Snails! A Crochet Pattern

How to read this pattern:
I’m new to writing patterns, so I’m not always sure how verbose I need to be to get my point across. I know patterns come in every style from long, rambling explanations with no abbreviations to nothing but a diagram. I don’t have any problems reading most patterns, and I don’t remember, honestly, how most people do it (I’ve been working on this snail for so long now my brain is fried!). This is my way (and probably other people’s, I’m not laying exclusive claim to it!), and I hope it’s easy enough to read and understand.

There are three components to the stitch instructions. A number, the stitch abbreviation, and another number. The first number indicates the number of stitches worked in the st. For example, 3sc1 means you make three sc stitches in the next stitch. If there is no proceeding number, for example, dc6, you work a single dc in each of the next 6 stitches. Clear as mud?

I’ve gone over this pattern several times, drew out a diagram, made several snails to test it, but I still don’t claim it’s 100% correct and probably not even 25% perfect. If you can improve on him, either in explaining the pattern or modifying it, let me know! All I want is for him to be the best snail he can be.

Grab some leftover worsted weight yarn and a G hook, and let's make a snail. Here we go!

Snail Shell:

Row 1: ch 5

Rnd 2: 2 sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc2, 3sc1, sc2, sc again in first stitch (10 st)
(here you work up one side of the chain and down the other - You chain A, B, C, D, E, then 2sc in D, sc in C and B, 3 sc in A, then go to the other side and sc in B and C, and put another sc in D. 10 stitches. Then it is worked around as usual.)

Rnd 3: 3sc1, sc4, 3sc1, sc4 (14 st)

Rnd 4: sc2, dc6, sc6

Rnd 5: sc around

Rnd 6: sc2, dc6, sc6

Rnd 7: sc1, 3sc1, sc6, 3sc1, sc5 (18 st)

Rnd 8: sc3, dc8, sc7

Rnd 9: sc around

Rnd 10: sc3, dc8, sc 7

This is where we start working the short rows. If you don’t want to work short rows, and don’t mind more gaps in your shell, you can substitute triple crochet stitches, shown as Row #alt.

Rnd 11: sc3, dc1, sc6, sl st in next st, turn work, sc 6, sl st in previous dc, turn, sc 6, dc1, sc7

Row 11alt: sc3, dc1, tc6, dc1, sc7

Rnd 12: sc3, dc1, sc6, sl st in next st, turn work, sc 6, sl st in previous dc, turn, sc 6, dc1, sc7

Row 12alt: sc3, dc1, tc6, dc1, sc7

Rnd 13: sc2, 3sc1, sc8, 3sc1, sc6 (22 st)

Rnd 14: sc3, dc2, sc8, sl st in next st, turn work, sc 8, sl st in second previous dc, turn, sc 8, dc2, sc7

Row 14alt: sc3, dc2, tc8, dc2, sc7

Rnd 15: sc3, dc2, sc8, sl st in next st, turn work, sc 8, sl st in second previous dc, turn, sc 8, dc2, sc7

Row 15alt: sc3, dc2, tc8, dc2, sc7

Rnd 16: sc3, dc2, sc8, sl st in next st, turn work, sc 8, sl st in second previous dc, turn, sc 8, dc2, sc7

Row 16alt: sc3, dc2, tc8, dc2, sc7

Rnd 17: sc3, dc2, sc8, sl st in next st, turn work, sc 8, sl st in second previous dc, turn, sc 8, dc2, sc7

Row 17alt: sc3, dc2, tc8, dc2, sc7

Rnd 18: sc3, 3sc1, sc10, 3sc1, sc7 (26 st)

Rnd 19: sc4, dc2, sc10, sl st in next st, turn work, sc 10, sl st in second previous dc, turn, sc 10, dc2, sc8

Row 19alt: sc4, dc2, tc10, dc2, sc8

Rnd 20: sc4, dc2, sc10, sl st in next st, turn work, sc 10, sl st in second previous dc, turn, sc 10, dc2, sc8

Row 20alt: sc4, dc2, tc10, dc2, sc8

Rnd 21: sc around, fasten off, leaving long enough tail to sew shell in a spiral and to the body.

Stuff and sewing the shell:

I know, it doesn’t look like anything at this point, other than a lumpy, misshapen blob (picture 1). But the miracle of stuffing and shaping should help that. I don’t really know how to explain this, so hopefully the pictures tell the story better than I could.

Stuff the shell and, beginning at the closed end, roll the shell up (picture 2). The tail should be positioned at the underside of the shell and you can use that to sew the shell in place (alternatively, depending on your colors, you can use a length of snail-body color to secure the shell). I usually leave out a little bit of stuffing until I’m sewing the shell onto the snail body for ease of sewing. Once I almost have the shell on, I’ll cram as much stuffing as I can into it before closing.

Snail body:

Row 1: ch 5

Rnd 2: 2 sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc2, 3sc1, sc2, sc again in first stitch (10 st)
(here you work up one side of the chain and down the other - You chain A, B, C, D, E, then 2sc in D, sc in C and B, 3 sc in A, then go to the other side and sc in B and C, and put another sc in D. 10 stitches. Then it is worked around as usual. DO NOT JOIN ROUNDS! You'll see why at Round 9)

Rnd 3: 3sc1, sc4, 3sc1, sc4 (14 st)

This is where we start working the short rows. If you don’t want to work short rows, and don’t mind more gaps in your snail, you can substitute triple crochet stitches, shown as Row #alt.

Rnd 4: sc1, dc1, sc6, sl st in next st, turn work, sc 6, sl st in previous dc, turn, sc6, dc1, sc5

Row 4alt: sc1, dc1, tc6, dc1, sc5

Rnd 5: sc1, dc1, sc6, sl st in next st, turn work, sc 6, sl st in previous dc, turn, sc6, dc1, sc5

Row 5alt: sc1, dc1, tc6, dc1, sc5

Rnd 6: sc1, dc1, sc6, sl st in next st, turn work, sc 6, sl st in previous dc, turn, sc6, dc1, sc5
Row 6alt: sc1, dc1, tc6, dc1, sc5

Rnd 7: sc around (Begin stuffing now! Once you get to the compound curve it gets harder to work the stuffing up there – continue to stuff as you go from this point on.)

Rnd 8: sc around

Rnd 9: sc1 – Remove stitch marker. Then work: sc7, dc1, sc6, sl st in next st, turn work, sc 6, sl st in previous dc, turn, sc6, dc1, sc6, place stitch marker (new end of round)

Row 9alt: sc1, remove stitch marker, sc7, dc1, tc6, dc1, sc6, place stitch marker (new end of round)

(You are working 21 stitches - this does not increase the number of stitches around (the body remains a tube of 14 stitches) but moves the starting point of the round to the other side. So round 9 is, in effect, all of round 9 plus half of what would be round 10.)

Rnd 10: dc1, sc6, sl st in next st, turn work, sc 6, sl st in previous dc, turn, sc6, dc1, sc6

Row 10alt: dc1, tc6, dc1, sc6

Rnd 11: dc1, sc6, sl st in next st, turn work, sc 6, sl st in previous dc, turn, sc6, dc1, sc6

Row 11alt: dc1, tc6, dc1, sc6

Rnd 12: sc around – keep sc around until the snail body is the length you want it. End on the edge of the body, then sc across to close (after cramming in more stuffing). Do not break yarn, work 3 dc in stitches around the base of the body. This creates the ‘fringe’ and makes the snail stand on its own. There isn’t really a row to follow around, you just have to eyeball it. When you’ve gone all the way around, slip stitch in the top of the first dc and fasten off.

Sew snail shell onto snail body using the leftover tail from the snail shell. There are no hard and fast rules about how to do this, just slap it on there any way you’re most comfortable. Don’t forget to stuff as much stuffing into the shell as you can before you close!

Antennae:

No snail is complete without its feelers. I don’t know how well I can explain this, but I’ll give it a try! Hopefully the pictures will fill in any gaps in my explanation.

Chain 10 and fasten off, leaving a long enough tail at the beginning and end to weave back through 5 of the stitches (picture 1). Weave from the back and front down to the center.

Pull chain through snail head (place wherever you think it looks best - picture 2) and you can use the tail ends to tie the feelers on to a stitch (picture 3). It probably wouldn’t move too much without that, but I like to be safe.

That's all there is to it!

Return to Patterns & Instructions Main Page