Got a bloke in your life who doesn’t want any more socks or scarves? A Goth granddaughter who hates pink? Or a skateboard-mad son? Well why not appeal to two of their weaknesses at once - their laptop and a love of all things skulls?
I’m married to MyTarPit, an urban artist. Since childhood he’s been fascinated by deleted computer-game characters. He allows them to evolve and then paints them on canvases that he sets free in public. Recently, he did a canvas of a skull in 8-bit style and it sparked an idea. He’d wanted a customised laptop pouch for ages, so I made him one, with his own 8-bit skull character on it.

DIFFICULTY: Beginner. Double crochet all the way. Just change colour according to the chart! Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS: made to fit a MacBook laptop measuring 32.5cm/12.8inch wide x 22.5cm/8.9inch deep x 2cm/0.8inch tall. Finished pouch measures 34.5cm/13.6inch x 24.5cm/9.6inch

MATERIALS:
Yarn
For store purchased yarn: Spoil Yourself – Adriafil Llama classic (50% Llama, 50%wool) in your two favourite contrasting colours. It’s a soft accessory addition to your laptop.

For homespun yarn: Dark Jacob handspun (100%wool, 394 yds 360 meters / 10.3 oz 290g) spun to 9 wpi. Double up the yarn, crocheting 2 strands together at once.
White Shetland handspun (100%wool, 79 yds 72 meters / 2 oz 56g) spun to 9 wpi. Double up the yarn, crocheting 2 strands together at once.
Stashbusting yarn: Use dark, chunky wool leftovers for the main pouch, as a background stripe will work well against the white skull.
NEEDLE/HOOK SIZE: G/4.5mm hook.
NOTIONS: 22 stitch markers. Pins. Bodkin or darning needle with large eye. Large kilt pin.
TENSION/GAUGE: 10cm/3.9inch x 10cm/3.9inch swatch. 9st x 9 rows of dc.