The Latest Seashell Model **

Long time no postings -  excuse is I have had to extensively repair holes in my caravan after the visit of a big brown snake with a black head, inside chasing a mouse 8th Feb 2014!  Not every day does one have such an excuse.

So I was excited to sit down and begin to crochet another new model.  I did it the hard way -  first row with right hand;  second and alternate rows with the left hand, without turning.   You can do it the usual way, using only one hand to work the yarn;  it makes a ridge.  I wanted an even surface on the outside.  Well,  as you can see,  it is not a perfect model,  but it looks a little bit like the shell on the cover of Barry Wilson's book:-

It began with 8 stitches,  to 13,  to 21,  to 34,  to 55,  all with 4 rows between;
to 89  repeated for 12 rows,  then 55,  then 34..
You can see the LHS is wider-  I used 2 strands of "2 ply"cotton  for 5 stitches all along the edge,  and at the beginning; (the oldest part of the shell becomes thicker, with time....)  the middle has 1 strand of 2 ply.
The RHS has "1 ply" equivalent ( candlewick cotton).
I had to stitch the top rhs corner so all lines come together at the tip
The rhs curls under to form a right hand spiral which is usual in Nature.  Left hand spirals do exist but they are rare-  maybe in another dimension or universe the rule may be left hand.....

Please see previous post 2/3/2014- "The Real Seashell, Updating" for method behind the structure.
Also past posts cross references - 2/2/2012,  1/19/2012.....  it is not possible to repeat everything all the time.

I have  drawn in the join lines....a 377 model might be better.... or an even bigger one!

When sewing the 34 row to under the last 89 row I used a knitting needle or skewer to hold the piece (like an extra finger) so that I could stitch the 34 row almost from underneath.  I shall have to do a drawing to describe the top ......it needs more study.

Maybe the first rows might be better with only 2 rows between them.  I supported these models on a Japanese pillow filled with buckwheat = like a beanbag.  I shall make some more small beanbags because these models tend to topple over on flat surfaces.  The author, Aydin Orstan, of www.snailstales.blogspot.com  uses plasticine to hold up his real snail specimen shells.

---more seashell models will be made in good time---

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