Squirrel Picnic

Handmade with Love and Stuff

Tag Archives: crochet


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Podge’s Pretty Princess Hat Crochet Pattern

Podge's Princess Hat Pattern by Squirrel PicnicPodge wants to be a pretty princess this year for Halloween. Seeing as her favorite color is pink and she’s a total princess the other 364 days of the year, this comes as little surprise. Podge just loves dressing up!

Podge loves trick or treating too. Every year it’s the same story. At the end of the night she dumps her candy out on the floor and picks out all the pink ones to stash away for herself. She gives the rest to Hodge and I. Her favorite pink candies are Hubba Bubba Bubble Tape, cotton candy Jelly Belly Beans, Bubble Yum, Good n Plenty, strawberry Nerds, watermelon Jolly Ranchers, and strawberry Laffy Taffy to name a few. Did you know you can shop for candy by color? I’ll have to remember that for her next birthday party.

Is your squirrel going trick or treating this year? Now you can dress them up like a princess too with this free pattern!

I hope you enjoy making this costume and I hope your squirrel friend enjoys it too. Continue reading →


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Big Acorn Race Update: Crocheting the Story

Dragonfly by Jennifer OlivarezThe next few weeks will be super busy for me as I attempt to crochet everything needed to tell the story of the Big Acorn Race. This includes all the props and even some of the characters themselves. It seems like I’m crocheting everywhere I go. I’ve been crocheting on the bus, on my lunch breaks, in line at the store. But if you know me, you’re probably thinking Weren’t you doing that before the book came along anyway? Yeah, you’re right. But now I feel like I’m crocheting with a purpose. Although it’s felt a little frenzied at times, so far I’ve been successful not to let the pressure take the fun out of it. That’s very important, you know.

And let me tell you, I’ve gotten a lot done! I even remembered to photograph some of my work to share with you. Continue reading →


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Make It! Challenge #12: Unlikely Friends Crochet Parrot and Penguin Patterns

Unlikely Friends HeaderWelcome to the finale of the Make It! Challenge series! Sheena from Virginia challenged me to make unlikely friends amigurumi, meaning animals that don’t normally hang out together. We talked about a few different examples before we decided that a penguin and a parrot would make an unlikely pair. Where would they meet? A penguin in the Amazon would be a sweaty mess and a parrot in Antarctica would shiver his feathers off. Maybe they should meet on a mild September day in Colorado, like today.

Crochet Unlikely Friend Bird by Squirrel Picnic 12Pondering the theme of unlikely friends as I was brainstorming the construction for this Make It! Challenge led me to origami. The art of using intricate folds to turn a two-dimensional surface into a three-dimensional object seems about as far away from crochet as you can get.

Usually an amigurumi is created by working in the round (crocheting in a spiral to create spheres). I wondered what would happen if I started instead with a flat surface, like a granny square. I decided to start at the corner of a square to create a beak, and then working out from there, I could create a striped pattern that would mimic the bird’s coloration. The tough part was determining how to fold this one square so that it took a form that would stay together and do it in a way that would be easy for others to duplicate. Despite multiple trials, it never quite worked. In the end, sewing a second smaller square on the front and folding the head and wings forward and the tail back was the easiest answer. All in all, I am really pleased with this origami-inspired amigurumi. I hope you enjoy it too. 

Continue reading →


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How to Add Faces to Your Amigurumi: Simple Eyes with Felt and French Knots

Ultra Easy Amigurumi Eyes Tutorial by Squirrel PicnicI’m back with another tutorial on how to add faces to your amigurumi. This time I wanted to show you what I do when I just need a simple pair of child friendly eyes and I need them fast. As I’ve mentioned in previous episodes in this series, whenever I’m making a toy for a kiddo, I try to use embroidery instead of safety eyes or buttons.

These eyes use a common embroidery technique: French knots. I used to be really intimidated by this stitch, but just like anything in life, the more you practice, the easier it will get. Making amigurumi eyes is a great way to get in your practice.

If you’re like me and find that it’s hard to achieve consistency with your French knots, you will love this technique. With these eyes, you’re doing one eye at a time (breaking your thread between each eye), so you can pull the knot as tight as you like without having to worry about the slack at the back of your work. We’ll be tying the tails at the back, so the knot will stay in place as well.

So let’s get started… Then, next week, I’ll share with you a pattern that incorporates this technique and double bonus… it’s the next Make It! Challenge.
Continue reading →


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A Look Behind the Scenes at My Craft HQ and Travel Studio

Squirrel Picnic's Craft HQ

Squirrel Picnic’s Craft HQ

Just last week, I showed you a book by Cut Out + Keep and wouldn’t you know, this week they’re returning the favor by featuring my Craft Headquarters and Travel Studio on their special feature, Craft Room Tours.

I have to be honest, when Cat, CO+K’s founder, first approached me to participate in this feature, I thought “Why in the world would anyone want to see my “craft space?”

I’m sure you too have seen those glowing photos of pristine craft rooms with sparkling white cabinetry, appliances, and lighting. They are usually decorated with functional and fashionable decor that any crafter would envy. I swoon over those pictures… and then look over at my messy apartment bedroom/craft space in dismay.

My compact travel kit makes it possible to take my crochet with me everywhere I go.

My compact travel kit makes it possible to take my crochet with me everywhere I go.

Lucky for me this experience has changed my attitude. The best part about participating in this interview is that it helped me to rethink what a craft space is and what one really needs to practice their craft. It made me question whether a studio has to be confined to any one place. Why can’t my craft space be anywhere and everywhere I take my crochet? But most importantly it inspired me to be grateful for what I have.

So head on over to my interview to see more photos, learn what I keep in my travel studio and where I go for inspiration, read my tips on how to organize your supplies, and see where Hodge and Podge live when they’re not on the road with me. I hope you enjoy this little sneak peak into the world behind the picnic.