SEA SNAIL SPIRAL

DIFFICULTY:

The pattern created by this string art reminds me of a snail shell. The spiral formed is a special one, called a logarithmic spiral. To make it easier to understand, I’ll demonstrate the steps through pictures. Once you get the rhythm down, this piece is really fun to make.

Materials

Pine board: 1" × 10" (2.5cm × 25.5cm), cut to square and stained (Shown: Minwax Water-Based Wood Finish in Dark Walnut)

5⁄8" (1.6cm) silver nails

Embroidery floss in 1 color (Shown: DMC 3853/Dark Autumn Gold)

Photocopy of pattern (page 107)

Picture-hanging hardware

2 felt furniture pads

Tools: Hammer, needle-nose pliers

Basic supplies: Superglue, scissors, transparent tape

Techniques Used

Preparing a board (page 8)

Applying a nail pattern (page 9)

Stringing basics (pages 10–11)

Finished Size (h × w)

9.5" × 9.5" (24cm × 24cm)

  1. Position and tape down your pattern on the board.
  2. Hammer the nails through your pattern to form the circle. Wait to correct any crooked nails until the circle is finished. Step back and check that the pattern looks circular. Gently tap nails from the side if they are noticeably offset. Remove the pattern and debris.
  3. Tie your crochet string onto any nail. Trim the string and seal your knot with glue. This will be Nail 1.
  4. Move one nail to the right and wrap your string onto the nail (see photo 4). This will be Nail 2.

  5. Skip a nail to the right and wrap your string on Nail 4 (see photo 5).

  6. Return back to Nail 2, wrap with string, then pass Nail 3 (one to the right) and through the inside of the circle to the next available nail on the right (Nail 5) and wrap that nail (see photos 6.1–6.2).

  7. Now that you’re on Nail 5, skip a nail to Nail 7 and return across the inside of the circle to Nail 4 (see photos 7.1–7.2).

  8. You should be on Nail 4; now move one to the right and wrap around Nail 5 (see photo 8).

  9. Similar to step 6, stretch your string across the inside of the circle from Nail 5 to the next available nail (Nail 8) and wrap that nail (see photo 9).

  10. From Nail 8, you’ll skip to Nail 10, returning across to the next nail in the sequence, Nail 6. You can see the pattern forming in photo 10. On one side, we are working nail by nail, in order—returning to Nail 6 and moving only one to Nail 7, returning to Nail 8 and moving only one to Nail 9. While on the other side, we are stretching to the next available nail and skipping one before the return.

  11. Continue around the circle in this pattern for as long as you’d like (see photos 11.1–11.2). I chose to stop just before the spiral closed. Once you’ve decided to stop, wrap a few layers of border on the outside of the circle (see photo 11.2). Tie, trim, and seal your knot.

  12. Attach your picture-hanging hardware and felt pads to the back. Enjoy!

RETRO SEA SNAIL (BASIC CIRCLE) PATTERN

Enlarge at 200%.