Snakes -- Let's hear it for the BOYS!

All the little boys I have ever known love toy snakes!

They like the rubber ones that stretch and stretch and seem to appear in Grandmas's Chair!

They like to keep them in their pockets and pretend to make them bite you.

I used to keep a pot of plastic snakes to interest the "littlies," especially the boys in some counting, when in truth they would rather be playing with cars on the carpet!

So I thought snakes would be a good filler for the Christmas boxes with boys in mind!

Kathy uses a simple pattern, so I was off, using all the scraps in my stash!

Here are the instructions if you would like to make a snake for someone in your life!

I think they look particularly effective if you use 2 strands of different coloured wool together.

Row1. Chain 3 and slip stitch in the first stitch to make a loop.

 Row 2. Work 8  Double Crochet stitches into the loop. You may have to wiggle your hook a little to fit them all in and slip stitch stitch into the first stitch to complete your round.

Row3. Work 8 more Double Crochets into the top of  the stitches on the previous row not the central loop. By keeping your tension quite tight you will see the beginning of an acorn cup shape starting to appear which will become the snakes head.

Row 4. Repeat Row 3 but at the end of your row close the head by working a few Double Crochet stitches across the open circle.

This makes the head. You could always work a few more rounds of double crochet if you wanted a bigger head or experiment with the closing double crochets if you wanted a flatter shape.

 

Row 5. Chain 40 and turn.

Row 6. Double Crochet back to the head with 1 stitch in each chain. It's magic, it curls as you work with no effort whatsoever!

When you reach the head place 1 Double Crochet into the head shape to make the body firm.

Now the fun begins. Make your snake as fierce as you like!

Make a loop and stitch the wool backwards and forwards through the centre of the head ( you should not be able to see these stitches ) to make the tongue secure.

Snip the loop and here we have a hissing snake!

If you have any problems with this pattern please email me.
BUT one of the things I love about crochet is you really don't have to worry as it always seems to work out just right!
One word of warning--- they are totally addictive and seem to multiply all on their own and you end up with snakes everywhere!

The " Sporty One" even requested 1 for his pull along suitcase to distinguish it from the others at the airport.
I would have thought his label was sufficient!

Mine certainly is!

I am also have a fiddle with another boys toy for Operation Christmas Child.
 Can you guess what it is?

Will fiddle a bit more and then pop the instructions on here if you want to be overun by a different kind of beast!