Page 1 of Pattern: Ruffled Edge Box Shell Skirt or Cape or Beach Coverup

A skirt made from this pattern would be worn as an overskirt over a fabric skirt (as a fashion accent or to add a layer of warmth in winter cold temperatures). Or ... Using cotton yarn, using a skirt starting chain but leaving the skirt seam unsewn on the completed piece, it could be used as a beach wrap skirt or long cape coverup to put on over a swimsuit. It can be made in any length that you choose.

Abbreviations: ch = chain, chs = chains, ea = each, dc = double crochet, sc = single crochet, sp = space, st = stitch, sts = stitches

Materials: For length shown in the example, about 6 oz. worsted weight yarn with US size H hook. Plan to have extra yarn on hand, if you want to make a longer skirt or cape. Use cotton yarn, if using for summer wear. One choice would be Coats and Clark brand TLC Cotton Plus worsted weight.

Measurements: With Caron Simply Soft worsted weight yarn (tends to be a bit lighter than other worsted weights), the top edge measures about 25 inches across for size Extra Small, with the starting chain of 87 chains. With Red Heart Super Saver regular worsted weight yarn: The top edge measures about 34 inches across for size Small, with the starting chain of 103 chains. The top edge measures about 41 inches across for size Medium, with the starting chain of 119 chains.

Gauge: 7 sc = 2 inches, two 4-dc groups = 2 inches (across top of stitches), 2 dc rows with 1 sc row = 1 1/2 inches

Stitches Used: double crochet - dc instructions
Single Crochet - Instructions link, with photos: sc how-to

Pattern Note: You will turn at the end of each row. Please keep my copyright and terms of use statement with the pattern directions when you print out or save the pattern in any form.
Starting chains given for capes are for sizes x-small, small, medium, large, x-large. Medium is about a size Misses 12-14 for a cape. Each size could fit a range of sizes. Top row can be worn flat for the neckline to form more of a v-neck look or the drawstring at the top can be used to draw the cape tighter around the shoulders.
Starting Chain Sizes For Capes: x-sm (sm, med, lg, x-lg)
Starting Chains For Capes: chain 87 (103, 119, 135, 151)
Starting Chains For Skirts: Use the starting chains for capes as a beginning guideline but measure the waist of the person who will be wearing the skirt and add or subtract from one of the cape starting chains to get a better fit. The repeat is 4 stitches wide so add or subtract in any multiple of 4. The waistline of the skirt can be a little wider than the waist of the person who will wear it, due to the drawstring. At the waistline of the skirt, when made with regular worsted weight yarn and an H hook, the gauge is 8 sc = about 2 1/4 inches. Your gauge may vary, according to your own crochet tension and the type of yarn and hook size that you use. Because of the drawstring, it can be made a little large, with the drawstring used to get a good fit.

If you are planning to make both a cape and skirt from the same materials, you may want to make the cape first and you can use that as a guideline for figuring what starting chain you will need to do to have a skirt fit well to the person that you are making it for.

Rows 1 - 11: Follow rows 1 - 11 of my Boxed Shell Cape, free pattern directions available at http://crochet.about.com/od/clothingforwomen/a/bcape2008.htm

Additional Rows: Repeat rows 9 - 11, as many times as needed to reach about six inches less than the length that you want (the ruffle border will add another six inches). In the length shown in the example photo, rows 9 - 11 were repeated two more times
Last Row Before Ruffle: Repeat row 9.

Ruffle Edging Row 1: ch 4 (counts as first dc and a chain-1), skip next 2 sc, 3 dc in next sc, * ch 1, skip next 3 sc, 3 dc in next sc **, repeat the directions between * and ** as many times as needed to go across the row. In the size that you are doing, if only 3 sc are left at the end of the row after doing the last repeat, then ch 1, skip 2 sc, dc in last sc.

Ruffle Edging Row 2: ch 4 (counts as first dc and a chain-1), skip ch-1 and skip next dc, 4 dc in next dc (which is the middle dc of the first 3-dc shell), * skip next dc, skip ch-1, skip next dc, 4 dc in next dc **, repeat the directions between * and ** as many times as needed to go across the row. After working in the middle dc of the last shell of the row, end with skip next dc, skip next ch, dc in next chain.

Ruffle Edging Row 3: ch 3 (counts as first dc), skip next dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 1, 2 dc in next dc, * skip next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 1, 2 dc in next dc **, repeat the directions between * and ** as many times as needed to go across the row. After working in the last shell of the row, end with skip next dc, dc in next dc.

Ruffle Edging Row 4: ch 3 (counts as first dc), 2 more dc in first dc, ch 1, skip next 2 dc, sc in ch-1 sp, * ch 1, skip next dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 1, 2 dc in next dc, ch 1, skip next dc, sc in ch-1 sp **, repeat the directions between * and ** as many times as needed to go across the row. After working an sc in the ch-1 of last shell of the row, end with skip next 2 dc, 3 dc in last dc.

Ruffle Edging Row 5: ch 1, sc in first dc, ch 2, skip next 2 dc *, (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) all in next sc, ch 2, skip next 2 dc, sc in ch-1 sp, ch 2, skip next 2 dc **, repeat the directions between * and ** as many times as needed to go across the row. When all that remains to be worked into is one sc and the last group of 3 dc, end with (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) all in next sc, ch 2, skip next 2 dc, sc in last dc.

Continue to page 2 of this pattern at http://crochet.about.com/od/clothingforwomen/a/rboxskirt_2.htm (directions would not all fit in text space allowed for one page).

Copyright, Terms of Use: Pattern directions and pattern photo copyright 2008 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Per copyright law, do not distribute reproduced copies, in any form, even for free, and do not use my pattern photo on another web site, blog page or elsewhere. Instead, you may give out the URL of this pattern page, for others to come here for themselves. It makes a world of difference to me, in helping to enable me to continue designing new patterns. Thank you.