Mr Snail has recently bought a new laptop. This was not something he undertook lightly as we don’t buy new technology for the sake of it (you should see my ancient mobile phone!) and it was only the fact that his old laptop had pretty much given up the ghost (despite a number of repairs) and that he is away from our main desktop computer at present that he finally gave in. In order to nurture this new piece of kit, he asked if I would make it a case – he suggested felt, but I wanted to crochet it. None of my stash was suitable – the only chunky yarn I have in sufficient quantity that would give enough padding was pink and green and he wasn’t keen on that colour combination. S0, unfortunately, on Saturday morning we had to make a trip to Red Apple Yarns.
I was a very good girl and only bought yarn for the project in hand (are you impressed? I am). After much discussion about colours and stripes and different sorts of yarn, he chose a self-patterning acrylic. He really loved the colours and pixel-like pattern that it created. I have to confess this is not what I would have chosen, but it’s not for me and this really was what he liked. In the afternoon, as the weather deteriorated, I made a start on the crochet.
I had a couple of false starts, as I made it too wide to begin with and it was still too wide even on my second attempt. But, the third time is the charm and I finally got it right. I worked in half trebles (British terminology) throughout and edged it with the same stitch, but using an oddment of white yarn, the origin of which is a mystery… I’m certain I’ve never made anything with white chunky acrylic! The buttons are antique mother of pearl, from my button collection and the whole thing was completed in just over 24 hours, just in time for him to take it away for the week.
He seemed to be pleased with the result, anyway (despite looking so serious in the picture below):
The Snail of Happiness 
nanacathy2
/ November 2, 2014Very snazzy. Certain I wouldn’t have had that discipline in the wool shop.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 2, 2014I am SO trying to be good at the moment as I have lots of lovely yarn waiting to be worked up here at home. I did succumb to apple and toffee cake with my coffee afterwards, though!
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thecontentedcrafter
/ November 2, 2014I am seriously impressed! What a clever idea [I really wish I had thought to do this, I tend to toss my laptop on the back seat of the car and hope for the best!] While I’m with you on the colour choice [to my eye it would have looked better without that run of bright red through the yarn, but I could well be wrong!] it does appear that Mr Snail is seriously over-joyed about it – and therefore all is well!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 2, 2014When I first started work on it, he was very concerned that the red didn’t appear in the first few rows and was delighted once the first red stripe appeared.
It really is a very easy thing to make and if you use a good thick yarn, there is quite serious protection. Plus, no one else will have a case like the one you make yourself.
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thecontentedcrafter
/ November 2, 2014See, I was wrong! And Mr Snail definitely is dancing for joy on the inside – red can do that to you!. Coincidentally I do have some very thick [recycled] dark blue yarn in a bag in a cupboard – another project to add to the list! 🙂
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narf77
/ November 2, 201424 hours? 24 days more like here! As someone who is married to a man who is my exact opposite, I am very used to being bemused and bewildered by what floats his boat. You just never know what someone else is going to love and if Mr Snail loves his new laptop bag, job well done! At least he won’t leave it on the train, it is most certainly “bright” 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 2, 2014However, I did discover that he enjoys visiting yarn shops with me… he may regret that confession!!
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narf77
/ November 3, 2014Steve comes with me to the yarn shop (under sufferance) and holds the yarn whilst muttering under his breath about how expensive it is and why don’t “we” buy a sheep and do it ourselves for nothing…sigh…
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wscottling
/ November 2, 2014I think it looks good, and good for you with keeping yourself in check at the yarn shop. 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 2, 2014I am really pleased with the result. I just kept thinking about all the lovely yarn I already have whilst I was in the store… it doesn’t usually work, but this was the exception 🙂
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davidprosser
/ November 2, 2014That looks spot on.He certainly won’t lose it.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
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katechiconi
/ November 2, 2014I am relieved I don’t have to be enthusiastic about the colour scheme. But if it’s what he wants…. and at least it will never be mistaken for anyone else’s, and it’s beautifully made, durable and washable, and… It puts me in mind of Agnes Nitt, who, you will recall, had good hair!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 2, 2014I shall name it the “Laptop Case of Nitt”!
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katechiconi
/ November 2, 2014🙂
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katythenightowl
/ November 2, 2014I’m very impressed at your discipline in only buying the yarn that you need – and I admit I quite like the one Mr Snail chose. I think, if Mr Night Owl had any sort of technical bone in his body, it’s the sort of thing he might have chosen himself 🙂
I admit to making quite a few covers now, both for laptops, and the smaller versions, for my daughter and friends, and I think they’re a lot better for keeping delicate equipment safe, than ones that can be bought ready made – with the added bonus that you can custom make them to the personality of whomever you making them for (my daughter had hers made with a lovely variegated Camo yarn I had in my stash).
I’ve been quite slack with my crochet recently, although I admit that, despite the size of my present yarn stash, I did give in and buy some wonderful yarn to make a coat for my daughter – as, despite the said – very large – stash, I couldn’t find anything suitable! {cough, cough} Lol
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 2, 2014The trouble with a stash is that it NEVER contains exactly the yarn you need. I am trying only to buy yarn for specific projects at the moment… problem is I keep adding projects!!
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youngatfifty
/ November 2, 2014He surely looks seriously pleased. And proud too of this one of a kind, ‘homemade’ protection for his laptop. Hats off to you for the self restraint in the shop. If I was in your place, I would have exploited his presence and purse to indulge a bit 😀
But I am just wondering if he will have the patience to button and unbutton the case, every time he needs to use it. I find it cumbersome even to boot my laptop everytime in the morning 😉
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 2, 2014He’s a big fan of velcro – which provides the closure on the case for one of his other gadgets that I felted for him. This time, however, buttons were the only thing I had to hand… and I think he quite liked the contrast between modern technology and antique buttons!
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youngatfifty
/ November 3, 2014sure, vintage and technology do blend in rather finely like in this case (pun intended) 😉 Agree velcros are the best closures for such projects. I use them for almost all my crochet and fabric pouches where I don’t use zips.
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Nice piece of work
/ November 3, 2014Love this post 🙂
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Anne Phillips
/ November 3, 2014I did offer to provide similar protection for our sons laptop but was met with such a look of scorn I realised it was a knitted bridge too far too cross for him! I am impressed with your self control in the wool shop, although I too have restrained myself as I have so much yarn and material at the moment I need to “clear the backlog” as my stash hiding places are bursting at the seems. Trouble is I have a very nice lady in the charity shop who taps the window when I walk by if she has any yarn or material she thinks I might want!!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 3, 2014My yarn shop has just introduced a loyalty card… buy yarn and you get to buy more yarn 10% cheaper! I think that’s designed to lead me astray!!
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KerryCan
/ November 3, 2014I think it’s wonderful that you could make this yourself, instead of having to buy an impersonal case that would look like everyone else’s! I like the idea, too, that he saw the pattern as looking like pixels!
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writinghouse
/ November 3, 2014As the Snail knows, I take my appearance and modelling career very seriously! Actually, it was probably just wind. The case is brilliant and was created faster than I crochet a row of unevenness. The pattern just looks like it is a screenshot from an old Sinclair ZX Spectrum game, from a time when you used a computer with a warm soldering iron nearby, in case things went wrong.
My laptop loves it too!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ November 3, 2014And just in time for the autumn chill that has finally arrived!
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gentlestitches
/ November 4, 2014It is wonderful. I think you have been inspired by the aussie art and knitting sent to you. As soon as I saw it I immediately thought of Australia with those bold and interesting colors. It isn’t just a laptop cover it is a work of art. ❤
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arlingwoman
/ November 6, 2014I like the stripes and the buttons. Good for you! And fast as well. I’d probably still be thinking about dimensions…
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