Make It! Challenge #8: Zombies in Love
My husband is the best. Since the start of Squirrel Picnic, he’s had to put up with crochet squirrels coming on vacation with us, weekends sacrificed to endless crochet craziness, and a living room that is almost always covered in yarn. He’s also been my best adviser, weighing in on everything from yarn color to construction. He has a very good mechanical mind. For these and so many other reasons, I am very pleased to be able to dedicate Make It! Challenge #8 to him — it’s well deserved and long overdue. And, yes, he advised me on everything for this project, even coming with me to the yarn shop to pick out zombie colors.
As you could probably already guess, for this challenge Shelby asked me to make him a zombie version of myself (a zombie self-portrait if you will). I set my heart on a few details from the start: an exposed brain with a flap of scalp, an eye that could pop out of the socket, and an arm that’s been cut off at the elbow. Of those three details, the eyes were the hardest, and I’m still not thrilled with how bug-eyed my zombie looks. So when I decided to make a zombie version of my husband to accompany the zombie version of me, I chose to simplify the construction of some of the details. Before I knew it, I had two very different patterns. The bodies and appendages are basically the same, but details like the eyes, brain opening, hair, and limbs are more complicated on the girl zombie. Have fun picking and choosing which details you like between the girl and boy zombies to make your zombie uniquely your own.
As a final note, I should mention that this pattern doesn’t include how to make clothing for your zombie. However, at the end of each pattern, I’ve listed links to the free sewing patterns I used to make my zombies’ clothes. Most 16” to 18” doll clothes patterns will fit your zombie, but do a fitting with the pattern before you start. There are a lot of free American Girl Doll clothes patterns online, and from what I could tell, most of them will fit your zombie with minimal tweaking.
As I type this, our zombies look very cute sitting on the couch together and holding hands.
Zombies in Love Crochet Patterns Continue reading
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SQUIRREL PICNIC (the comic): Hodge’s Super Bowl Party
Football Jersey for Your Squirrel Friend Crochet Pattern
Super Bowl fever has made its way to Squirrel Picnic, which is after all located just outside of Denver. Hodge is planning a Super Bowl party for next Sunday and requested that I make an Elway jersey for him and a Peyton Manning jersey for Podge (she was torn between #18 and #24 for the longest time because she really thinks Champ Bailey is the cutest, but Hodge talked her into a Manning jersey). And I’m sure you’re not surprised that Eric wanted a Seahawks jersey. Currently no one at the picnic is talking to him, but that’s not much different from how things usually are around here. If he wants to be invited to the Super Bowl party, I think he’s going to have to do something extremely nice for Hodge.
Now you too can make a football jersey for your squirrel friend in time for the Super Bowl!
Note: This is one of those accessories for your squirrel friend that requires a detachable tail. My squirrel pattern includes instructions on how sew buttons to the tail to make it detachable. This way you can take the tail off, slip on your squirrel’s jersey, and reattach the tail to the squirrel’s bottom and head with the buttons.
Football Jersey for Your Squirrel Friend Crochet Pattern
Materials
(A) Small amount of worsted-weight yarn in your team’s color (for the Broncos use Caron Simply Soft in Pumpkin and for the Seahawks use Caron Simply Soft in Dark Country Blue)
(B) Small amount of worsted-weight yarn in your team’s second color (for the Broncos use Caron Simply Soft in White and for the Seahawks use Caron Simply Soft in Limelight)
C-2 (2.75 mm) crochet hook
Tapestry needle
Gauge
5 sc = 1 inch
5 rows = 1 inch
Instructions
Front:
With A, ch 12.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in ea ch across, ch 1, turn. (11)
Row 2: Sc in ea sc across, ch 1, turn.
Rows 3-5: Rep row 2.
Beginning divide for neck:
Row 6: Sc in next 5 sc, turn. (5)
Row 7: Sk 1st sc, sc in next 4 sc, ch 1, turn. (4)
Row 8: Sc in ea sc across, turn.
Row 9: Sk 1st sc, sc in next 3 sc, ch 1, turn. (3)
Row 10: Sc in ea sc across, turn.
Row 11: Sk 1st sc, sc in next 2 sc. (2)
FO.
Second side of neck:
With RS facing, pull up a loop at the end of Row 5, ch 1.
Row 6: Sc in next 5 sc, turn. (5)
Row 7: Sk 1st sc, sc in next 4 sc, ch 1, turn. (4)
Row 8: Sc in ea sc across, turn.
Row 9: Sk 1st sc, sc in next 3 sc, ch 1, turn. (3)
Row 10: Sc in ea sc across, turn.
Row 11: Sk 1st sc, sc in next 2 sc, ch 1, turn. (2)
Row 12: Sc in next 2 sc, ch 7, sc in next 2 sc, ch 1, turn.
Back:
Row 13: Sc in next 2 sc, sc 7 into ch-sp, sc in next 2 sc, ch 1, turn. (11)
Rows 14-21: Sc in ea sc across, ch 1, turn.
Row 22: Sc in ea sc across. FO.
Sleeves:
Pull up a loop at the end of Row 6, ch 1 and sc in that st.
Sc in the st at the end of ea row over the next 12 rows, ch 1, turn. (13)
Sc in ea sc across.
FO, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Repeat on the opposite side.
Finishing:
Using the long tails, sew side and sleeve seams.
Using B, add a sc edging around the neck opening and a slst edge to the sleeves.
Using B, embroider your player’s number.
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4 Ways to Celebrate Squirrel Appreciation Day
How should you celebrate this most momentous of national holidays? Here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Play a game of eye spy squirrels. You get a point for every squirrel you spot… the game could go on forever, especially if the squirrels in your neighborhood look pretty much the same.
2. Hang squirrel feeders. A few years ago, we stopped feeding the birds because the squirrels were always eating the food. So then we decided just to feed the squirrels instead and quickly found that the birds like squirrel food too. Everyone was happy!
3. Build a squirrel obstacle course.
4. Take photos of the squirrels in your neighborhood and share them with the National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Watch.
Whatever you choose to do, have a great time with your squirrel friends today!
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Pen Friends: Greetings from Grace W. in Florida!
Hello to Hodge, Podge, Fatimals, Eric, MEAP, Deca Podge, and everyone at the Picnic!
Liv and Andy (Note Andy’s Speedo. He’s a professional swimmer!)
My name’s Andy and I live in Florida, and this is my girlfriend Liv. I’m a swimmer, and my dream is to be on the U.S.A. Animal Olympic Swim Team (yes, there is such a thing). This team is usually made up of aquatic animals. That’s why I want the squirrels to be represented. I want to show the world that squirrels can swim, too!
My tail is trimmed short because it helps me to swim faster. Grace says she’ll make me a shirt soon, and a towel that’s my size. I hope so, because it’s pretty hard to dry off on a towel as thick as my hand!
This is my message for Eric:
Don’t even think about it. Liv’s already taken!!!!!
Hodge and Podge, you would make great swimmers! If you’re ever in Florida, let me know, and we can get together for a swimming lesson! Grace has a giant casserole pan that she fills with water. It’s the perfect size to swim laps in :).
I have a problem that maybe you all could help me with. Grace and Liv taught me to crochet acorns, but they always come out smelling like chlorine (pool water) when I make them. How can I prevent that???
Sincerely,
Grace, Andy, and Liv! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Continue reading
Squirrel Picnic 
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