Squirrel Picnic

Handmade with Love and Stuff


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A Ripper Aussie New Year’s Party

Each year, Mayor Snack Frog hosts a New Year’s Eve party at his pad and invites all his friends from the picnic and beyond, including you! This year, special guests flew all the way from Australia to attend. These delightful amigurumi characters by Sharon Pridmore of gentlestitches.com included a bushy-tailed possum, 3 foxes, a crocodile, dogs, and zombie bunnies. Australia is filled with dangerous creatures, so Sharon sent along some Easter brown snakes and a red-backed spider as well, all of which we found to be very well-behaved despite their reputation.  You can find patterns for Sharon’s crochet creations on her website or Ravelry. We were also very excited to see that she sent along MEAP2, which she made with my cuddly robot crochet pattern, so MEAP had a girlfriend to dance with all night.

We hope you enjoy this very amateur stop-motion animation, and we wish you plenty to smile about in 2015!

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Are you ready for the festivities?

Mayor Snack Frog's Welcome

Welcome to the party! Make yourself at home.

Happy New Year! I’ll be ringing in the new year with the Squirrel Picnic gang and special guest amigurumis from Australia for as long as I can keep my eyes open. I’m super tired after a very difficult work week, so I probably won’t make it to midnight. In fact, I might just pass my phone over to Mayor Snack Frog now to take photos for you. He’ll be posting to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram throughout the evening. You won’t want to miss it. The Aussies from gentlestitches.com are sure to show us a ripper good time!

Then don’t forget to stop by the picnic tomorrow for a special (and truly amateur) film documenting the night. Have a great time and see you in the new year!


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You’re Invited to Mayor Snack Frog’s New Year’s Eve Party

Hi there, Friend! It’s me, Mayor Snack Frog.

You are cordially invited to join us for a fatimal New Year’s Eve party at my home on December 31. We’ll have appetizers, beverages, and a cotton candy machine! Dinner will be served at 7:30 followed by dancing on the tables and a spirited game of Twister. And of course there will be plenty of cheering and smooching at midnight.

New Year's Eve Invitation from Squirrel PicnicThis year we welcome some special guests all the way from Australia! Sharon from Gentlestitches was kind enough to finance their flight across the Pacific. Thank you, Sharon! A few members of the bunch wanted to join me in this invitation. It’s my pleasure to introduce Croc, Busty the bush-tailed possum, and Argyle the fox. They make up just a quarter of the troupe and wanted to say hi to you on behalf of all of them. They’ve been practicing their moves to teach us all how to do the Aussie Bush Dance.

So join us on Instagram and Twitter on New Year’s Eve to see all the fun as it happens. I’ll share these and photos of our party on the 1st, after I’ve properly woken, located my camera, and gotten my head on straight.

Still not sure if you’d fit in at a fatimal party? Check out the video from last year. Everyone has a good time. But even if we don’t see you, we wish you a happy and healthy new year!

Sincerely,

Mayor Snack Frog
for Squirrel Picnic


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SQUIRREL PICNIC (the comic): Beatrix’s Perfume

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.

Squirrel Picnic Comic 1Squirrel Picnic Comic 2Squirrel Picnic Comic 3Squirrel Picnic Comic 4Squirrel Picnic Comic 5Squirrel Picnic Comic 6Squirrel Picnic Comic 7Squirrel Picnic Comic 8Squirrel Picnic Comic 9Squirrel Picnic Comic 10Squirrel Picnic Comic 11Squirrel Picnic Comic 12Squirrel Picnic Comic 13

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!


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Monsieur and Madame Champagne Crochet Pattern

Make amigurumi champagne flutes for your New Year’s gala! Monsieur and Madame Champagne famously bring the party with them wherever they go. Displayed on the T.V., bar, or buffet table, they are sure to liven up your New Year’s festivities.

We’d love to see photos of them at your event. Post your champagne amis on Instagram with the tag #squirrelpicnic and we’ll share them with everyone on January 1.

Monsieur and Madame Champagne Crochet Pattern by Squirrel Picnic

Monsieur and Madame Champagne Crochet Pattern

Difficulty rating 2

Finished size: 8″ tall

Materials:

22 yards of worsted-weight yarn in cream (Caron Simply Soft in Off White: 6 oz., 315 yds)
28 yards of worsted-weight yarn in gold (Caron Simply Soft in Autumn Maize: 6 oz., 315 yds)
G-6 (4.00 mm) crochet hook
Cardboard
Pencil
Scissors
Tapestry needle
Polyester Fiberfill
Black embroidery floss
Black safety eyes
Beads and thread for necklace (optional)
Felt for bow tie (optional)

Gauge:

6 sc = 1″
5 rnds = 1″

Instructions:

Top of Champagne

With gold, ch 2

Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook.

Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea sc around. Slst in 1st sc to join. (12)

Rnd 3: Ch 1, * sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. Slst in 1st sc to join. (18)

Rnd 4: Ch 1, * 2 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. Slst in 1st sc to join. (24)

FO, leaving long tail for sewing.

Base (make 2)

With cream, ch 2

Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook.

Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea sc around. Slst in 1st sc to join. (12)

Rnd 3: Ch 1, * sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. Slst in 1st sc to join. (18)

Rnd 4: Ch 1, * 2 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. Slst in 1st sc to join. (24)

Rnd 5: Ch 1, * 3 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. Slst in 1st sc to join. (30)

Rnd 6: Ch 1, * 4 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. Slst in 1st sc to join. (36)

FO, leaving a long tail on one of the Base circles for sewing.

Lay one of the Base circles on top of the cardboard and trace around it. Cut out circle along traced line. You may need to trim it a little smaller.

Sandwich the cardboard circle between the two Base circles (RS facing out) and sew the two Base circles together using the long tail from one of them.

Stem

Rnd 1: Pull up a loop in Rnd 3 of the Base. Ch 1. Continue to pull up loops and sc in ea st of Rnd 3. Do not join with slst. (18)

Make sure you are going clockwise around the Base.

Note: This first step can be rather tricky. An alternative would be to ch 18 and join with a slst into a ring. Then continue with the pattern, but sew the bottom of the Stem to the Base before stuffing.

Rnd 2: Sc in ea sc around. (18)

Rnd 3: *Dec, rep from * 8 more times (9)

Rnds 4: Sc in ea st around. (9)

Rep rnd 4 until Stem measures 3″ tall from start of Stem.

Do not FO. Stuff the Stem firmly and continue with Bowl.

Bowl

Rnd 5: * Inc, rep from * 8 more times. (18)

Switch to gold.

Rnd 6: * 2 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (24)

Rnd 7: * 3 sc, inc, rep from * 5 more times. (30)

Rnd 8: Sc in ea sc around.

Rep rnd 8 until gold part of Bowl measures 2″.

Rnd 9: * 4 sc, dec, rep from * 4 more times (24).

Rep rnd 8 until gold part of Bowl measures 3 1/2″.

FO.

Attach eyes and embroider mouth.

Stuff lightly and sew Top of Champagne onto top of Bowl.

Note: If you’re feeling adventurous, you could skip sewing the Top to the Bowl and sc the two together instead. I had success doing this after pinning them together.

Switch to cream.

Pull up a loop in top of Bowl along the edge (through both the last round of Top and through the top loop of Bowl), ch 1.

Rnds 7-10. Sc in each st around. (24)

FO, and weave in ends.

 

This pattern is now available in Dutch! Thanks to Mootje Krootje for getting the pattern translated.
Click here for the pattern pdf in Dutch:
Meneer en Mevrouw Champagne – Jennifer Olivarez

 

Click on the Print and PDF button to get your copy of this pattern