Free Pattern: Draft Snake

If you landed here from The Daily Green, welcome! I hope all of my readers enjoy crocheting this draft snake as much as I did.  If you're wondering what to do with leftover crochet yarns or single skeins of pretties, this is your lucky day. This free 'n' easy pattern uses basic crochet stitches, yarns you already own, and is sure to lower your heating bills!

To get started, round up the yarns you'd like to use. (Yarn scraps should be at least 36 inches long.) If a yarn is thin, use it along with one or two other yarns. Furry, lumpy, and feathery yarns are fantastic for draft snakes because the extra texture blocks drafts under the door the best. If you use highly textured yarns like I did, crochet them along with a coordinating color of a standard smooth worsted weight yarn. The smooth yarn will make it easier for you to see where to place your stitches.

If you use all smooth yarns--for example, 3 worsted weight strands of Red Heart or Simply Soft acrylic held together--the snake will have a cool woven basket look instead. It will also be more stiff.

I glued big flat-backed acrylic gems for the eyes, and with thin red crochet thread I crocheted a forked tongue, which required heavy stiffener. For this pattern though, do yourself a favor: cut a piece of red felt into a long snake tongue shape and call it a day. In keeping with the snake's stylin' bling I edged the snake eyes with glittery gold 3-D fabric paint, and drew a gold vein on the tongue.

Scrappy Draft Snake, the Pattern

Please help me preserve Scrappy's copyright by referring friends to this DesigningVashti 1/29/09 blog entry instead of distributing your own copies. This pattern is intended for crocheters over the age of 12 who take full responsibility for using safe materials. Thanks!

Supplies:

• Your own special stash of yarns, some with high texture for EDP (enhanced draft protection).
  
• Size M/#13/9mm crochet hook or best hook size for you. The goal is a comfortably tight gauge; as long as the stuffing won't show, you're using the right hook for you and your yarns.
  
• A stitch marker
  
• Stuffing
  
• Fabric scrap (such as felt) cut into snake tongue shape
  
• Yarn needle that is sharp enough to sew through fabric scrap
  
• Flat-backed gems or googly eyes, and fabric glue for them (if children in the home are under 3, securely sewn-on eyes instead of glued are safer.)
  

Abbreviations:

ch = chain

sc = single crochet

sl st = slip stitch

st, sts = stitch, stitches

rep = repeat

rnd = round

RS, WS = right side, wrong side

Begin Snake at its tail end: Ch 2.

Rnd 1: work 6 sc into 2nd ch from hook (or use the method of your choice for crocheting in the rnd with a closed center hole). Place st marker in 6th sc. Rnds will be worked in a spiral without joining rnds and without turning after each rnd. Move st marker to the last st of each rnd so that you can count your rnds. The backs of the sts will be the outside of the snake (i.e. the RS) because high texture falls to the backs of crochet sts.

Rnd 2: (2 sc in the next sc, sc in the next sc) around, move marker: 9 sc.

Rnd 3: Sc in each sc around, move marker: 9 sc.

Rnd 4: (2 sc in next sc, sc in each of next 2 sc) around, move marker: 12 sc.

Rnd 5: Rep rnd 3. 

Rnd 6: (2 sc in next sc, sc in each of next 3 sc) around, move marker: 15 sc.

Rnd 7: Rep rnd 3.

Rnd 8: (2 sc in next sc, sc in each of next 4 sc) around, move marker: 18 sc.

Rnd 9: Rep rnd 3. Snake tail is complete.

Snake Body and Head: Rep rnd 3 until snake is as long as desired; I made mine to fit a 35" doorway snugly. Fasten off with a yarn tail about 12 inches long. Snake opening is the mouth.

Stuff snake.

Sew mouth closed: with yarn needle and yarn tail, sew snake mouth tightly closed around tongue so that seam creates a rounded snake's mouth. 

Glue (or sew) eyes securely.