An Escargoterie of Crochet Snails

I’m delighted to announce the arrival of the Little Conkers crocheted snails! They’ve been a bit slow getting here, but then they are snails…

Scroll down for the links to download this pattern.

Did you know the collective noun for snails (crocheted or otherwise) can be a walk, rout or escargotoire? The collective noun for slugs is a cornucopia.

The first six people to order one of my mindful snails on Etsy will also receive a hand-drawn (by me) snaily mandala to colour!

Picture of a Little Conkers Snail with a hand-drawn mandala

During the past month I have spent a great deal of time contemplating the humble snail, and I can only say that Mother Nature is truly awesome! I think the snail reminds us of a lot of important lessons.

Slow down!
Keep a snail on your desk at work, on your car dashboard or wherever you need a reminder put the brakes on, physically or mentally.

Be grounded.
Snails are really great at this!

It’s okay to hide.
Sometimes we all need to retreat into our shell for a little restorative quiet time.

Each of my bright mindful snails is sold with two lengths of matching yarn to hang it up with or to tie it to something. They can easily be sewn on to hats or bags. They are light enough that a bit of glue will usually do the job of sticking them on to a surface.

They make perfect, well-behaved office companions to help you deal calmly with whatever the day throws at you.

And wouldn’t you love to see a twig tree covered in these little guys?

They are also available as key rings or bag charms.

The bright, mindful snails above are made in 100% cotton. You know I avoid the use of cotton that is not organically-produced as far as possible, but this yarn was send to me by a client for whom I have designed some patterns, so the best thing I can do is to make use of every last bit I have left. Once this yarn is used up I will look for a sustainable alternative.

Meanwhile my snail is also available in ethically-sourced hand-dyed bamboo in more natural colours.!

A snail’s shell is an amazing thing. All the other crochet patterns I found didn’t capture it’s essential shape. It is not a sphere, it’s not a coil, it’s not symmetrical and it does not perch on the snail’s back. It is a wonderfully asymmetrical, lopsided whorl – a logarithmic spiral to be exact.

Did you know that most snail shells we see are dextral (they whorl clockwise from the apex to the opening) rather than sinistral (whorling anti-clockwise)? This has changed over time. But the dextral tendency presents a particular problem if you want to crochet a snail shell because crochet for right-handers goes from right to left.

So – you know me, I do like a crochet challenge – off I went to design my own. It’s been hard, but I think I’ve captured the right amount of snailiness in an uncomplicated design, without it being ‘cartoony’.

The snail crochet pattern is available through my usual outlets:

And the same pattern allows you to crochet slugs too!

Picture of a Little Conkers Crocheted Slug

I’d love to know what you think and what the humble snail means to you.