Here is a fun and quick design that can be adapted in so many ways – choose whatever colours you like and decorate with beads, stitching and embroidery.
Small amounts of various coloured rovings
2 × size 40 triangular needles, for shaping
1–2 × size 42 triangular needles, for surface finishing
10cm length of 1mm gauge gold or brass wire
2 × 4mm round beads
Thin-nosed pliers
Wire clippers
Various threads and beads, for decoration (optional)
Finished size: 9 × 5cm
1 Take a length of body roving measuring 10 × 4cm. Fold part of it over so that you have a fatter end for the head and shape the snail torso, using two size 40 needles.
2 Take a length of shell roving measuring 20 × 4cm. Double it over and shape a tapering tube. Remember to turn as you work so that you get a nice roundness. Don’t overwork it; it needs to retain some softness for the next step.
3 Wind the tube into a simple coiled shell. (It doesn’t have to look perfect at this stage.) You can needle-felt the shell directly onto the body, but if you find this too fiddly, tack the pieces together with some basic stitches.
4 Now work carefully to make a nicely shaped shell and body. One needle is best for this, so that you can get clean, detailed lines.
5 Tidy the surface by covering each section with a thin layer of wool. Where possible, make sure the covering fibres follow the same direction as the body fibres.
6 For the snail’s eyes, bend the wire into a shallow curve and then insert it through the front of the head. Add a bead to each end and use pliers to bend a little loop so that they won’t fall off, or slide down the wire. Snip off any excess wire. Decorate the shell however you want, using fancy stitching and beads, or just leave it simple and stylish.