Bill Brown’s comic The Evil Squirrel’s Nest, which he publishes on his blog weekly on Thursdays, features a ragtag group of squirrels, skunks, cats, and various other wild animals who are always getting into something interesting. The main characters – Hooly, Odyssey, Hottie, Mini, and Clem – were all inspired by people Bill knows in real life. But of all the characters, the one most loved by fans is Rainbow Donkey, who is also the subject of this Make It! Challenge.

The story of how this “donkicorn” came to be is just as interesting as the character himself. Bill says:

“The very first drawing of the ‘unicorn’ that would become Rainbow Donkey was a small avatar for my message board…. It was one of my first attempts to draw any member of the equine family, and to say it looked like complete crap is an understatement. Even my online friends, who were very encouraging of me for what at the time was some really bad art I was drawing, couldn’t help but point out how ridiculously awful the unicorn looked — with most of the replies being that it looked like a cow. In fact, Rainbow Cow was the first nickname being bandied about for it, but being as taken in by the real life Hooly as I was at the time, when she began calling it Rainbow Donkey, the name stuck… as did the character.”

I accepted Bill’s challenge both because I admire his work and just really like him as a person and because, much like Bill had never drawn a horse before Rainbow Donkey, I had never crocheted a horse/donkey/unicorn before. It turned out though that crocheting a donkicorn wasn’t the most difficult part. The toughest thing about this challenge was trying to capture that rough but loveable charisma that has made his donkicorn character so popular among fans. It might have something to do with his illustration style.

Bill does most of his sketching by hand, then uses MS Paint (I’m so impressed by anyone who has the patience to draw a comic in Paint!) and Photoshop to bring the images to digital life.

Click here to see how he draws his comics.

Click here to see how he creates his single-frame images in Paint too!

This process creates scenes that are bright and lively and, he admits, a little rough around the edges. I think that’s what makes them so endearing, and it was my biggest hope that I would be able to capture that quirky beauty in my crocheted version of Rainbow Donkey. I hope that you, too, can see the charm in his stubby feet, giant ears, and crooked smile. Because like Bill says, it’s our flaws that make us loveable.

Click here to read more of my interview with Bill.

And as always here’s my free pattern to make your very own…

Rainbow Donkey

Finished size: 9 1/2” tall, 10” from tail to horn, and 2” wide

Materials:

* 200-250 yards worsted weight yarn in white
(Caron Simply Soft in White)
* small amount of worsted weight yarn in beige
(Caron Simply Soft in Bone)
* small amount of worsted weight yarn in black
(Caron Simply Soft in Black)
* small amounts of worsted weight yarn in each of
the colors of the rainbow for the mane and tail
* F-5 (3.75 mm) crochet hook
* Polyester Fiberfill
* Tapestry needle
* Fabric pencil
* Felt in beige, white, and red
* Embroidery floss in white, black, and blue
* Sewing needle
* Hot glue or fabric glue
* 20 mm doll joint set

Gauge:

10 scs = 2”
11 rows = 2”

Abbreviations

ch = chain
dec = decrease by single crocheting 2 together
ea = each
FL = front loop
FO = fasten off
inc = increase with 2 sc in next st
PM = place marker
rep = repeat
rnd = round
sc = single crochet
sk = skip
slst = slip stitch
st(s) = stitch(es)

Instructions

Body

With white yarn, ch 2

Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook.

Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea sc around. (12)

Rnd 3: * sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (18)

Rnd 4: * 2 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (24)

Rnd 5: * 3 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (30)

Rnd 6: * 4 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (36)

Rnd 7: * 5 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (42)

Rnds 8-15: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 16: Dec 6 times over next 12 scs, sc in ea of the next 30 scs. PM in last sc of rnd. (36)

Rnds 17-19: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 20: Making sure you are lined up with the PM at the beg of rnd 16, sc 15, dec 6 times over next 12 scs, sc 9. (30)

Rnds 21-24: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 25: * 4 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (36)

Rnd 26: * 5 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (42)

Fill this half of the body with Fiberfill before continuing with pattern.

Rnds 27-34: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 35: * 5 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (36)

Rnd 36: * 4 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (30)

Rnd 37: * 3 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (24)

Rnd 38: * 2 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (18)

Stuff the rest of the body.

Rnd 39: * Sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (12)

Rnd 40: * Sc, sk, rep from * 5 more times. (6)

FO, leaving a long tail. Thread the tail through FL of remaining 6 scs. Pull hole closed and weave in ends.

Legs (make 4)

With black yarn, ch 2.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (6)

Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea sc around. (12)

Rnd 3: *sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (18)

Rnds 4-6: Sc in ea sc around.

Switch to white yarn.

Rnds 7-17: Sc in ea sc around.

FO, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Stuff and sew the open end of each leg to the underside of the belly.

Neck

With white yarn, ch 2

Rnd 1: 10 sc in the 2nd ch from hook. (You may need to use the magic ring method to accommodate 10 scs.)

Rnd 2: Sc 2 in ea sc around. (20)

Rnd 3: *4 sc, inc, rep from * 3 more times. (24)

Rnd 4: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 5: *3 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (30)

Rnd 6-10: Rep rnd 4.

Rnd 11: * 4 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (36)

Rnd 12: Rep rnd 4.

FO, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Push the male end of the doll joint connector up through the middle hole in the top of the neck. Stuff the neck and sew to the body. It might be easier to secure the neck in place with pins before sewing.

Eyes

Cut felt into 3 circles, each with a diameter of about 1”. Using black, white, and blue floss and a satin stitch, embroider the pupil, iris, and reflection on 2 of the 3 circles.

Cut the third circle in half, then trim each into a half-moon shape. Using hot glue or fabric glue, attach each semicircle on the top half of the eye as an eyelid.

Set the eyes aside for now.

Head

With beige yarn, ch 2.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (6)

Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea sc around. (12)

Rnd 3: * sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (18)

Rnd 4: * 2 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (24)

Rnds 5-7: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 8: * 2 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (18)

Switch to white yarn.

Rnd 9: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 10: * 2 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (24)

Rnd 11: Rep rnd 9.

Rnd 12: * 3 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (30)

Rnd 13: Rep rnd 9.

Rnd 14: * 4 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (36)

Rnds 15-21: Rep rnd 9.

Rnd 22: * 4 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (30)

Rnd 23: * 3 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (24)

Rnd 24: * 2 sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (18)

Now is a good time to sew on the eyes that you had set aside earlier and embroider the nose and mouth with black embroidery floss. Note: in placing the eyes, I found it helpful to stuff the head first, pin on the eyes, and then remove the stuffing in order to sew them on.

Push the male end of the doll joint connector through a hole in the bottom center of the donkey’s head. Thread the washer and female end of the joint on. Pop the two pieces together to attach the head to the neck. Stuff head with Fiberfill. Continue with pattern to finish head.

Rnd 23: * sc, dec, rep from * 5 more times. (12)

Rnd 24: * sc, sk, rep from * 5 more times. (6)

FO, leaving a long tail. Thread the tail through FL of remaining 6 scs. Pull hole closed and weave in ends.

Ears (make 2)

With white yarn, ch 2.

Rnd 1: 4 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (4)

Rnd 2: Sc in ea sc around.

Rnd 3: 2 sc in ea sc around. (8)

Rnd 4: * 3 sc, inc, rep from * 1 more time. (10)

Rnd 5: * 4 sc, inc, rep from * 1 more time. (12)

Rnds 6-12: Rep rnd 2.

Rnd 13: * 4 sc, dec, rep from * 1 more time. (10)

Rnd 14: * 3 sc, dec, rep from * 1 more time. (8)

Rnd 15: * 2 sc, dec, rep from * 1 more time. (6)

FO, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Flatten ear and lay on top of beige felt. Trace around the ear with a fabric pencil. Cut felt about 1/4″ in from the traced line. Attach this felt appliqué to the ear with white thread and a blanket stitch.

Sew each ear to the donkey’s head.

Unicorn Horn

With white yarn, ch 2

Round 1: 4 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (4)

Round 2: Sc in each sc around.

Round 3: * Sc, inc, rep from * 1 more time. (6)

Rounds 4-5: Rep rnd 2.

Round 6: * Sc, inc, repeat from * 2 more times. (9)

Round 7-10: Rep rnd 2, slst in next sc. FO, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Stuff horn lightly, place between eyes, and sew to head.

Mane

For each color of the rainbow, cut about 24 pieces of yarn, each about 5 inches long. Starting at the top of the head, insert your crochet hook into a sc hole and up through an adjoining hole. Grab the middle of two strands of the red and pull through the stitch. Pull the free ends of the yarn through the loop and pull tight to secure (like latch hook). Repeat this for at least two more sts between the ears.

(This space may vary depending on how you placed the ears. Mine was four sts wide, so for each color, I added 3 rows of hair with each row consisting of 4 sts.)

Repeat for the rest of the colors.

Trim hair if desired. I liked how wild the hair on my Rainbow Donkey was, so I didn’t trim it at all.

Tail

For each color of the rainbow, cut 4 pieces of yarn about 10 inches long. Mix all the strands together, keeping them relatively even on the ends. Locate a spot of the donkey’s rump where you want to add the tail. Using the crochet hook, pull the strands about halfway through this st and let them drape over. Trim if needed.

Heart

Cut a heart out of felt. I’ve found the easiest way to do this is to start with a square piece of felt. Turn it so that it’s a diamond and cut a square notch into the top corner. Then round all the corners except the bottom one.  Ta-da, you have a heart.

Adhere the heart to the rump with hot glue or fabric glue.

Bill Brown of the Evil Squirrel’s Nest Tells All!

1. Of all the characters in your comic, who do you most relate to?

Evil Squirrel has pretty much adopted my personality and has essentially been my alter ego for most of his existence, so it would have to be him. ES plays the role of the regular squirrel who is surrounded by a bunch of other quirky critters and has to deal with their oddball personalities… and I think that’s something we can all relate to in life. We often think of ourselves as the one sane person in the world, and all the people we know are the weird ones!

2. Have you modeled any of their personalities after people you know in real life?

Yes!  Most of the people who I have come to know on my internet forum that ES and crew was born on have their own personalized “fursona” I created, and a few of those characters have found their way into my comic. Among my comic’s recurring characters, Hooly, Odyssey, Hottie, Mini and Clem were inspired by online friends of mine. Hooly and Odyssey really were polar opposite personalities who despised each other, Mini really has a daughter named Erin (though the real Mini is actually a very cool person and not the overprotective helicopter parent she portrays in the comic), Hottie is truly one of the sweetest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, Clem has always played an online personality of being God’s gift to women.

3. What has been your favorite episode?

Oh my, this is difficult! There are so many that I really like, but not one that really stands out! As far as reader reaction goes, the no-brainer best response I got to a comic was my Mardi Gras themed comic (#41, 2/7/13). If I had to pick one, I guess I’d go with the first comic where Buster asked for a raise (#34, 12/20/12) because I think it has one of the best “bet you didn’t see that coming” punch lines I have ever come up with.

4. Is Rainbow Donkey really a donkey?

No, he is just a very poorly drawn unicorn. The “donkey” part just stuck like a bad grade school nickname.

5. Does he have any special powers? If not, what super powers does he wish he had?

Well, Rainbow Donkey can fly! I’ve drawn numerous scenes of him soaring through the air… in fact, anyone visiting my blog will see him gliding through the sky with Angel on his back in my blog’s header. How exactly he does this is a mystery since he has no wings, though I’m guessing there’s some Pegasus in his lineage. As was seen in a previous comic (#53, 5/2/13), Rainbow Donkey does not excrete colorful bodily fluids as unicorns are often claimed to be able to do, so his powers are certainly limited. He does have the power to win over legions of fans, and I continue to be surprised at how popular a character he has become!

6. Is Rainbow Donkey the only one of his kind?

While there may be other poorly drawn unicorns out there, none of them are as down to earth and have an “everyman” persona like Rainbow Donkey does. You would think a unicorn with a bright white coat and a beautiful rainbow-colored mane and tail would be an extraordinary, magical, and even perfect creature. But he is not. He has self-esteem issues. He gets into awkward situations. If he wore them, he’d no doubt put his pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us. He is a reminder to us all that no matter how perfect and magnificent we might think we are, we all have our faults and there’s nothing wrong with that! And vice versa… though we may seem like we have many issues in life, there’s still a part of us that’s beautiful and that makes people like us!

7. Why is a unicorn hanging out with a bunch of squirrels and possums and such?

Good question. I blame my four younger sisters, whose toys of the ’80s (Rainbow Brite, My Little Pony, etc.) were quite influential on my artistic style. They supplied the colorful cuteness, and I supplied the warped sense of humor which helps make ES and the gang so unique!

8. What does Rainbow Donkey eat?

I think the only thing I have ever drawn Rainbow Donkey eating before is common ordinary grass (#53, 5/2/13), although in that same comic, the “evidence” seems to suggest he’s also been sneaking candy bars from the other characters. Being the atypical unicorn who is not high above ordinary society, my guess is he’d probably prefer a Big Mac to something exotic like wild berries.