diy | Squirrel Picnic

November 1, 2013
by Squirrel Picnic 4 Comments

Recordando a familiares y amigos, Día de los muertos

In Mexico, the Southwest U.S., and around the world in other cultures, Day of the Dead (Día de los muertos) is celebrated from October 31 through November 2. With Aztec roots, the holiday celebrates death as a rite of passage, just another step in the circle of life. It is a time to remember and honor family and friends who are deceased and take a moment to reflect on our own mortality.

You can take part in the festivities too with these vibrant traditions:

Build an alter to your loved ones.

Paint your face with calavera makeup.

Make sugar candy skulls.

Decorate your loved one’s grave and have a picnic.

Celebrate with others at a Day of the Dead festival, such as…

The Día de los Muertos Mart at the Pirate Gallery in Denver on Saturday, November 2. From 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.

There will be a big opening reception with piñatas for adults and children, a candlelight procession, and Aztec dancers.

Your very own Squirrel Picnic will also be in attendance at this year’s mart! I’ll be there with Hodge and Podge (in their costumes), selling sugar skull scarves and appliqués I designed and crocheted. I’m looking forward to meeting some really cool people and sharing the wonders of Squirrel Picnic with them.

If you find yourself in the Denver area this weekend, stop on by. There will be jewelry by Sylvie of Deviled Eggs Designs and Ranee of Autumn Moon. Annie will offer her deliciously detailed fiber art. Trish will sell her wicked aprons (I’ll be wearing mine!). And much, much more!

Skull Scarves and Appliqués by Squirrel Picnic

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October 4, 2013
by Squirrel Picnic 10 Comments

We’re on Vacation

Looks like Hodge and Podge are already relaxing in the sun, while I’m still here stuffing my luggage full of yarn. It’s about time I join them for some much-needed R & R.

But don’t dismay, we’ll be back just in time for some Halloween fun. Join us on October 23 for an in-depth look at some of the creepiest crochet on the web and on October 30 for the very first Squirrel Picnic Halloween Comic!

In the meantime, I’ll be sharing lots of Hodge and Podge photobombs on Facebook and Twitter.

September 27, 2013
by Squirrel Picnic 9 Comments

If a fatimal can do it, crochet isn’t beyond your reach…

September 21, 2013
by Squirrel Picnic 15 Comments

New Fall Banner: Leaves, Acorns, and Squirrel Kisses

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 14, 2013
by Squirrel Picnic 5 Comments

Batman Returns: Crochet Mask Pattern Updated

I’m so very pleased to present a new and improved crochet Batman mask pattern, just in time for Halloween! The original pattern was published as Make It! Challenge #4 last March when Justin O’Neill dared me to crochet a Batman mask for him. Since then, hundreds of pretty cool people have viewed that post and several dozen very patient crocheters have made their own. Many were even gracious enough to give me some feedback. I have to admit, not all of it was good and not everyone was thrilled with the pattern. When I revisited it again a few weeks ago, I also was not thrilled. Why on earth did I do that? I found myself asking over and over again. I quickly decided that this pattern needed an overhaul and set out to make a Batman mask of my own this time, revamping the pattern as I went. Some things I changed completely, but some elements stayed the same.

What is different about the new pattern:

Beginning construction. The hat portion of the mask is now a basic beanie pattern.
Place markers. The second half of the pattern, which creates the area below the eyebrows, has been revised so that instructions for the eyehole and nosepiece area are given between place markers, making it easier to keep track of the stitch count.
Stitch counts. I’ve added stitch counts at the end of each round and for the eyehole and nosepiece area where needed.
Photos. Updated photos of the beginning of the eyehole and nosepiece area should make this part of the pattern clearer.

What is unchanged about the new pattern:

Yarn. No one seems to have had success substituting yarn for the bamboo-silk blend I used. Acrylic and wool do not have enough stretch. My best advice is to use the same yarn that I used or a brand that has a similar ratio of bamboo viscose and silk. Sorry about this, but I think that this yarn is what makes this mask unique. It is designed to be form-fitting and I have not yet found another yarn that achieves this. (If you have success with another type of yarn in this pattern, please let me know and I’ll update this information!)
Size. This pattern is for an adult with a hat size of 7 ¼.

This may be the first year in a long time that I have a costume figured out for myself well before Halloween. But the holiday is fast approaching, so I wanted to give you the opportunity to make a Batman mask with my revised pattern too. I’ll leave the original pattern up just below it in case you still need it. Please feel free to contact me here or at squirrelpicnic{at}gmail{dot}com if you have any questions.

Happy crocheting!

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.