The choice is yours! Would you like your squirrel with a crochet tail or a faux fur one? Now the pattern includes instructions for both.
The biggest dilemma in Squirrel Picnic’s history has finally been solved! With my new and improved crochet squirrel pattern, we can dress our squirrel friends up in fancy costumes and clothing without their pesky tails getting in the way. Now we can all sleep at night. Continue reading
I’m so excited to tell you that I’m being featured as the Knit and Crochet Superstar on Cut Out + Keep this week. Each day they will release one of my original patterns for their fun-loving community to enjoy. I’m not sure they are quite aware of the extreme cuteness that is in store for them!
Cut Out + Keep is an online community of over 180,000 members who share free step-by-step crafting tutorials. I’ve had a wonderful time exploring some of the 69,000 projects available in a variety of craft categories like jewelry making, sewing, baking, even home décor and beauty.
As I mentioned, I was asked to select 7 of my patterns to be featured throughout this upcoming week. Boy was it hard! Trying to choose these patterns gave me the opportunity to think about what this blog means to me. At the end of the day, I really hope that I’ve added a touch of joy, and maybe a little silliness, to the world. My favorite patterns are the ones that continue to make me smile — so those are the ones I chose for their feature. I hope that being a member of Cut Out + Keep will help me make a few more people smile too.
Be sure to check out my interview and the super-kooky photograph I provided with Hodge and Podge. If you’d like to look around Cut Out + Keep, I recommend typing your favorite item (for me, it was robots) into their search engine. You’ll be amazed by what the members of their community have been up to. And of course, if you like what you see, you should become a member too!
Previous episode: Beatrix’s Perfume
So they checked into the spa and spent the day getting all the kinks worked out. Jelly Belly Bunny enjoyed having her ears rubbed. Rosa Robin got a seaweed wrap, which she ended up eating instead. Tina developed a crush on her masseur and bought a fifty-visit punch card on her way out. Hodge and Podge received paraffin paw treatments and now they’re ready to crochet up a storm.
Welcome the new and improved cast of Squirrel Picnic! They’re bigger and better. Can you tell the difference?
What do you do when your muscles ache from an overindulgence in needle crafting? Do you relax with a heat pad or get a massage? Try a different style of hook or needles? Do you take time off and explore another medium? If you’re suffering from a needle-crafting injury, I’m sending you soothing thoughts and some good wishes to get you back to your craft soon again…
Because next week, I’ll release the pattern for Tina Ballerina Bear and I know you’ll want to try this!
Susan uses croshades to turn urban sculptures into funny characters.
Margie’s Mr. Potato Head is amazing. She even crocheted the facial features!
Have you made a pair of croshades and used them to yarnbomb your neighborhood? Have you made a Batman mask, a Mr. Potato Head, or a Bowser sweater for your turtle? Do you have a Squirrel Picnic character that you’re proud to call your own? If so, I’d love to see it.
I’m in the process of putting together a roundup of crocheted awesomeness by fantastic picnickers like you. If you’ve had fun using one of my patterns, send a photo of what you made to squirrelpicnic{at}gmail{dot}com by August 22, and I’ll include it in the roundup.
I can’t wait to see what you’ve been up to!
This is the technique I use to add faces to my crocheted squirrels. I find it is easier to embroider on felt than directly onto the crochet fabric and safety eyes pop on in a snap. With this method, your amigurumi will have a face in no time flat.
Beige felt
Scissors
A pair of 4.5 mm black safety eyes with lock washers
Thread to match the felt
Brown or black embroidery floss
Chenille needle
Sewing needle
Note: Safety eyes can really only be added before you close up the head of the amigurumi, usually when 12 to 18 stitches remain. Sometimes it helps to stuff the head in order to position the eyes, then take the stuffing out to put on the lock washers.
Step 1: Cut 2 squares out of beige felt approximately 1” by 1”.
Step 2: Fold a square in half and snip a hole into the center with a pair of scissors.
Step 3: Unfold and insert the shank of a safety eye into the hole.
Step 4: Using the eye as a guide, cut the felt into a circle, approximately 1/8” – 1/4” wider than the eye.
Step 5: Insert the shank of the eye into your amigurumi and press the washer onto the shank until it clicks to lock it in place. This can’t be undone, so it’s important to check the placement of your eyes before you pop on the back. For instance, check to see that the eyes are in the same row or round. The washers have 3-6 little points on one side, which grab the fabric. Make sure that these points are facing toward the fabric when you pop them on.
Repeat steps 2-5 for the other eye.
Step 1: Cut a square out of felt approximately 3/4” by 3/4”.
Step 2: Cut this into a circle by rounding out the corners. Or use a fabric pencil to trace onto the felt around a US penny (or another coin that is 3/4” in diameter). Then cut along the line.
Step 3: Thread brown floss onto the chenille needle (or any needle that has a sharp point and an eyehole large enough to accommodate the floss).
Step 4: Tie a knot on the end.
Step 5: Work the needle up through the felt from the back, just above the middle of the circle and about 1/4” from one edge.
Step 6: Push the needle back down about 1/4” from the other side.
Step 7: Come back up through the felt just below the stitch you made and push the needle back down on the other side ever so slightly below the last stitch.
Step 8: Repeat Steps 6 and 7, each time coming in a tiny bit more from the edge to create an upside-down triangle shape to the nose. End with the needle at the back of the work.
Step 9: Come up from behind the last stitch, pulling the needle out from below the stitch.
Step 10: Go back down about 1/4” below.
Step 11: Come back up to the right of this. Go back down through the same entry point as in Step 10.
Step 12: Come back up to the left. Go back down through the same entry point as Step 10.
Step 13: Tie off your thread and trim the ends of the floss.
Note: Because the nose and mouth are sewn on, this can be done after you have stuffed and closed up the amigurumi’s head.
Step 1: Thread your standard sewing needle with thread to match the beige felt.
Step 2: To secure the thread, I like to tie it to the floss in the back, but you could use a knot if you prefer.
Step 3: Using a running stitch of about 1/8” per stitch, sew the felt nose and mouth to the amigurumi doll.
Step 4: End by coming out from under the felt and tie off your thread.
Step 5: Pass the needle and thread through the head of your amigurumi, coming out the back. Trim off your thread close to the back of the head and the thread should disappear into the head.
Previous Episode: The Mystery of the Rainbow Chicken
A very sweet skunk named Beatrix came all the way from Florida to visit Squirrel Picnic.
Naturally, we threw her a welcome party.
A special thanks to Grace for crocheting Beatrix, telling me her story, and sending her to visit Squirrel Picnic. We all had a wonderful time together, and she’s welcome to come back anytime!
Squirrel Picnic 
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