What with one thing and another I’m having a bit of a difficult week, but rather than dwell on it I’m going to focus on positive activities…
The weekend before last, Mr Snail mentioned that he had lost his grey woolly scarf – he’s had it as long as I have known him, so it is quite a loss. He didn’t ask me to make him a new one, he just resorted to wearing a cotton one instead. Of course, the temptation was too much for me, so last week I went to Red Apple Yarn especially to seek out some wool to knit a replacement. There is so much to tempt in there, but what I really wanted was some genuinely local wool.
Lovely local yarn
I chose some organic Wensleydale (that’s the breed, not the location) produced in Brechfa, which is less than 30 miles from home. I’ve been looking for an excuse to buy some of this lovely, soft yarn for ages. I’m delighted by the way the scarf is turning out and the wool is lovely to work with. The colours are natural and I’ve even found a couple of tiny bits of vegetation in it… further demonstrating its close to nature credentials!
At the other end of the spectrum – to be bright and cheerful – I have been amusing myself with making scrunchies to add to my stock for forthcoming craft fairs. I must thank Narf for this idea – they are fun to crochet, use up oddments of yarn and I can make them up as I go along.
Scrunchies
The Snail of Happiness 
davidprosser
/ February 18, 2015I hope the latter half of the week is much better for you. Jon’s scarf looks great.
xxx Gigantic Hugs xxx
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 19, 2015It is improving…thank you
xxx hugs xxx
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Tatha
/ February 18, 2015The scarf is looking very very lovely!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 19, 2015It feels nice too!
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narf77
/ February 18, 2015BIG hugs Ms Snail. I am sending you wafts of our (admittedly humid) summer to cheer you up and warm the cockles of your heart. Whatever it is that is laying you low in spirit or anything else, know that it’s bound to change soon. Change is always inevitable and it works both ways. Lovely scarf and bummer to Mr Snail on losing his scarf. Sometimes you hang onto things for years and then one day they disappear (usually because Stevie-boy is doing the washing up and something takes a tumble…this isn’t pertinent to scarves though, he hasn’t quite lost it THAT bad yet 😉 ). Glad you are making lovely bright and most tasty looking scrunchies for your stall Ms Snail. They look almost good enough to eat! (Can you tell it is almost narf’s breakfast time here? 😉 )
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 19, 2015This week I made a decision to make a big change – the result has been short-term stress, but in the long-term it will mean a more peaceful life. I started writing a blog post about it, but that just made me feel even more stressed, so crochet it is!!
I think the scrunchies would make a rather chewy breakfast!!
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narf77
/ February 19, 2015Sometimes funneling stressful things off into furious and furtive crafting does wonders where any other techniques would have you twitching under the bed. Here’s hoping your decision for big changes delivers that peaceful life gently into your lap like a purring kitty Ms Snail. I HATE change. It turns me from a happy narf into a snarly behemoth who growls from under the bed. Stevie-boy and I spent a day familiarising ourselves with the software we have to use to create 3D projects in our new course. ‘Banshee’ would be more appropriate than behemoth for yesterday :(. Maybe I will crochet some granny squares today while I am standing on my head trying to understand the ‘nice man who goes REALLY fast and who forgets to tell beginners in his ‘beginner tutorials’ the basic things that he is doing to arrive at the ‘steps’ in his tutorials. That’s change on wheels Ms Snail! HUGE hugs for your own change and here’s to fast adaptation and minimal banshee guest appearances 🙂
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writinghouse
/ February 18, 2015As if I’m not already lucky enough to live with the snail, I get a wonderful scarf too! Yay! Plus, I bet the weather will get even warmer now!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 19, 2015It’s a magic scarf… the bringer of spring!
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Wild Daffodil
/ February 18, 2015Do I know you well enough to give you a cyber hug! Difficult weeks are helped in my world by being able to concentrate on the creative and the positive in blogland – it seems like that might be the same for Mrs (Ms?) Snail. I LOVE the look of those natural organic ripples – hope Mr Snail snuggles up with joy!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 19, 2015You do indeed… we are all friends here! You are quite right, the support that I find here is so valuable… and I suppose that I’m Dr Snail!!
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quarteracrelifestyle
/ February 18, 2015I hope things improve for you xx I can feel the snuggleness of that lovely soft scarf from here!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 19, 2015Thank you – the yarn is really lovely to work with. I do like natural fibres, but wool really is my favourite.
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katechiconi
/ February 18, 2015Zen hugs from cyclone country! I love your choice of displacement activity, so much more creative than sitting around focussing on negative stuff. It’s 4am here, and we are waiting for Tropical Cyclone Marcia to make landfall in the next few hours. The severe weather path stretches to just south of Mackay, so while the HoC is at work I’m on weather watch. Perhaps some creative displacement of my own, but of a less woolly nature…?
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 19, 2015I really hope you are surviving the cyclone without damage to you or the house. At least my stress is all in my head – yours is so much more tangible.
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katechiconi
/ February 19, 2015Stress is stress, and having a practical problem to deal with is sometimes easier. But yes, we’re fine, the house is in one piece, the shed nearly so, and some other lucky person is copping the brunt of it!
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hotelgoddess
/ February 18, 2015beautiful!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 19, 2015Thank you
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thecontentedcrafter
/ February 18, 2015I like the way you refuse to be cornered by concerns! Mr Snails scarf is delicious, I love the ripples! The scrunchies are such a great idea – I do believe I may seek some in the correct colours for purchasing should you display your wares somewhere?? I quite fancy the idea of swanning about Washington DC with a scrunchie from the SoH in my hair!! 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 19, 2015What colours would you choose? The ones in the photo are the result of random choices from yarn that I have lying around, plus an attempt at variety – some subtle some exuberant. I’ve just bought a large pack of the elastic thingies that form the foundation (Mr Snail calls them ‘spoinglies’) so I’ve got lots of opportunity to make a whole rainbow of scrunchies!
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thecontentedcrafter
/ February 19, 2015I would probably choose blues and greens – and any colour that sits more toward the autumnal end of the spectrum, but I do love me some bright blue 🙂
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thecontentedcrafter
/ February 19, 2015I went and had another look at the pic and the bright blue at the top of the photo is a perfect colour. If you have some brown/black yarn too that would be pretty good for me…..
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Nice piece of work
/ February 19, 2015Love the scarf and the scrunchies. How about a pic of Mr Snail doing the modelling (for both,maybe?) 🙂 xxx Hope your week is improving.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 19, 2015Perhaps I should make him a matching scrunchie!
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KerryCan
/ February 19, 2015I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the ways making something, anything, helps us deal with frustration, grief, worry, and a raft of other emotions. I’m glad you have an outlet that brings you comfort!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 19, 2015I do find doing something creative incredibly helpful… although depending on my level of agitation, it may have to be something really simple! I know that things are really bad if I can’t even rustle up a granny square!!
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Sarah
/ February 20, 2015Hi you, sending tight hugs, as you would send me, no matter or whatever, hope to talk to you v soon xxx like in the morning
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arlingwoman
/ February 20, 2015Oh I could feel the softness of that yarn when I saw the picture. Really lovely–and the stripes are very attractive. I always find that doing something concrete–gardening, drawing, making something, cleaning out the pantry–gives me time to settle, and changes the focus so things look different, not always better, but clearer. Soon it will be the weekend. And soon enough, spring. Feel better soon.
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iamsimplyhooked
/ February 20, 2015Sorry to hear you have been having a difficult time. The scarf looks lovely and will be warming in more ways than one.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ February 20, 2015So right… and things are moving on now, so I’m feeling better!
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