Do I have too much time on my hands.....?

[witsendwv]

...or does anyone else make their own shells. I have seen lovely handmade credentials, but not so many shells. I got the idea from Liz Brandt two years ago when we walked the Camino Primitivo. She posted her shells and I made similar ones that were beige with red stiches. This past week I have been working on shells for the end of the month. (My pack is not full and the laundry is not done, but I am sewing.) They are Flecha yellow and Camino blue. The front says Camino Portugues and A Guarda, Galicia. The back of one has an arrow with Ultreia and the other Et Suseia. As I said, I must have too much time on my hands, and a sewing machine that is smarter than me. We will be starting our walk on Nov. 24.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

but not so many shells

My only shell was carved from wood by a woodcarver plying his trade just before Cacabelos.

 

[TaraWalks]

My sister and I walked together in 2016. Our shells were from a collection we found 40 years ago on a family trip to the coast. I drilled the holes by hand with a Swiss Army knife and threaded a ribbon through each. The ribbon came from a gift my sister gave me and Bears the name of a much loved Australian designer. My shell has seen two Caminos!

 

[trecile]

I bought this decorated shell in Santiago this year. It may go on my backpack for my next Camino.

 

[TaraWalks]

I bought this decorated shell in Santiago this year. It may go on my backpack for my next Camino.
View attachment 48428

I bought one almost the same for my best friend when I was in SDC in April!

 

[trecile]

I bought one almost the same for my best friend when I was in SDC in April!

Aren't they pretty? I didn't see any like them on my previous two times on Santiago.

 

[TaraWalks]

I know! So beautiful. That was the first time I saw the them too. I didntnitice them in 2016 otherwise I would've bought one!

 

[Felice]

My shell is quite small. I picked it up on the beach in the Sultanate of Oman, in the middle east, shortly before we finally returned home after nearly a decade living there. It went with me on all 5 of my Spanish caminos. This summer, I walked my first French camino, starting in Le Puy. I had put my shell in my carry on bag for safety, but when I got it out in the evening, ready for the start the next day, it was broken at the top. Not sure if it was trying to tell me something.....

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I bought this decorated shell in Santiago this year. It may go on my backpack for my next Camino.
View attachment 48428

If you want to have a try yourself here are some guidance pamphlets. Once you know the secret it's quite simple but getting a smooth, parallel set of lines takes patience.
Apparently the secret of how these were drawn was a mystery for years until somebody found an uncompleted one and noticed the the matrix of dots around which the lines are drawn.
Enjoy!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

The shell I use on my backpack is a smaller size (weighs less ). It is from trips we've made to warmer shores in winter and it's been with me the 4 times I've walked caminos.
While waiting at the airport gate in Chicago for my Madrid flight last year a man came up to me to inquire if I was going to be walking the Camino Frances as he had noticed my shell. We struck up a nice conversation as he was starting his first camino and had some questions. I then saw him periodically the whole way to Santiago...sometimes it's a small world!

 

[witsendwv]

My sister and I walked together in 2016. Our shells were from a collection we found 40 years ago on a family trip to the coast. I drilled the holes by hand with a Swiss Army knife and threaded a ribbon through each. The ribbon came from a gift my sister gave me and Bears the name of a much loved Australian designer. My shell has seen two Caminos!

I love that idea. I have shells from other trips, but I am not brave enough to try and drill a hole in one. I think I would end up with bits and pieces.

 

[witsendwv]

I bought this decorated shell in Santiago this year. It may go on my backpack for my next Camino.
View attachment 48428

Do you remember where you purchased this shell? It is beautiful.

 

[witsendwv]

If you want to have a try yourself here are some guidance pamphlets. Once you know the secret it's quite simple but getting a smooth, parallel set of lines takes patience.
Apparently the secret of how these were drawn was a mystery for years until somebody found an uncompleted one and noticed the the matrix of dots around which the lines are drawn.
Enjoy!

I downloaded these to read later. I don't think my hand would be so steady or my eyesight keen enough to follow through! Thanks.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I love that idea. I have shells from other trips, but I am not brave enough to try and drill a hole in one. I think I would end up with bits and pieces.

Not too close to the edge, try a small "pilot" hole first, little bit of lubrication (cooking oil will do!), then a slightly bigger hole once you've broken through. Practice on a piece of stiff plastic first!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

A friend I met on my first camino made me this wooden shell momento for Christmas that year. He used the Latin spelling of my name that was on my compostela.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

A friend I met on my first camino made me this wooden shell momento for Christmas that year. He used the Latin spelling of my name that was on my compostela.
View attachment 48452

Very nice indeed!

 

[trecile]

Do you remember where you purchased this shell? It is beautiful.

I saw them in several tourist shops in Santiago. I don't remember exactly which one. Most had St James sword on them, but I wanted the celtic design.

 

[AlwynWellington]

does anyone else make their own

I did'nt make my own.

But I carry two shells picked off beaches near where I live by friends and given to me. They are on either side at the top of my pack. They are both small - about 25 mm (1 inch) each.

One is, of course, a scallop shell.

The other is found around the Pacific. It is a Paua (north Americans might say Abalone) shell It is special to me as a nearby village is called Paua'ta'ha'nui. Translated from te reo (the language) Maori it says the place where Paua were gathered.

If people ask me about the shells I say one indicates my destination and the other where I have come from.