Sage Shell Trio Fan Tassel Strip Crochet Pattern

This piece is a single vertical strip of three identical fan motifs. A slim chain cord links them in a line, and a soft tassel hangs from the bottom end. Each fan opens upward from a small ring, with treble crochet stitches radiating out like a scallop shell and a light picot-style edge finishing the arc.

The sample uses one color: a pale sage green cotton. You could also use a soft cream. Cotton gives the fans crisp stitch definition and helps the tassel hang straight.

The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished strip measures about 9 in (22.9 cm) long including the tassel, or 7 in (17.8 cm) without it. Each fan is about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide and 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall.

Construction is continuous, with no sewing between fans. You chain a cord, form a small ring, and work a treble fan into its upper half. You finish the fan’s arc with a shell edge, then slip stitch back to the bottom of the ring and chain onward to the next fan. After the third fan, you chain a short tail and tie on a wrapped tassel.

Finished Size and Construction

• Finished size: 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide x 9 in (22.9 cm) long including tassel; 7 in (17.8 cm) without tassel
• Skill level: Easy / advanced beginner
• Terminology: US crochet terms
• Yarn weight: Worsted (#4), 100% cotton
• Hook: 4.0 mm (G-6)
• Number of pieces: 1 continuous crocheted strip, plus 1 wrapped tassel tied to the end
• Layout: 3 fans stacked vertically on one chain cord, tassel at the bottom
• Piece size (each fan): 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide x 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall
• Fan size before border: 2 in (5.1 cm) wide x 1.25 in (3.2 cm) tall
• Border depth: 0.25 in (0.6 cm) shell edge around each fan’s arc

Materials

Yarn advice: Choose a smooth, tightly plied worsted cotton or cotton blend. Mercerized or combed cotton shows the radiating trebles clearly. Avoid fuzzy or very loosely plied yarn, because the tassel strands will tangle and the fan tops will blur.

• Sage green (or cream), worsted cotton: 10 g, about 17 m (18.6 yd)

This quantity includes a generous margin, roughly 40% over what the sample used. It covers a test fan, tassel trimming, and ties.

Tools:

• 4.0 mm (G-6) crochet hook
• Tapestry needle
• Sharp scissors
• A stiff card cut 2.25 in (5.7 cm) tall, for the tassel
• Ruler or tape measure
• Rust-proof pins, a small blocking mat, and a spray bottle

Abbreviations (US Terms)

• ch – chain
• sl st – slip stitch
• sc – single crochet
• tr – treble crochet
• sp – space
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• ( ) – repeat the instructions inside the parentheses as directed

Treble crochet (tr): Yarn over twice and insert the hook. Yarn over and pull up a loop (4 loops on hook). Then [yarn over, pull through 2 loops] 3 times.

Working into the ring: Insert the hook into the center opening of the chain ring, not into the chain stitches themselves. This lets you slide stitches along the ring to space them evenly.

Clock positions: Picture the ring as a clock face with the cord attached at 12 o’clock. The fan covers the upper half, from 3 o’clock over the top to 9 o’clock.

Gauge and Checkpoints

Exact gauge matters less here than in a garment, but it controls the fan size and the strip length.

• Chain gauge: 4 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm)
• Treble height: 1 tr = 0.75 in (1.9 cm)
• Shell-edge gauge: about 5 sts (sc and ch combined) = 1 in (2.5 cm) along the arc

Test one fan first. Chain 6, form the ring, and work Fan Rows 1 and 2 as written below. Do not continue the strip yet.

Checkpoints:

1. After Row 1: The fan should be 2 in (5.1 cm) wide and 1.25 in (3.2 cm) tall, measured from the bottom of the ring.
2. After the shell edge: The fan should be 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide x 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall, and it should lie flat with no ruffling.
3. Each 6-ch cord: It should be 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long, lightly stretched.

If your fan is too big (over 2.75 in / 7.0 cm wide), go down to a 3.5 mm hook. If it is too small (under 2.25 in / 5.7 cm wide), go up to a 4.5 mm hook. If only the cords are off, adjust your chain tension and leave the fan hook size alone.

Pattern

Top Cord and First Ring

Leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail and make a slip knot.

Top cord: Ch 6. This is the cord above Fan 1, 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long.

Ring: Ch 5, then sl st in the 5th ch from the hook (the first of these 5 ch) to form a ring. The ring hangs below the cord, joined at 12 o’clock.

Fan (work 3 times)

Move into position: Working down the right side of the ring, sl st into the ring 2 times. Your hook is now at about 3 o’clock.

Row 1 (fan): Ch 4 (counts as first tr). Work 8 tr into the ring, moving up and over the top of the ring and down to 9 o’clock. Space the stitches evenly. The 5th (center) tr sits beside the cord at 12 o’clock, so the cord lies along the fan’s center line.
Count: 9 tr (turning ch-4 counts as 1).

Row 2 (shell edge): Ch 1 and turn. Work the shell edge as written in the Border section below.
Count: 17 sts (9 sc + 8 ch-1 sp).

You finish at the 3 o’clock side, at the top of the turning ch-4.

Return to the ring bottom: Work 2 sl st down the side of the turning ch-4 to reach the ring. Then sl st into the ring 2 times, moving along its lower half, to reach 6 o’clock.

Checkpoint: The fan measures 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x 1.5 in (3.8 cm). The lower half of the ring stays open as a small hole beneath the fan.

Connecting Cords and Next Rings

After Fan 1: From 6 o’clock, ch 6 for the connecting cord, 1.5 in (3.8 cm). Then ch 5 and sl st in the 5th ch from the hook to form the next ring. Work the Fan instructions for Fan 2.

After Fan 2: Repeat the same cord, ring, and fan sequence for Fan 3.

Why the cords look short: Each fan rises about 1 in (2.5 cm) above its ring top. That means roughly 1 in (2.5 cm) of each 6-ch cord lies over the fan’s center line, and about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) shows between fans.

Tail Cord

After Fan 3, you are at 6 o’clock of the third ring. Ch 4 for the tail cord, 1 in (2.5 cm). Fasten off and leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail for attaching the tassel.

Strip checkpoint (before tassel): Lay the strip flat. Measured from the top of the cord to the end of the tail cord, it should be about 7 in (17.8 cm):

• 1.5 in (3.8 cm) top cord
• • 3 rings at 0.5 in (1.3 cm) each = 1.5 in (3.8 cm)
• • 2 connecting cords at 1.5 in (3.8 cm) each = 3 in (7.6 cm)
• • 1 in (2.5 cm) tail cord
• = 7 in (17.8 cm)

Tassel

1. Wrap yarn around the 2.25 in (5.7 cm) card 20 times. Cut the yarn at the bottom of the card.
2. Slide a 12 in (30.5 cm) length of yarn under the wraps at the top of the card and tie it tightly. This is the tassel’s top tie.
3. Cut the wraps along the bottom edge of the card. You now have 20 folded strands.
4. Wrap a separate 12 in (30.5 cm) strand tightly around the bundle 0.5 in (1.3 cm) below the top, about 5 times. Knot it, then thread both ends into the head and down into the skirt.
5. Trim the skirt so the tassel measures 2 in (5.1 cm) from the top tie to the ends.
6. Use the top-tie ends and the strip’s tail to tie the tassel to the last chain of the tail cord. Knot securely and bury all ends inside the tassel head.

Final length: 7 in (17.8 cm) strip + 2 in (5.1 cm) tassel = 9 in (22.9 cm).

Border

The “border” on this piece is the shell edge (Fan Row 2). It runs along each fan’s curved outer arc only. The two straight lower edges of each fan, from the ring to the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock tips, are the sides of the end trebles and get no edging.

Border gauge: about 5 sts per in (2.5 cm) along the arc, counting each sc and each ch-1 as one stitch.

Shell edge (worked on each fan): Ch 1 and turn. Sc in the first tr. (Ch 1, sc in the next tr) 7 times. Ch 1, sc in the top of the turning ch-4.

Count: This is a conversion row, not a growth row.
– 9 sc, worked 1 per existing tr
– + 8 ch-1 sp, added 1 between each pair of sc
– = 17 sts across the arc

Why the math works:

• The fan’s edge midline sits about 1.125 in (2.9 cm) from the ring center: 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of ring radius + 0.75 in (1.9 cm) of tr + half of the 0.25 in (0.6 cm) edge.
• A half circle at that radius is about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) long.
• At 5 sts per in, 17 sts cover about 3.4 in (8.6 cm). That is within 0.1 in (0.3 cm) of the arc.

So the edge lies flat. The very slight draw-in keeps the shell crisp instead of floppy. The ch-1 spaces also create the small bumps between sc, which give the scalloped outline.

The edge adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm) on each side and on top. Width goes from 2 in to 2.5 in (5.1 cm to 6.4 cm), and height from 1.25 in to 1.5 in (3.2 cm to 3.8 cm).

Final Blocking

1. Weave in the starting tail along the back of the top cord. Leave the tassel ends buried in its head.
2. Lightly mist the strip with water until it is damp, not soaked. Keep the tassel dry for now.
3. Lay the strip on the blocking mat with the right side up and the cord in a straight vertical line.
4. Pin each fan at three points: the 3 o’clock tip, the 9 o’clock tip, and the top center. Check that each fan is 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide and 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall.
5. Gently open each treble so the stitches radiate evenly. Pin the center of each shell bump if it curls.
6. Set the spacing: 1.5 in (3.8 cm) of cord above Fan 1, and the same 1.5 in (3.8 cm) chain length between rings.
7. Let the strip dry completely, usually 2 to 4 hours.
8. Steam the tassel lightly, or dampen and comb it, so the strands hang straight. Re-trim it to 2 in (5.1 cm) if needed.

Final Quality-Control Checklist

• [ ] Each fan has exactly 9 tr in Row 1.
• [ ] Each shell edge has 17 sts (9 sc + 8 ch-1 sp).
• [ ] All three fans measure 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x 1.5 in (3.8 cm), within 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of each other.
• [ ] The center tr of each fan sits beside the cord, so the cord runs down the fan’s middle.
• [ ] The lower half of each ring is open and evenly round.
• [ ] Each connecting cord is 6 ch, about 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
• [ ] The strip measures 7 in (17.8 cm) without the tassel.
• [ ] The tassel is 2 in (5.1 cm), securely tied, and has an even skirt.
• [ ] The total length is 9 in (22.9 cm).
• [ ] All ends are hidden.

Troubleshooting

Fan cups or curls forward: The trebles are crowded on the ring. Slide them along the ring before closing the row, or go up one hook size for Row 1 only.

Shell edge ruffles: Your ch-1 spaces are too loose. Work them snugly, or replace the last ch-1 with a sl st into the turning chain.

Edge pulls the fan into a bowl: Your sc are too tight. Loosen your tension or use a hook 0.5 mm larger for Row 2 only.

Fans differ in size: This is usually inconsistent treble height. Pull each first loop up to the same height, and keep your grip on the hook steady.

Cord twists: Chains naturally spiral. Untwist each cord before forming the next ring, and block the strip flat.

Tassel looks thin: Wrap the card 25 times instead of 20. This adds about 0.6 m (0.7 yd) of yarn, which the margin covers.

Ring hole closes up: The ring was formed too tightly. Make the 5 ch with relaxed tension.

Care

Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and dry flat. Re-comb the tassel while it is damp so the strands stay straight.

Final Notes

The measurement chain is simple:

• Each 0.75 in (1.9 cm) treble plus the 0.25 in (0.6 cm) ring radius makes a 2 in (5.1 cm) fan.
• The 17-st shell edge adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm), bringing each fan to 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
• Three rings and three 6-ch cords, plus a 4-ch tail, make a 7 in (17.8 cm) strip.
• The 2 in (5.1 cm) tassel finishes the piece at 9 in (22.9 cm).

Check your first fan against these numbers, and the other two will follow.

Optional: for a longer strip, you can repeat the cord, ring, and fan sequence for more fans. Add 2 in (5.1 cm) of length per extra fan.

Happy crocheting!