Hello! I hope this message finds you all happy and well. I’m writing today to let you know that the pattern I mentioned to you way back in November has finally been published. Yay! I am so pleased to share with you all the details of this super-cute crochet toy.

Last fall, one of my dear friends, Becky (who you might remember from our croshades adventure down Pearl Street) welcomed her first born into the world — a baby girl named Claire! Long before Claire was born, I was dreaming up a fun gift for her.

Becky is one of the most colorful people I know. We have so much fun together that just thinking of her makes me smile. She cheers me up on a regular basis. I knew that this present for her new daughter should be just as cheerful and colorful.

And so I designed “Tree Full of Friends” — the perfect toy for busy little hands. This 18” x 24” crochet wall hanging of a tree against a blue sky includes several pockets on the tree in which to tuck an amigurumi owl, blue jay, and squirrel. Each amigurumi is crocheted in two oval pieces that are then sewn together. Not only are they easy to make, but stitching in the final details like the eyes and beak or nose allows you to effortlessly give these animals some personality. I really enjoyed making the eyes for these guys. (Check out the Resources page for more tips on how to add faces to your amigurumi.)

My favorite thing about this piece, aside from the cute amigurumi characters, is the variety of stitches and textures used. The wall hanging itself is worked in a chevron pattern, which I always find fun to do, and it gives the background a playful texture. The tree trunk is crocheted in the back loops only to create ribbing that, combined with variegated yarn, looks like bark. (You may remember, I did something similar with the trees in The Big Acorn Race.) The treetop and leaf pockets are crocheted with a scallop edge, and the flower petals are created around a big buttonhole so that children can pop them onto oversized buttons on flower stalks and in the tree. With so much going on in this wall hanging, the little ones won’t be able to resist everything there is to touch.

The pattern will be released in three parts over the course of three issues in the digital magazine I Like Crochet (accessible through subscription). The first part covers crocheting the background including the tree. In the second part, we crochet the birds. And in the final installment, I go over how to crochet the squirrel and flowers and finish the assembly. 

Until then, I hope you enjoy making a “Tree Full of Friends” for the kid in your life. I know I can’t wait to go over to Becky’s house and play with Claire and her new toy.

Hi everyone! I hope that you all had a wonderful summer. Can you believe that fall is here?

I have to apologize that I and the squirrels have been rather distant lately. I have been working on some new patterns and projects that I can’t wait to share with you! Meanwhile, Hodge and Podge have been gathering nuts for the winter (you know how squirrels are). Here are some of the other things we’ve been up to…

Sophie’s Universe Blanket by Dedri Uys

People have been doing some amazing things with crochet in recent years. One of my favorite new patterns is one that Dedri Uys of the blog Look What I Made released last year. Her pattern for the Sophie’s Universe Blanket was originally provided in a crochet along over the course of 20 weeks. At the time, I was overwhelmed with my work on The Big Acorn Race so I wasn’t able to take part. Instead I watched in amazement as blankets from people all over the world came together in some extraordinary color combinations. Each blanket is like a bouquet of flowers, just inviting you to dive right in. I promised myself that as soon as the book was released, I would begin a Sophie’s Universe Blanket of my own. And thankfully I have.

I began this blanket at the end of spring and had to put it away for a while because, as I’m sure you can relate, it is hard to work on a wool blanket in the summertime. Now that it is fall I have dug it back out and am enjoying working on it again. I just love how it is coming together.

The finished blanket will have (at least) 113 Rounds in it! I’m using Cascade 220 in Deep Lavendar, Lemon Yellow, Blue Hawaii, Chartreuse, Cotton Candy, Italian Plum, Celery, Lake Chelan Heather, Bright Nectarine, and White. What a crazy combination! But so far I think it is working, don’t you? If you’d like to follow my progress on this blanket throughout the fall and winter months, check out my Ravelry page. I’d love to see you there.

I recommend checking out some of the amazing Sophie blankets that continue to grow by the day on Instagram at #sophiesuniversecal2015.

I love working on this blanket. Dedri’s free pattern is loaded with detailed instructions that help to keep you on track. It’s the best. In fact, even right now as I am typing this, I am wishing that I were working on the blanket. It’s addictive! So if you don’t see me for a while in the weeks ahead, know that I am probably just busy on my Sophie!

A New Charm Exchange Is About to Begin

Do you remember the Charm Exchange? I participated in this amazing event a few years ago and it pretty much changed my life… or at least the way I look at crochet. Here is basically how a charm exchange works: Gather together a group of fellow artists and have each choose a theme. Each then provides their own necklace or bracelet and creates the first two charms to fit their theme. They attach these charms to their necklace or bracelet and place it in a box or bag that has been appropriately decorated to also fit their theme. The box or bag isn’t necessary, but it is fun to do. One person lists everyone’s name alphabetically and uses the list to determine whose charms each will make next working in a round-robin manner. Over the course of ten months or so, we will meet about every two months to show off our charms, tell a little about how we made them, and hand them over to the excited recipient. And, of course, we’ll receive a new charm for our own necklace or bracelet each time as well.

With this year’s charm exchange I will be exploring the realms of miniature crochet again. I’ve already gotten word of some of the other participants’ themes and I can’t wait to get started. But speaking of getting started, I have to make the necklace for my theme, the first charm, and the box that it will go in. I have decided on the theme “Robots on Vacation” and the box will be my robot’s suitcase. I still need to crochet the robot and finish up the suitcase… and the necklace. Oh my! I better get started. The first meeting is only a few weeks away!

Halloween Is Just Around the Corner

In case you are looking for some spooky, fun Halloween crochet projects, I thought I’d pull some out of Squirrel Picnic’s big and scary (scary dusty!) attic for you to see.

Zombie Dolls

Sugar Candy Skulls

Pretty Princess Costume for Your Squirrel Friend

Halloween Mask for Your Squirrel Friend

The Big Acorn Race Wins a Big Award!

This past August, I learned that The Big Acorn Race had won second place in the 2016 CIPA (Colorado Independent Publishers Association) EVVY Awards. Now in its twenty-second year, the CIPA EVVY awards is one of the longest-running book awards competitions to recognize excellence in independent publishing. For more information on this awards program and to view the finalists, visit http://cipabooks.com/cipa-evvy-awards/cipa-evvy-award-finalists/

To celebrate this big news, I’m taking 10% off the book’s list price! From now through New Year, get your copy of The Big Acorn Race for only $16.95. It would make a great present for both kids and teens who are learning to crochet, parents who crochet and want to make the toys in their kids’ favorite stories, as well as anyone who just plain likes cute things.

Thanks for supporting Squirrel Picnic and super-cute crochet!