Ssssssssssssssss :: Ta-dah!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh it's sweet crochet talk today folks, and I'm mighty happy about that, it's been far too long since we shared any decent hooky business in the Attic. It's not been for lack of hooky happenings I might add as I have been very productive on the quiet here. I've just been lacking in time to document all that I've been doing, but I'm determined to do a bit of catch up in the next week or two. Yup, you can expect quite a few colourful crochet Ta-dah's in the near future. Does that thought make you smile???? Goody, me too!!

My little project today is not my own design, it's a project I had squirrelled away in my brain with the label "oooo-yes-I-really-have-to-make-one-of-those-one-day-when-I-have-nothing-else-better-to-do". It comes from the above book which I bought when I was pregnant last year, err hang on, no not last year but The Year Before. 2009, yes that's it. It's a super little book by Rowan designer Lois Daykin...you can find it on amazon right here where you can magically look at some of the pages if you like.

There's a mixture of projects as you can see from the contents :: a good selection of toys, nursery decorations and useful things. Sweet things to crochet for sweet Little People.

As you would expect from Rowan, the book is beautifully styled and photographed. And the designs are inspirational.

Yes, this book ooooozes inspiration. It made me want to crochet things that had never entered my head before, ie toys. I never really knew that I wanted to crochet toys until I saw what was on offer in this book. That adorable stripy kitty-cat is high on my list of next-toy-to-have-a-bash-at when I've finished with my current rabbit phase.

So this is the page that really did it for me, as you have probably guessed from the title of today's post. I saw this snake and absolutely knew without a doubt that I had to make one. Not necessarily for the Little People you understand, nah nah nah, this was to be a Mummy Toy. Hahahaa, I kid you not! Of course I told anyone who asked me that I was making a toy snake for Little B, but inside I was thinking nonononononnooooo this is going to be mine, mine, mine!!! Little B may play with it whenever he chooses, but the snake is actually going to belong to Me.

You may remember me showing you a little sneaky peak of the snake in progress when I recounted my Dorset holiday? It was a fantastic holiday project, I enjoyed a huge pleasure rush sitting in the sun working these colourful stripes each morning.

Starting out with this project was not plain sailing though. I'm  not used to working in three dimensions and I'm not used to reading patterns with such a lot of counting, so I had to overcome both those things. I found it very taxing at first to be honest, even though I have to say the pattern was extremely well written. But once I got going (the pattern starts at the tail end and works towards the head) I soon got into the swing of it.

I chose to tweak the original pattern a little to suit my preferred way of working ie I simplified it, eliminating the more complex open, lacy type stripes and sticking to plain ol' double crochet all the way up. Once the increasing was over and done with at the tail end, the main body of the snake was just rings worked back and forth, 36 stitches this way and that way, alternating colours at random as I went. It gave me the perfect opportunity to indulge my colour passion to the max, and the yarn I used did not disappoint. It's gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. The colours are amazing. I'm going to be writing a bit more about this yarn in a separate post next week as I've been working with it a lot of late.

Ooooo-la-la!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out those mighty fine stripes!! Yum yum yum!!!

Something else I changed from the original design was the way the eyes were made. In the book they used circles of white felt with black buttons, but I decided I would crochet my snakey some peepers. I didn't want to use buttons as I wanted this toy to be safe for Little B (even though the snake is Mine, but you know, it still has to be safe), so the eyes were hooked and no buttons were used.

I'm trying to remember from the pictures what I did for the eyes, I think I chained 4, joined to make a loop, then worked 7dc into the ring for the first black round, then 2dc in each stitch (14sts) for the white round. They worked a treat don't you think?

I had fun taking pictures for this post yesterday, although it's surprisingly hard to photograph something that measures 135cm from tail to tongue. I wasn't sure where to drape it, plus I had my Assistant Stylist on the job too and my my he's a tad difficult to work with. He wasn't particularly helpful with the draping situation.

Anyhow................

I hope you enjoy this little hooky colour fest....................................

Sssssssssssssssss :: Ta-dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He's quite a stunner isn't he??

My Assistant Stylist AKA Little B was also kind enough to act as a Prop.

He obediently climbed onto the sofa for me, sat beeeeautifully with Snake and smiled at the camera. For about one nanosecond. Then he threw the snake on the floor and tried to snatch the camera out of my hand. It all got a bit messy from there on in. Lots of blurred shots.........

.........the snake was quite badly treated actually, but no harm done.

Snakey's now curled up sweetly next to me in his chair (yes, he has his very own chair to sleep in) and all is good. I've told him he needs to be resting up throughout the summer months because once the cold weather arrives he's going to be hard at work around here.

Yes, he'll make the perfect Draught Excluder. Perfect I tell you.

x

Edited to add :: re weaving in ends, well I simply did't bother. It was HEAVEN to leave all my ends a-dangling and not have to worry about them!! Cos they remain inside the snakey body see? So they aren't seen. Marvelous.

Also re stuffing, not hard as you stuff-as-you-go. So you don't have a major tussle getting the stuffing down 1.35m of narrow tube as it's already in there pretty much from the start. What's not to love?

Comments

[Sammy]

Just creativity and beautiful colors:) great work!

[Kim]

Aah, I'd love to know the pattern to make this!

[Catarina G]

Helly Lucy,
Can you please tell me wich colors did you use?
I want to buy them to make a baby blanket with the same stipes as your snake?
I just order the Woodlank pack and I am going to do my first CAL with you but also want to make a small baby blanket with the snake pallete.
Thank you in advance.
Catarina(Portugal)

[fae lynette]

Hi Lucy I had a velour snake cot bumper for my son who is now 41. he now has a 1 year old daughter and said he wished we still had his snake. i would love the pattern to make him one and surprise him. yours is gorgeous. kind regards fae

[Kathleen Black]

WHERE CAN I BUY THE PATTERN PLEASE FOR THE SNAKE?

[Nikoletta]

dear Lucy,
is it possible to have the pattern? I would love to make it for my son.
Thank you in advance,
Nikoletta.

[nadine]

I will be so pleased to get the pattern of this so nice colourful ssssnake!!!
Thank you in advance!!

[Megan]

My boys would love him! How do I get the pAttern?

[NANCY]

HERMOSA CERPIENTE ES POSIBLE E ENVIES EL PATRON DESDE YA MUCHAS GRACIAS

[Mary Anne]

I am in the process of creating a website for my new company TwoTwigs. We sell ergonomic crochet hooks. I would love to include some of your photos with links to your site. Would that be OK? Please confirm.
thanks,
Mary Anne

[Maggie Bruce]

I love this beautiful snake! I need to make a draught excluder and this looks like it could be just the job, though it would need filling with something like cat litter to give it some weight (and of course I'd need to line it!)

Do you think that would work? :)

[Taylor Who Crochets]

can we have the pattern for this bad boy? i would really enjoy one of these as a decoration in my closet space!!!

[Ginny Judson]

Ms. Lucy, that snake is the cutest thing! I keep seeing him on Pinterest and I want to make him for my nephew, who is two and would just love him!

[Chloe]

Hi lovely Lucy,

I love this snake so much. I am trying to make one for my little niece (only 6mths old), but I do not have a pattern. I have worked out how to do the tail bit, and the head etc, but for the life of me I cannot get it to bend in any significant way. It is a little wavy, but for the most part it is pretty straight. Is it possible for you to give me a little insight into how to make it a little looser? Were there any special stitches you used to make it more bendy? Any help you could possibly provide would be magical.

Thanks so much. I adore your blog and have been reading for years.
Cheers, Chloe. xx

[dorothy anoi]

i really like all that u crochet in here. can u sometime share the diagram with us please?

[Laraine]

I want one now! Excellent colors and so adorable!!

Laraine

[Veerle Lievens]

is it possible to sent me the pattern for this beautiful snake(aka Sissy)...Thx in advance

[julita]

Just finished one!!! It's fantastic. It's gonna b a present for my friend's baby but I'm planning to make another one for me and my 3-years old girl ;-) Love your work Lucy ;-)

[b*]

I like your designs!! I also make crochet snakes ;)
...One day I was starting a carrot, but then I didn't like the shape...
So I continued with different colours until it was a snake!
Take a look at 'Buzzy b' on Facebook if u have a few minutes ;)

[MARGARITA DEL CARMEN MOLINA]

BELLICIMA HERMOSA GRACIAS X COMPARTIR ERIKA BS BS ARGENTINA 19 3 2013

[Joanne]

He's fantastic, can I ask how much wool he took to make?

[Samantha]

Fabulous and fun and hugely inspiring!!!! Quick question did you crochet it as flat and then sew it up or did you crochet it as a tube? I am crocheting a rabbit and he is super mega stripy like your snake but I am finding I am getting what I can only call a step whenever I change to the next colour is that normal? Maybe I can email you? Samantha :0)

[maru]

hello! Maru again! the mail that comes in the message from my friend. sorry! my mail is [email protected]
thanks again!!

[maru]

hello my name is Maru'm from Argentina and searching the internet I found your blog, it's beautiful! your works are beautiful!! I like them all, all!!. I have a baby of 10 months and I want to weave the snake but can not find any as nice as yours. Here I do not get that magazine, you can you tell me how to do??? too much trouble??? I want to know how to do the tail and head! the ones I find have a very ugly heads!
I weave because I like it, but I pin a pattern sale!
I deeply appreciate your time!!!

affection!
note: sorry for the English, I am using a translator.

[Sarah]

I didn't see the pattern, did you make one up for your simpler version? I would love to have it.