Crochet It | Squirrel Picnic

December 20, 2013
by Squirrel Picnic 16 Comments

Monsieur and Madame Champagne Crochet Pattern

Make amigurumi champagne flutes for your New Year’s gala! Monsieur and Madame Champagne famously bring the party with them wherever they go. Displayed on the T.V., bar, or buffet table, they are sure to liven up your New Year’s festivities.

We’d love to see photos of them at your event. Post your champagne amis on Instagram with the tag #squirrelpicnic and we’ll share them with everyone on January 1.

Monsieur and Madame Champagne Crochet Pattern

Finished size: 8″ tall

Materials:

22 yards of worsted-weight yarn in cream (Caron Simply Soft in Off White: 6 oz., 315 yds)
28 yards of worsted-weight yarn in gold (Caron Simply Soft in Autumn Maize: 6 oz., 315 yds)
G-6 (4.00 mm) crochet hook
Cardboard
Pencil
Scissors
Tapestry needle
Polyester Fiberfill
Black embroidery floss
Black safety eyes
Beads and thread for necklace (optional)
Felt for bow tie (optional)

Gauge:

6 sc = 1″
5 rnds = 1″

Instructions:

Top of Champagne

With gold, ch 2

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

Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea sc around. Slst in 1^st sc to join. (12)

Rnd 3: Ch 1, * sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. Slst in 1^st sc to join. (18)

Rnd 4: Ch 1, * 2 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. Slst in 1^st sc to join. (24)

FO, leaving long tail for sewing.

Base (make 2)

With cream, ch 2

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

Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea sc around. Slst in 1^st sc to join. (12)

Rnd 3: Ch 1, * sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. Slst in 1^st sc to join. (18)

Rnd 4: Ch 1, * 2 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. Slst in 1^st sc to join. (24)

Rnd 5: Ch 1, * 3 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. Slst in 1^st sc to join. (30)

Rnd 6: Ch 1, * 4 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. Slst in 1^st sc to join. (36)

FO, leaving a long tail on one of the Base circles for sewing.

Lay one of the Base circles on top of the cardboard and trace around it. Cut out circle along traced line. You may need to trim it a little smaller.

Sandwich the cardboard circle between the two Base circles (RS facing out) and sew the two Base circles together using the long tail from one of them.

Stem

Rnd 1: Pull up a loop in Rnd 3 of the Base. Ch 1. Continue to pull up loops and sc in ea st of Rnd 3. Do not join with slst. (18)

Make sure you are going clockwise around the Base.

Note: This first step can be rather tricky. An alternative would be to ch 18 and join with a slst into a ring. Then continue with the pattern, but sew the bottom of the Stem to the Base before stuffing.

Rnd 2: Sc in ea sc around. (18)

Rnd 3: *Dec, rep from * 8 more times (9)

Rnds 4: Sc in ea st around. (9)

Rep rnd 4 until Stem measures 3″ tall from start of Stem.

Do not FO. Stuff the Stem firmly and continue with Bowl.

Bowl

Rnd 5: * Inc, rep from * 8 more times. (18)

Switch to gold.

Rnd 6: * 2 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (24)

Rnd 7: * 3 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (30)

Rnd 8: Sc in ea sc around.

Rep rnd 8 until gold part of Bowl measures 2″.

Rnd 9: * 4 sc, dec, rep from * 4 more times (24).

Rep rnd 8 until gold part of Bowl measures 3 1/2″.

FO.

Attach eyes and embroider mouth.

Stuff lightly and sew Top of Champagne onto top of Bowl.

Note: If you’re feeling adventurous, you could skip sewing the Top to the Bowl and sc the two together instead. I had success doing this after pinning them together.

Switch to cream.

Pull up a loop in top of Bowl along the edge (through both the last round of Top and through the top loop of Bowl), ch 1.

Rnds 7-10. Sc in each st around. (24)

FO, and weave in ends.

This pattern is now available in Dutch! Thanks to Mootje Krootje for getting the pattern translated.
Click here for the pattern pdf in Dutch:
Meneer en Mevrouw Champagne – Jennifer Olivarez

December 20, 2013
by Squirrel Picnic 2 Comments

You’re Invited to the Fatimals’ New Year’s Party!

Hi there, Friend! It’s me, Mayor Snack Frog.

You are cordially invited to join us for a fatimal New Year’s Eve party at my home on December 31. We’ll have appetizers, cocktails, and a cotton candy machine! Dinner will be served at 7:30 followed by dancing on the tables and a spirited game of Twister. And of course there will be plenty of cheering and smooching at midnight.

This year we welcome some special guests, Monsieur and Madame Champagne, who famously bring the party with them wherever they go.

If you won’t be able to make it to the party this year, perhaps you’d like to make a Monsieur and Madame to liven up your own event. I’ve enclosed the crochet pattern for your convenience. They are sure to keep you smiling all night long.

We’d love to see photos of them at your event. Post any photos to our Facebook page or tweet @SquirrelPicnic. I’ll share these and photos of our party on the 1^st, after I’ve properly woken, located my camera, and gotten my head on straight.

Even if we don’t see you, we wish you a happy and healthy new year!

Sincerely,

Mayor Snack Frog
for The Fatimals

December 16, 2013
by Squirrel Picnic 8 Comments

Chocolate Chip Cookie Crochet Pattern

Many people would go so far as to argue that the chocolate chip cookie is Santa Claus’s favorite. One little girl I met recently insisted that you have to put chocolate chip cookies out before you go to bed on Christmas Eve, or Santa will just turn right around and go back up the chimney without leaving you a single present. So in case you find yourself cookie-less on Christmas Eve, you better whip up a batch of these chocolate chip cookies. Even if he can’t eat them, maybe Santa will be impressed by your ingenuity and creative spirit and leave that present you’ve got your heart set on.

With this final cookie pattern, I am ready to bring a platter of my crochet Christmas cookies to the company cookie exchange today. I can’t wait to see all their faces! I hope they like them. I’ll bring my camera and take lots of pictures to share with you later this week. See you then!

Visit the Great Cookie Countdown Page for the story behind this series and a complete directory of Christmas cookie ornaments.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Crochet Pattern… Continue reading →

December 12, 2013
by Squirrel Picnic 20 Comments

Frosted Snowflake Sugar Cookie Crochet Pattern

Have you seen some of the frosted sugar cookies out there this year? So many of them are works of art! If someone offered me cookies as elaborately decorated as these by the folks at Martha Stewart, I’m afraid I might refuse to bite into them lest I spoil their beauty.

I’ve not been so successful with frosted cookies in the past for two reasons: (1) I like to eat cookies more than I like decorating them and (2) I’m really good at making messes. I greatly admire all those bakers who can restrain themselves from eating their fabulous creations long enough to then frost and glaze and ice them with beautiful decorations. I’m just not one of them. Even if I get to the decorating stage of baking, I’m so messy that I feel proud if I can get more frosting on a cookie than on my fingers.

Lucky for me, these crochet frosted snowflake cookies aren’t messy at all! And there’s no reason to be intimidated by that embroidered snowflake design. It’s a piece of cake to do, and I’ve included a step-by-step tutorial to make it even easier.

Visit the Great Cookie Countdown Page for the story behind this series and a complete directory of Christmas cookie ornaments.

Frosted Snowflake Sugar Cookie Crochet Pattern Continue reading →

December 9, 2013
by Squirrel Picnic 13 Comments

Pizzelle Crochet Pattern

When I was in high school, I had a friend whose family was of Italian origin. About this time every year, she and her mother would make pizzelle (pronounced like pizza –a +elle). It was almost as fun watching them being made as it was eating them! Although I don’t bake them myself, I have always been intrigued by these delicate cookies.

Pizzelle are a waffle cookie made with butter, flour, sugar, and eggs and flavored with either vanilla, anise, or lemon. The batter is poured into a pizzelle iron (like a waffle iron), which would then be placed on a hot stove — although nowadays most pizzelle irons are electric. The iron stamps a pattern into the dough as it cooks. When I was looking for Christmas cookies to re-create, this was one of the first ones to come to mind. That snowflake pattern was just dying to be done up in yarn.

The pattern is worked in two layers to create the depth needed to make the design pop. Using black tea to stain the bottom half of the cookie before crocheting layer 2 gives it a slightly darker color and really making the design stand out, as it does on the real life cookie. I used a tea with an aroma that I adore and the resulting pizzelle have become wonderful sachets in my home.

Visit the Great Cookie Countdown Page for the story behind this series and a complete directory of Christmas cookie ornaments.

Pizzelle Cookie Crochet Pattern

Finished size = 5″

Materials:

0.5 ounces of worsted-weight yarn in cream (I Love This Yarn in Cream)
D-3 (3.25 mm) crochet hook
2 cups of prepared black tea
Casserole dish or shallow bowl
Tapestry needle

Layer 1:

Note: The 3-ch at the beginning of each round counts as a dc.

Begin with a magic loop.

Rnd 1: Ch 3, 11 dc in ring. Join with slst to top of 3-ch. (12)

Rnd 2: Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in ea dc around. Join with slst to top of 3-ch. (24)

Rnd 3: Ch 3, dc in same st, dc in next dc, * 2 dc in next dc, dc, rep from * 10 more times. (36)

Rnd 4: Ch 3, dc in same st, dc in next 2 dcs, * 2 dc in next dc, dc in next 2 dcs, rep from * 10 more times. (48)

Rnd 5: *Sc in next dc, sk 1 st, 5 dc into next dc, sk 1 st, rep from * 11 more times. Slst in first sc to join and BO. Work in ends.

Bring 2 cups of water to boil, add tea, and let steep until the tea develops a rich amber color (about 10 minutes). I used Harney & Sons Paris black tea. It has a fruity aroma that turned the pizzelle into a wonderfully fragrant sachet.

Arrange the pizzelle in a shallow bowl and pour the tea over them. Let them sit submerged in the tea for 15 minutes or more. Dry completely before continuing with Layer 2.