crafts | Squirrel Picnic

We’re ready for fall!

I was so busy this summer that I really didn’t find any time to play outdoors, so now that it is fall — my favorite time of year, hands down — I’m committed to getting outside and taking advantage of all that this season has to offer.

Autumn is a great time to explore the outdoors, and there’s no better place than colorful Colorado! Okay, I’m more than a little biased on that one. I’m sure many of you heard about the devastating floods we had throughout the Front Range last week. Although communities both on the plains and in the mountains were greatly affected and recovery efforts are ongoing, some parks, and the roads up to them, are still open. Here are some of my favorite parks that are currently open for business: Golden Gate Canyon, Rifle Falls, and White River National Forest. I would still recommend calling ahead as conditions could always change.

We’re looking forward to spending a night beneath the stars and pines later this month and hopefully get in a good hike too. Though I prefer hiking to skiing and snowboarding, it won’t be long before snow season is upon us, and from what I’ve heard, this could turn out to be a record-breaking ski season for Colorado.

It’s a bit of a sin to mention the S-word so early in the year, so I won’t get too far ahead of myself. While we’re here, I’m going to love the heck out of autumn! It’s the season for harvest festivals, amber sunsets, and of course, fall foliage (in some areas, the aspens are starting to turn!). And for the squirrels, it’s the season of acorn hording and — from the looks of Hodge and Podge — falling in love.

I hope you enjoy the new fall banner. In case you’re interested in making any of the components, here is a list of patterns and materials I used.

Oak Leaf
Made using the pattern in 100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet by Lesley Stanfield
with Vanna’s Choice by Lion Brand yarn in Rust.

Maple Leaf
Made using the pattern in 75 Birds, Butterflies & Little Beasts to Knit and Crochet by Lesley Stanfield
with Vanna’s Choice by Lion Brand yarn in Brick.

Aspen Leaf
Adapted from the large leaf pattern in 100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet by Lesley Stanfield
with Vanna’s Choice by Lion Brand yarn in Mustard.

Acorns
Made using my own pattern
with Vanna’s Choice by Lion Brand yarn in Chocolate and Bernat Satin in Sable.

Heart
Made using a pattern by K and J Dolls with Caron Simply Soft in Red.

Squirrels
Made using my own pattern
with Bernat Satin in Sable for Podge and my grandma’s old yarn in brown for Hodge.

September 6, 2013
by Squirrel Picnic 13 Comments

An End of Summer Picnic

Summer’s winding down, and I’m just not ready to change our website banner over to a fall theme yet. I love the summer banner with its hummingbird, flowers, and butterflies too much! So here are a few extra close-ups to enjoy before the season is officially over.

One fine summer day, two little squirrels named Hodge and Podge go on a picnic.

They love to picnic in a garden surrounded by yellow daffodils, red and orange geraniums, and bright white daisies.

Podge particularly enjoys watching the butterflies play among the flowers.

“Wait, is that a hummingbird I see?” Hodge asks Podge. “Look! I do believe she’s sitting on her nest. What a rare sight!”

“Can it be?” the hummingbird wonders. “Is that really two squirrels having a picnic? What a rare sight indeed.”

The squirrels invite the hummingbird to join them, and they all enjoy some cake.

Thanks for coming to our picnic. We’re so very happy to have you!

August 17, 2013
by Squirrel Picnic 19 Comments

SQUIRREL PICNIC (the comic): My Acorn’s Better

Previous episode: New Friends

August 10, 2013
by Squirrel Picnic 27 Comments

The Sun’s So Bright Even the Statues Need Shades… Croshades

Take a summer stroll down famous Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado, and one of the first things you’ll notice is the beautiful landscaping, including picturesque flowerbeds and statues. Walking along on my lunch break one day, I realized that all of these statues must get pretty hot in the summer sun. It should come as no surprise that my next thought was “I should crochet them some sunglasses.”

So that’s exactly what I did. And on a particularly nice day in late July, I set off down Pearl Street with my friend Becky McKay (also known as the Cereal Baker) to help out some statues. It was by far the most fun I have ever had downtown! People really seemed to get a kick out of us. Tourists photographed our handiwork. A waiter at Trattoria got in on our fun. Even the cops were smiling. Now I just want to make more and cover the world’s statues with crocheted sunglasses, which Becky dubbed “croshades.”

Becky the Cereal Baker wears croshades.

Isn’t that a great name? Can you think of a better product? Okay, maybe glasses you can actually see out of would be better. I’m on it! Becky just challenged me to crochet such a pair.

I wonder what they will look like. Will they be like the shutter shades of the ’80s? Will the lenses be lacy or covered in fringe? Or will they look like LeVar Burton’s Geordi La Forge glasses? You’ll have to stay tuned for the Make It! Challenge, Croshades Edition, slated for early next year.

Until then, crochet a pair of these beauties with my croshades pattern. I think it goes without saying that you shouldn’t wear these while driving, operating heavy machinery, or well, moving about in any way. They’re really just for decorating your favorite inanimate objects.

Here’s one thing to keep in mind when you go yarnbombing. While croshades work really well on statues with ears, it’s good to bring a little extra yarn with you in case you need to tie your croshades on the statue.

Whatever you do, be sure to take pictures. Send them to squirrelpicnic{at}gmail{dot}com and I’ll add them to our Croshades album on Facebook and do a follow-up post here.

Check out these photos of our fun on Pearl Street.