A turquoise crochet whale sits at the top, with four open seashells spiralling beneath it in a vertical cascade. Each shell is worked in deep turquoise with a white scalloped rim, and a pearl bead hangs through its centre. At the bottom, a small white shell, wooden bead and long turquoise-to-white tassel finish the piece.
The shape is very ocean-inspired. The whale gives the hanging a playful focal point, while the four shells underneath are arranged at alternating angles so the whole piece looks like a twisting column rather than four identical motifs stacked flat.
The finished piece should hang at roughly 50–60 cm, depending on the size of your whale, shells and tassel.
What you’ll need
Size 3 crochet cotton or fine cotton yarn in deep turquoise, white and black.
A 2.5–3 mm crochet hook.
You’ll also need polyester stuffing for the whale, four white pearl beads, one wooden bead, a tapestry needle, black thread or small safety eyes, and strong cotton thread or nylon cord for assembling the hanging.
For the bottom decoration, use a small crochet shell and make a long tassel in turquoise and white.
Abbreviations are US terms.
ch is chain, sl st is slip stitch, sc is single crochet, hdc is half double crochet, dc is double crochet, inc is two stitches in one, dec is two stitches worked together, MR is magic ring.
Part 1. The whale
The whale is worked as a small amigurumi body, starting at the nose and increasing toward the widest part before decreasing toward the tail.
Body
In turquoise.
Round 1. 6 sc in MR (6)
Round 2. Inc six times (12)
Round 3. Sc, inc, repeated six times (18)
Round 4. Sc twice, inc, repeated six times (24)
Round 5. Sc three times, inc, repeated six times (30)
Round 6. Sc four times, inc, repeated six times (36)
Rounds 7–11. Sc around (36)
Begin shaping the back.
Round 12. Sc four, dec, repeated six times (30)
Round 13. Sc around (30)
Round 14. Sc three, dec, repeated six times (24)
Stuff firmly, concentrating the stuffing toward the rounded head.
Round 15. Sc two, dec, repeated six times (18)
Round 16. Sc, dec, repeated six times (12)
Add a little more stuffing and close the remaining opening.
The body should stay rounded at the front and become narrower toward the tail.
White belly
In white.
Ch 16.
Starting in the second chain from the hook:
Sc 3, hdc 4, dc 5, hdc 2, work 3 sc into the last chain.
Continue along the opposite side of the foundation chain:
Hdc 2, dc 5, hdc 4, sc 3.
Fasten off leaving a long sewing tail.
Stretch the piece gently into an oval and sew it underneath the whale, starting just below the mouth and finishing before the narrow tail section.
The white belly in the reference has visible vertical/ribbed lines. You can imitate this by embroidering several fine turquoise or grey lines across the white belly after sewing it on.
Eyes
Place one small black safety eye on each side of the head.
Alternatively, embroider each eye with black cotton and add a tiny white stitch as a highlight.
Part 2. The fins
Make two.
In turquoise.
Ch 8.
Starting in the second chain:
Sl st, sc, hdc, dc 3, 5 dc into the final chain.
Work back along the opposite side:
Dc 3, hdc, sc, sl st.
Fasten off leaving a long tail.
Sew one fin to each side of the whale. Position them slightly underneath the body rather than directly on the sides.
This makes them angle outward like the fins in the picture.
Part 3. The tail
Make two tail flukes.
In turquoise.
Round 1. 6 sc in MR (6)
Round 2. Inc around (12)
Round 3. Sc, inc, repeated six times (18)
Fold the circle slightly and pinch one side to make a pointed teardrop shape.
Fasten off.
Make the second piece in exactly the same way.
Sew both pieces to the narrow back end of the whale, pointing one upward and one downward/outward. Shape them with your fingers before tightening the stitches.
Part 4. The water spout and hanging loop
The little white spray above the whale also disguises the attachment point for the hanging cord.
In white, ch 18 and slip stitch back along the chain.
At the lower end, make three small branches:
Branch 1: ch 6, sl st back.
Branch 2: ch 8, sl st back.
Branch 3: ch 6, sl st back.
Sew the branches together at their base and attach them firmly to the centre of the whale’s back.
For the actual hanging loop, ch approximately 35–45 in white, slip stitch back along the chain and join both ends securely behind the water spout.
Make sure this connection is strong because it carries the weight of the entire hanging.
Part 5. The spiral seashells
Make four.
These are the most distinctive part of the hanging.
Each shell is essentially a flat turquoise crochet shape that increases strongly along one edge. When edged in white and curved inward, it becomes an open spiral shell.
In turquoise.
Row 1. Ch 18.
Starting in the second chain from the hook:
Sc 3, hdc 3, dc 5, 2 dc in each of the next 4 stitches, 5 dc into the final chain.
Turn.
Row 2. Ch 2. Work 2 dc into each of the first 8 stitches, then dc across the remaining stitches.
The heavy increase at one end should force the piece to begin curling naturally.
Row 3. Ch 1. Sc across.
Fasten off.
Do not try to flatten the piece. The curl is what creates the shell.
Part 6. White scalloped shell edge
Join white yarn along the outer curved edge.
Work:
Sl st, 4 dc into the next stitch, sl st into the next stitch.
Repeat this sequence around the outer edge.
This produces the raised white bumps visible around every shell in the reference.
When finished, curl the turquoise section inward so that the narrow end sits inside the wider curved end.
Use several hidden stitches on the back to hold the shape.
The result should resemble an open conch or wave rather than a completely closed shell.
Make all four shells approximately the same size.
Part 7. Pearl centres
Cut a long piece of strong thread or nylon cord.
Pass it vertically through the centre of the first shell.
Thread on one white pearl bead so that it sits approximately in the centre of the shell opening.
Secure its position with a small knot hidden behind the shell.
Repeat with the remaining three shells.
There should be:
Shell → pearl → shell → pearl → shell → pearl → shell → pearl
with enough space between them that each shell remains clearly visible.
Part 8. Getting the spiral arrangement right
This is what makes the hanging look like the reference instead of simply looking like four shells threaded onto a cord.
Do not position all four shells facing forward.
Attach the first shell with its opening turned slightly to the left.
Turn the second approximately a quarter-turn to the right.
Turn the third back toward the left.
Turn the fourth toward the right again.
When viewed from the front, the white scalloped rims should appear to travel around the centre cord in a loose spiral.
Before permanently knotting everything, hang the piece vertically and adjust each shell.
Gravity changes their position considerably.
Part 9. Connecting the whale
Run the centre cord through the underside of the whale and secure it inside or through several strong crochet stitches.
The first shell should begin a short distance below the whale.
In the reference, there is enough empty space for the whale’s fins to remain completely visible.
Avoid attaching the first shell directly against the belly.
Part 10. Bottom crochet shell
Make one small shell in white.
Round 1. 6 sc in MR.
Round 2. Inc around (12).
Round 3. Sc around (12).
Flatten slightly.
Work five raised ribs from the centre toward the outer edge using surface slip stitches or embroidered straight stitches.
Pinch the bottom together and sew it closed.
Attach it underneath the fourth turquoise shell.
Part 11. Wooden bead and tassel
Thread one medium wooden bead beneath the white shell.
For the tassel, cut approximately 30–40 strands of yarn, each around 25 cm long.
For the gradient effect in the reference, combine turquoise and white strands. Concentrate turquoise near the top and white toward the lower section, or use ombré yarn if you have it.
Fold all strands in half around the centre cord.
Tie tightly approximately 1.5 cm below the fold.
Wrap turquoise yarn several times around the neck of the tassel and secure it invisibly.
Trim the bottom evenly.
The finished tassel should be approximately 10–12 cm long.
Part 12. Putting it together
From top to bottom, your finished hanging should be:
White hanging loop
↓
White water spout
↓
Turquoise whale with white belly
↓
Turquoise shell + pearl
↓
Turquoise shell + pearl
↓
Turquoise shell + pearl
↓
Turquoise shell + pearl
↓
Small white shell
↓
Wooden bead
↓
Turquoise/white tassel
Hang the finished piece before weaving in the final assembly ends.
Rotate each shell until the four openings form a smooth spiral when viewed from the front.
Notes and variations
For the closest match to the picture, use a dark petrol/turquoise blue rather than bright aqua. Cream or warm white works particularly well for the belly and shell borders.
You can make the hanging shorter by using three shells instead of four. For a larger wall hanging, make five or six shells and increase the spacing between them.
If the shells refuse to hold their curved shape, thread a short piece of thin craft wire through the back edge. It will let you position each shell without making the wire visible.
For a nursery version, skip loose beads and sew crocheted balls directly onto the centre cord instead.
Questions I get asked
Why are my shells lying flat?
They need concentrated increases at the wide end. The increases create the curl. Once the white border is finished, fold the narrow end inward and secure the back with two or three stitches.
Why doesn’t mine look like one continuous spiral?
The four shells need to be rotated individually around the centre cord. If every opening faces forward, they look like separate shells rather than one twisting column.
Can I make the whale bigger?
Yes. Use thicker yarn and a larger hook while keeping the same basic construction. Remember that the shells should increase proportionally so the whale does not overpower the hanging.
Can I use acrylic yarn?
Yes for the whale and tassel. Cotton is preferable for the shells because it produces a firmer edge and makes the white scallops much more defined.
How long does it take?
Approximately 6–8 hours, depending on how much detail you add to the whale and how carefully you shape the shells.