TWO SNAILS (plus a dog and a dragon)

Mollusc Mascots

This article first appeared elsewhere on February 28, 2008. What was true then is most likely not true today when I reposted it here.

On the very day that Two Snails was born, I found this at Flickr. It was fate calling, surely. I followed the link to Etsy. I now have a knitting pattern from which to fashion two wee mascots for the van. No yarn yet, so these may be a while in coming, but rest assured, they will appear here in the fullness of time. Shall we dangle them in the windscreen, like furry dice? Once Two Snails hits the road, there will be much knitting. It is a portable craft and Mrs Snail will be needing amusements when parked up in strange places. A spinning wheel will be touring with The Snails also. It is difficult to imagine taking much more crafty stuff on the road but over the next couple of years, Mrs Snail will be developing new skills in portable crafts and stocking up with travel-size kits for each. Tatting will certainly be in an improvement phase shortly – can there be a more portable craft? The cameras will certainly hit the road too – what would the Two Snails blog be, without postcards to send back home? So, camera skills must be honed too, as the library of photography magazines and manuals will be disposed of prior to departure. There are outline plans – more ambitions, really – to learn drawing and painting before the Snail Bus hits the road. These offer other ways to illustrate tales of the Snail Trail, and to pass time. A sketch book and travel set of paints will take up very little room in the van. The whole kit and caboodle should take up less room than Mr Snail’s angling gear and wellies, for sure. So, five busy years ahead. The planning of the trip seems a minor part, when viewing the plans to learn the skills and languages needed to support Two Snails and the Snail Bus and menagerie on the road. Fitting in the development of a range of new creative skills as well – can it be done? With two lucky knitted mollusc mascots on board, how can snails go wrong? I had better get some casting on done!

Comment: One learning point so far from our early adventures with Brunhilde - my spinning wheel is to large/heavy to come with us. We do have a 12v supply on board, so I may be able to use the little Ashford e-Spinner.

Categories: Pre-history

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