 4 ch, back to fan.Mark row complete
- Rnd 13: 3 sc, join into ch 2 between sc 3, 2 ch, 3 sc, join into same ch, 9 ch, sl st to ch 2 between sc 3, repeat around to last fan, 3 sc, join into ch 2 between sc 3, 2 ch, 3 sc, join into same ch, repeat across as before.Mark row complete
- Rnd 14: 3 sc, join into ch 2 of fan, 2 ch, 3 sc, join into same ch, fill in ch 9 with 14 sc, repeat around to last fan, make fan, and finish across same as before.Mark row complete
- Rnd 15: Make fan, 5 sc, join into each first five sc in ch 9, 4 ch, skip 4 sc in ch 9, 5 sc, joined to top of each last 5 sc in ch 9, 4 ch, 4 sc join to top of 4 sc in ch 9, skipping 4 sc each time, repeat around and make fan. Make sp across same as before.Mark row complete
- Rnd 16: Make fan the same, 6 ch, 3 sc, join into ch 4, 2 ch, 3 sc, join into same ch, repeat around, make fan. Sps across the same.Mark row complete
- Rnd 17: Make fan the same, 1 ch, sl st to middle st of ch 6, 1 ch, 3 sc, join into ch 2 of fan, 2 ch, 3 sc, join into same ch, repeat around. Make fan, repeat across the same.Mark row complete
- Rnd 18: Make fan the same, ch, sl st to middle of lower ch, 3 ch, 3 sc, join into ch 2 of fan, 2 ch, 3 sc, join into same, repeat around and across spaces, finishing one Medallion.Mark row complete
- Repeat same directions for each.Mark row complete
Working on:
Chain of 12 st, join, hold ch ring around finger, wrap thread around finger with ch 3 times, sl st and tie, sl st over ch and thread 27 times making a padded ring.
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Frequently asked questions
Where is the Shell Center Piece (Plate No. 6) pattern from?
It was published as "Shell Center Piece (Plate No. 6)" in Center Pieces and Lunch Sets in Crochet Work by Anne Orr in 1915. The publication is in the public domain in the United States; this version is transcribed and modernised by crochetpatterns.io.
What yarn or thread do I need for the Shell Center Piece (Plate No. 6)?
Size 10 mercerised cotton crochet thread. 6 balls as printed; ball yardage not printed.
What hook should I use?
Start with 1.4 mm (US steel 9), the modern hook of the printed number, and change size to reach the printed finished size. Gauge: Not given in the original — work to the printed size of 32 in (81 cm).
