The first rule of Squirrel Club is you do not talk about Squirrel Club. Yeah, who are we kidding? Squirrel Picnic is nothing like Fight Club, but we do make soap. In case you ever wondered how it’s made, here’s a quick overview. Continue Reading →
Author Archives: Squirrel Picnic
Happy World Wide Knit in Public Day!
Get out your yarn and knitting needles or crochet hooks. Grab your friends, and head to your nearest park for a day of knitting, crocheting, and sharing your love of yarn with your neighbors. Or just pack your current project in your bag and work on it wherever the day takes you.
Knit in Public Day began in 2005 as a way to give knitters an opportunity to meet each other, because as any knitter can tell you, knitting can be a pretty solitary hobby. Since then, it has become the largest knitter run event in the world, with local events held in Australia, China, England, France, Ireland, Norway, South Africa, the United States and many more countries.
I’ll be knitting a sleeveless top out of that coral-colored KnitPicks yarn I showed you back in March. It’s about time I got this done, and I can’t wait to get out into the sun for a day of plein air knitting! What will you be working on?
Crochet Picnic Basket Pattern
A picnic basket is the perfect summer accessory for your crocheted squirrel friends.
Picnic Basket
Finished size is 2″ tall.
Materials:
Size 0 (3.25 mm) steel crochet hook
Small amount of Vanna’s Choice Worsted Weight in Honey
Pipe cleaner cut to about 2″
Instructions:
Ch 2
Round 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook
Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around (12)
Round 3: *1 sc, 2 sc in next sc, repeat from * 5 more times. (18) Join with slst.
Rounds 4-7: Sc in the BL of each sc around. Join with slst.
Bend the pipe cleaner into the shape of a handle and arrange in the basket. Sc about 15 sts around the pipe cleaner and slst in the sc of the top row on the opposite side of the basket. FO and weave in ends. Trim ends of pipe cleaner.
Fill the basket with yummy things and take your squirrel on a picnic!
Squirrel Picnic Throws a Welcome Party for Eric
The residents of Squirrel Picnic threw a party to welcome their newest member, Eric, to the neighborhood.
But Eric never showed up.
So they waited and waited until finally a little bird flew by, dropping an invitation on the picnic table.
So Podge scampered off to Eric’s laboratory to deliver his welcome basket.
To be continued…
Make Your Own Hodge and Podge and… Eric?
It’s my opinion that everyone should have a squirrel friend. Now you can make your very own, modeled after Hodge and Podge or the newest resident of Squirrel Picnic, Eric.
Eric is a bioengineer from NIT (Nut Institute of Technology) who has come all the way to Colorado to genetically modify a tree that will grow the biggest nuts on earth. Even though Hodge and Podge aren’t quite sure what to make of him yet, they know the best way to get to know a new neighbor is to throw him a welcome party, which has been tentatively scheduled for later this week. Be sure to stop by to see how that goes down.
Eric (and his cousin Stoney) are made with medium weight yarn. They’re a bit smaller than Hodge and Podge, but that seems to suit their personalities just fine: what they lack in size they make up for in machismo. Both sizes can be made with this pattern. Use worsted weight yarn for Hodge and Podge and medium weight for Eric.
Crochet Your Own Squirrel Friend Continue Reading →
Tina’s Clean Dish Day Party
What’s the one thing you should do when you finally clean all your dishes for the first time in months? Throw a party to celebrate of course! After a day spent up to her elbows in suds, Tina invited all her friends over to make good use of her newly cleaned china with plenty of delicious food.
Make It! Challenge #5: Crochet Bowser Sweater for a Turtle
For Make It! Challenge #5, Lisa Egolf challenged me to crochet a sweater for her turtle, Myrtle, so that he would be easy to spot when she lets him loose to play in the courtyard of the school where she teaches science. “I think bright yet manly colors would be best,” she said, because after all this Myrtle is male (don’t judge). So I set out to design the most masculine turtle sweater I could.
I don’t know about you, but when I think of a beefy, manly turtle, my first thought is of Bowser. If you’re familiar with the Super Mario Bros. video game franchise, you undoubtedly remember Bowser as the game’s super villain. The object of the ’80s Nintendo game is to get the main character Mario through the Mushroom Kingdom, survive Bowser′s attacks, and save Princess Toadstool. Running into Bowser, with his spiny shell, pug nose, and domineering height, is enough to make little Mario shiver.
Myrtle definitely looks like he could do some damage in his Bowser sweater. Go on, Myrtle! Go get your princess and take back your Mushroom Kingdom.
Crochet Bowser Sweater for a Turtle… Continue Reading →
Challenge Me to Make Something Awesome
There’s no doubt about it. Friends of Squirrel Picnic, or fellow picnickers if you will, are some of the most creative, innovative, and humorous people I’ve ever met. You have big imaginations, and you’re not afraid to try new things. Best of all, you agree that the world needs a lot more fun.
Through the Make It! Challenge over the past six months, some of you have inspired me and pushed me to my craftiest. You’ve challenged me to make a toddler’s hat in the shape of a roast turkey, a Christmas pickle ornament, a felted sloth, and a Batman mask. And I’ve had a blast exploring your ideas and creating each one. But I want more! I have a few more challenges lined up for the rest of the year, but I also have several open slots. Now’s your chance to be included in this one-of-a-kind project.
The concept is pretty simple. If you have an idea for an awesome item that can be created through knitting, sewing, or crochet, email a detailed description and any sketches, photos, or links to me at squirrelpicnic{at}gmail{dot}com. Keep in mind, the more information you include, the better the chance that I will accept your challenge. And if I do accept your challenge, I’ll publish the pattern here at squirrelpicnic.com so that others can make my original design too. Best of all, I’ll send you the sample, free of charge, as a thank-you for your idea.
For more information and to see the Make It! Challenge Hall of Fame visit the new Make It! Challenge page. I can’t wait to see what you think up next!
Hodge & Podge No. 4
Podge: Do you remember the first time we saw a yarn-bombed tree?
Hodge: How could I forget. You said it was so sweet that someone had knit a cozy for a tree.
The Fatimal Forecast for Today Is…
Sleepy with a Chance of Thundersnores
