Squirrel Picnic

Handmade with Love and Stuff

Category Archives: Crochet It


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You Made This!

It’s so cool to see Squirrel Picnic projects from people all over the world. Thank you all for choosing my patterns and for taking the time to share your finished projects with me.

I’d like to extend a special thanks to these awesome folks, whose projects are featured in this edition: Jane Pitts, Sharon Sumner, Jenny McCoy, Nelle, Janet, Barbara, Elizabeth Robertson, Alicia Rippingale, Emma, Louise, Rene, May,  and Sandra Hauser.

If you’ve made something awesome with one of my patterns, I’d love to include you in a future installment of You Made This! And if there’s anyone I missed, I’m terribly sorry. Let me know and I’ll include you in the next edition. Please send a photo of your project to squirrelpicnic{at}gmail{dot}com.

 


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Picnic Blanket for Your Squirrel Friend

After spring snowstorms like the one we had last weekend, we love seeing the snow melt to reveal luscious bright green grass. It really puts Hodge and Podge in the mood for a picnic. How fitting that this Saturday is National Picnic Day! Make your squirrel friend a picnic blanket using this free pattern, pack your basket, and head on out for a day in the sun.Squirrel Picnic

Picnic Blanket for Your Squirrel Friends

Difficulty rating 2

Tools & Materials

Medium-weight yarn in white
Medium-weight yarn in red
G-6 (4.00 mm) crochet hook
Yarn needle or tapestry needle
Towel and rust-proof pins for blocking

Abbreviations

sc = single crochet
ea = each
ch = chain
FO = fasten off

Special Instructions

To switch colors at the end of the row: Insert your hook into the last stitch (st), yarn over (yo) with the original color and pull through the st as you normally would (2 loops on hook). Yo with the new color and pull through both loops on your hook.

How to change colors at the end of the row

Picnic Blanket

With white, ch 26.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and ea ch across, turn. (25)

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in 1st sc and ea sc until you have 1 sc left. Switch to red. Turn.

Row 3: Continuing with red, ch 1, sc in 1st sc and ea sc across, turn.

Row 4: Ch 1, sc in 1st sc and ea sc across until you have 1 sc left. Switch to white. Turn.

Row 5: Continuing with white, ch 1, sc in 1st sc and ea sc across, turn.

Rows 6-30: Rep rows 2-5. FO and weave in ends.

To help keep your blanket from curling and to help you when it comes to doing the surface slip stitch, I recommend blocking your picnic blanket at this point. Blocking your blanket will prove to be especially useful if you are using a natural fiber like wool or cotton. Acrylic yarn can be wet blocked, but you may not notice much difference.

Block your picnic blanket by immersing it in lukewarm water until it is saturated. Pull it out of the water and roll it up in a towel to get rid of any excess water. Fold up another towel and pin the picnic blanket down using rust-proof pins. Let this sit overnight or until completely dry before continuing with surface slip stitching.

Surface Slip Stitching

Picnic Blanket for Your Squirrel Friend 1Make a slipknot and place it on your hook.

Starting at either end, insert your hook into the 3rd st in from the end.

Hold the working end of your red yarn behind your picnic blanket.

Yarn over and pull through the stitch. Pull through the loop on your hook as well.

Rotate your work so that you can insert your hook in the hole one row up. Pull a loop of red up through this hole and through the loop on your hook.

Continue in this way, making a slip stitch in each row, all the way to the other end of the fabric.

FO and weave in ends.

Insert your hook in the 3rd st over from the last line you made. Surface slip stitch as you did for the first line to create parallel lines across the fabric.

Tell your squirrel friends to grab their picnic baskets. We’re ready for a picnic!

Picnic Blanket for Your Squirrel Friend 2


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Your Squirrel Friend Loves to Play Dress Up!

Squirrel and Accessories by Sandra Hauser

Not only did Sandra Hauser crochet a squirrel friend, she made all these accessories for her too. Now that’s one lucky squirrel. Great work, Sandra!

Many of the patterns for the items you see here can be found for free at the picnic. Because they are small, they whip up in a jiff and require very little yarn. These accessories are a great way to use up leftover yarn.

Dress up your squirrels. They love to accessorize! Be sure to share photos of your dolled-up squirrels at squirrelpicnic{at}gmail{dot}com. We love to give you and your squirrels the spotlight.

Get the free accessory patterns for your squirrel friend (from left of squirrel, going counterclockwise around her):

  1. Princess hat
  2. Workout towel (multiple patterns for Podge’s Fitness Gear at the end of the post)
  3. T-shirt, jersey, or sweater
  4. Picnic basket
  5. Purse or satchel

These patterns can be found in Squirrel Picnic’s very own book, The Big Acorn Race:

  1. Aprons
  2. Baseball cap
  3. Award medal
  4. Award medal for you
  5. And, of course, the squirrel


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Year of the Sock: March

Year of the Sock_March 4This month has been very eventful at the picnic, as I’m sure you can imagine, with the release of The Big Acorn Race on March 9. I thought that after the book was finally out, I would be a little less busy than I had been during production. Boy was I wrong! I’m as busy as ever. But it is work that I love, so it never feels like real work. Still I am rather impressed with myself that even with everything happening, I found the time to complete my March pair of socks.

Year of the Sock_March 9

This month I decided to pair this super soft, hand-dyed merino from Cozy Rabbit Farm with another pattern from Janet Rehfeldt called “Cotton-Candy Confection.” This pattern has been my favorite so far. It’s just so unique and so very much fun. Continue reading →


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Year of the Sock: February

Year of the Sock_February 2

My socks for February are complete! They were made with “I know we shall have reveling tonight” from The Amy Lee Show’s Canon Hand Dyes line of sock yarn. I picked this skein up last year at the Interweave Yarn Fest. It’s made of 80% merino wool and 20% nylon. A perfect combination! And aren’t the colors fun.

Squirrel Picnic'c Year of the Sock February Yarn Canon Hand Dyes

This month’s sock had a rough start. Originally I thought I might try a toe-up pattern that I found from a reputable source on Ravelry. But by the time I had finished the heel, it was a disaster. I’m not sure if it was something I had done or the pattern, but the sock turned out way, way, way too big.

Squirrel Picnic's Year of the Sock February 2

Thankfully some helpful friends on Facebook and Instagram convinced me to frog it and start a new pattern. It’s amazing how liberating it can be to unravel your work… once you get started.

Squirrel Picnic's Year of the Sock February 3

I chose to return to the book More Crocheted Socks by Janet Rehfeldt.

Year of the Sock_February 5

For this sock, I used the pattern “Hello Sunshine.” And I’m really glad that I did. It was so much fun.

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It had just enough stitch variety to keep things interesting without becoming too complicated.

Year of the Sock_February 3

The unique texture on the leg is created with a sequence of single crochet and treble crochet stitches.

Year of the Sock_February 1

The heel flap is also done in an interesting way. You crochet around the front loop only for every other row to create another fun texture. This forms a strong fabric for the heel as well.

Squirrel Picnic's Year of the Sock February

The foot is made with mini-clusters of single crochet plus half-double crochet stitches to create this playful look. The self-striping yarn responded really well to this stitch. Check out that magic!

Year of the Sock_February 4

Podge especially loves these sock colors. Look at how well they go with her skin tone (er, fur tone).

Squirrel Picnic's Year of the Sock February 6

Join me next month for a new exploration into the wonderful world of crochet socks. I’ve been dreaming of spring and I think March’s sock will be a fitting way to usher in a season of new beginnings and beautiful pastels.