Shell Stitch Baby Blanket

So, a little secret.  I have more than one WIP.  I know, shocking right?  One of my goals for the year was to finish all the baby blanket WIPs that I have.  This one is the first one knocked off the list.  Two more to go....or....erm.....three since I started another yesterday.  This little beauty is now in my pile of blankets waiting to gift to a baby. 

I was trying to figure out when I started this one; the closest guestimate is 2002.  Seventeen years.  Gulp!  The good news (I guess) is that the remaining WIPs are all less than a year old. 

My mother-in-law always used this stitch to make baby blankets for her grandchildren.  I loved her blankets and set out to replicate the stitch. 

Shell Stitch Baby Blanket
Size 4 Yarn - Approximately 1,000 yards (750 of color 1, 250 of color 2)
Crochet Hook size I

Using color 1 - chain 79
Row 1: 2dc in the 4th ch from hk, *sk 2 ch, 1sc in next ch, sk 2 ch, 5dc in next ch* repeat until 3ch, sc in last ch

Row 2: ch 3, turn, 2dc in the sc in previous row, *sk 2 dc, sc in next st, sk 2 dc, 5 dc into sc from previous row* repeat until the end of the row.

Row 3-12: Repeat row 2
Row 13-16: change to color 2, repeat row 2
Row 17-28: change to color 1, repeat row 2
Row 29-32: change to color 2, repeat row 2
Row 33-44: change to color 1, repeat row 2
Row 45-48: change to color 2, repeat row 2
Row 51-60: change to color 1, repeat row 2

For border:
Row 1: ch 1, turn, sc around all four sides of the blanket with 3 sc in each corner.  I did a hdc in the sc along the top edge to straighten the row. 

Row 2, ch 1, sc around all four sides of the blanket placing 3 sc in each corner, fasten off.  Weave in ends.