Weekend Showcase

Weekend showcase: Emotional support pickle

In 1983, it was the Cabbage Patch Kids.

In 1996, it was Tickle Me Elmo.

Now, in 2023, I present to you the hottest Christmas present that retailers (by which I mean me) just can’t keep in stock…

The emotional support pickle.

Two crocheted pickles holding hearts that read "you're a big dill" and "emotional support pickle."

A coworker requested one, and when other people in my department saw it, I was asked to make several more. These guys were also pretty popular at craft shows I sold at this fall/winter.

Fortunately they’re easy to make!

Materials:
Yarn of desired weight
Fiberfill stuffing
2 bead eyes
Red yarn for mouth
Wooden heart (or other shape) for sign
Hot glue gun

Gauge/Yarn
Gauge is unimportant; use a hook that ensures stitches are tight enough that stuffing doesn’t ooze out. I used a chenille chunky weight yarn and size I hook, and they ended up about 6 inches tall.

Notes:

  1. Pattern is worked in the round.
  2. Decrease: insert hook into front loop of next stitch, then into front loop of stitch after that. YO, pull through both front loops, YO, pull through loop. This is called an invisible decrease.

Pattern:
Ch 2 (or work magic loop).
Rnd 1: In second stitch from hook (or in magic loop), 5 sc. (5 sc)
Rnd 2: 2sc in first sc of previous round, 2sc in each of the next 4 sc. (10 sc)
Rnd 3: (2sc, sc) 5 times. (15 sc)
Rnd 4: Tr in first sc of previous round, sc, (2sc in next stitches, sc in next 2 sc) 4 times, 2sc. (20 st)
Rnd 5-13: Sc around. (20 sc). Scatter in random tr for pickle bumps.
Rnd 14: (Ch 8, dc in 3rd st from hook, ch 1, sl in base of dc. Ch 3, sl in 2nd ch from hook and next ch, sl in base of dc. Sc in next 5 ch. Sc in next 10 st) 2 times. (20 sc plus 2 arms).
Rnd 15-22: Sc around. (20 sc). Scatter in random tr for pickle bumps.
Rnd 23: (Dec, sc in next 2 sc) 5 times. (15 st)
Rnd 24: (Sc, dec) 5 times. (10 st)
Stuff with fiberfill.
Rnd 25: Dec 5 times. (5 st)
Stem: Ch 4. Sc in 2nd ch from hook. Sl in next 2 ch.
Finish off, leaving a tail to weave in.

Finishing touches:
With a hot glue gun, attach a wooden heart, circle, etc to the pickle’s hands, gluing the larger hand to the front and the “thumb” to the back.
Embroider a small mouth above the sign.
Attach eyes above the mouth.

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Weekend Showcase: Hatching Dinosaurs

Like many of my projects, a friend sent me a request: dinosaurs hatching out of eggs. And so these guys were born.

Comprising a stegosaurus, brontosaurus, pterodactyl, t-rex, and triceratops, the quintet hatches out of eggs sealed with Velcro tabs.  I love these fist-sized guys, but I’ve also made miniature ones of thread and big ones. For a while, this was my best-selling item on Etsy. And they’re so cute, it’s hard not to see why.

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Weekend Showcase: Hedgehog

I’m working my way through a bunch of requests, and first on my list is this little hedgehog.

Crochet hedgehog Crochet hedgehog

I’m still working out the quirks and rough edges, but he was too cute not to share. This guy was made with sport and worsted weight yarns, but of course I’ve made a tiny one with thread and a jumbo one with bulky chenille.

The body, limbs, and snout were made with single crochet stitches, and the back is puff stitches. Like most of my patterns, he worked up quickly and was fun to make.

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