soft snail

I made this for our friend Luke's 8th birthday gift a few weeks ago. He turned out so great that I just had to share him!


We have so many friends and family that I can't possibly give them all hand made gifts for every occasion that comes up, but when I get a real inspiration I try to just go with it. The snail is one of Luke's favorite creatures, and the idea for this softie came to me one day while we were on the beach at Sandy Creek. I sketched it out on the back of the pattern I was knitting from (yes, I knit while my kids play in the water, and yes, sometimes my knitting gets sand on it) so I wouldn't forget any details, and then just started making it in my head. Does anyone else do this? I turn the idea over and over in my head, piecing things together and figuring all the little steps that need to be done before actually starting to cut any fabric.

He went together almost exactly like I had envisioned, except that his head seemed so bare. So I made him the hat! And then there seemed to be some other small thing missing... so I made him the bowtie! This felt like the perfect stroke of brilliance, since Luke is a very stylish young man who enjoys dressing up and is known to go out on the town sporting a very nice bow tie.


Ahhh, my labels. I just love using my labels. They make me feel so permanent, like someone a hundred years from now might speak my name as they enjoy using something I have made. That is really cool to think about.

Luke (and his mother) loved the snail very much and at last inquiry I was told that he was given the very appropriate name of "Snaily". I just love watching my creations go to homes where they are so loved and appreciated!


The blue fabric of the body was something I just had on hand, and all the prints are from that same box of wonderful, vintagey fabric goodness I got from an online friend a while back, and that I used for Lyle's dragon (which, you should know, he has named Willy Dragon and brings to bed with him every night). That stuff is going to show up in project after project and I will be sad when it comes to an end. I love fabric.