This lace squirrel ornament is one piece of cream thread lace. It shows a sitting squirrel in profile with a big S-shaped tail that ends in a tight spiral curl. An eight-petal flower sits at the hip, and an open lattice of chain loops surrounds it. Small fans fill the chest, head and tail. A row of soft scallops runs along the outer edge of the tail.
The ornament uses one color, cream or ivory, plus a tiny black bead for the eye. The style is vintage Christmas lace, and it looks lovely against tree lights.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished ornament measures 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall and 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide. The hanging loop adds 1.25 in (3.2 cm).
You start with the hip flower in rounds, then add a round of loops to make the body. Next you work the chest and head in short rows off the top. Then you make the tail as a curved strip and slip-stitch it to the back of the body. One continuous edging and a light starch finish the piece.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall x 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide
- Hanging loop: 1.25 in (3.2 cm)
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Size 10 cotton crochet thread (lace)
- Hook: 1.5 mm (US steel 8)
- Number of pieces: 1 ornament, worked in connected sections
- Layout: Squirrel facing right, tail rising behind the back
- Body size: 2 in (5.1 cm) across Round 5
- Size before edging: about 4.3 in (10.9 cm) x 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
- Edging depth: 0.1 in (0.3 cm)
Materials
Use mercerized size 10 cotton thread. Its tight twist and sheen show off the stitch detail. Fuzzy threads will blur the fans and the spiral.
- Cream size 10 cotton thread: 8 g, about 36 m (39 yd)
That amount includes a margin of about 30 percent. One ornament uses roughly 6 g.
Tools:
- 1.5 mm (US steel 8) crochet hook
- One 3 mm black bead
- Beading needle and black sewing thread
- Fine tapestry needle (size 24 or 26)
- 4 locking stitch markers
- Rustproof pins and a foam blocking board
- Spray starch or fabric stiffener
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch chain
- sl st slip stitch
- sc single crochet
- hdc half double crochet
- dc double crochet
- tr treble crochet
- sp space
- st(s) stitch(es)
- RS / WS right side / wrong side
- rep repeat
Special stitches:
- Fan: The stated number of dc worked into one stitch or loop.
- Back-post sc (BPsc): An sc worked around the post of the stated stitch from the back.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 10 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm), and 5 rows of dc = 1 in (2.5 cm).
Test with the hip flower first. Work it through Round 3 and measure. It should be 1.1 in (2.8 cm) across.
Checkpoints:
- Flower after Round 3: 1.1 in (2.8 cm)
- Flower after Round 4: 1.4 in (3.6 cm) across the loops
- Body after Round 5: 2 in (5.1 cm)
- Base to top of head Row 7: 3.6 in (9.1 cm)
- Base to ear tip: 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Tail Row 1: 4.9 in (12.4 cm) long
- Tail after Row 4: 0.9 in (2.3 cm) wide
If your piece is too big, change to a 1.25 mm hook. If it is too small, change to a 1.65 mm (US steel 7) hook. Make every chain the same size, because uneven chains show more in lace.
Hip Flower
Ch 6, sl st in first ch to form a ring.
Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc), 15 dc in ring, sl st in top of ch-3. (16 dc)
Round 2: Ch 1, sc in next dc, ch 3, skip next dc; rep from * 7 more times, sl st in first sc. (8 sc, 8 ch-3 sps)*
Round 3 (petals): In each ch-3 sp work (sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc), sl st in first sc. (8 petals, 56 sts)
Round 4 (back loops): Fold the petals forward. Ch 5, BPsc around next Round 2 sc; rep from * 7 more times. (8 ch-5 loops)*
These loops sit behind the petals, so the front of the flower stays clean.
Body
Round 5: Sl st into the first ch-5 loop and ch 1. In loops 1, 3, 5 and 7, work (sc, ch 6, sc), ch 6. In loops 2, 4, 6 and 8, work sc, ch 6. Sl st in first sc. (12 sc, 12 ch-6 loops)
This is a growth round: 4 loops each become 2, so 8 loops become 12. Checkpoint: 2 in (5.1 cm). Fasten off.
Number the new loops 1-12 in working order, with loops 1-2 at the bottom:
- Loops 1-2: base
- Loops 3-5: front (belly and hind leg)
- Loops 6-8: neck (mark loops 6 and 8)
- Loop 9: upper back
- Loops 10-12: lower back, where the tail joins
Chest and Head
Row 1 starts at loop 6, at the front, and works toward the back.
Row 1 (RS): Join with sc in loop 6, ch 5, sc in loop 7, ch 5, sc in loop 8. Turn. (3 sc, 2 ch-5 loops)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in first sc, 9 dc in next loop, sc in next sc, 9 dc in next loop, sc in last sc. Turn. (2 fans, 21 sts)
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in first sc, ch 5, sc in 5th dc of fan, ch 5, sc in center sc, ch 5, sc in 5th dc of next fan, ch 5, sc in last sc. Turn. (5 sc, 4 ch-5 loops)
Row 4 (neck): Ch 1, sc in first sc, ch 5, sc in 3rd sc, ch 5, sc in 4th sc. Leave the last loop (at the chest front) unworked. Turn. (3 sc, 2 ch-5 loops)
Row 5 (head): Ch 1, sc in first sc, 7 dc in next loop, sc in next sc, 7 dc in next loop, sc in last sc. Turn. (2 fans, 17 sts)
Row 6: Ch 1, sc in first sc, ch 4, sc in 4th dc of fan, ch 4, sc in center sc, ch 4, sc in 4th dc of next fan, ch 4, sc in last sc. Turn. (5 sc, 4 ch-4 loops)
Row 7 (head top and ear): Sl st to center of first loop. Ch 1, sc in same loop (snout). Ch 3, sc in next loop. Ch 3, sc in next loop. For the ear, ch 6, sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next 2 ch, tr in last ch, then sc in the same loop again. Ch 3, sc in last loop. Fasten off. (5 sc, 3 ch-3 sps, 1 ear of 5 sts)
Checkpoint: 3.6 in (9.1 cm) to the head top, and 4 in (10.2 cm) to the ear tip.
Tail
The tail is a strip with a smooth inner edge and a scalloped outer edge. Shorter chains at the tip make the strip curl.
Ch 50.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (49 sc)
This row ends at the slip-knot end, which is the tail base.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in first sc, skip 2, 5 dc in next sc, skip 2, sc in next sc; rep from * 7 more times. Turn. (8 fans, 9 sc, 49 sts)*
Each repeat uses 6 sts: 8 x 6 + 1 = 49.
Row 3 (starts at the tip): Ch 1, sc in first sc, ch 1, sc in 3rd dc of fan, ch 1, sc in next sc; rep from * 2 more times. Then ch 3, sc in 3rd dc of fan, ch 3, sc in next sc; rep from * 4 more times. Turn. (17 sc, 6 ch-1 sps, 10 ch-3 sps)
Row 4 (starts at the base): Ch 1, sc in first sc, (hdc, 3 dc, hdc) in next ch-3 sp, sc in next sc; rep from * 9 more times. Then sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next sc; rep from * 5 more times. Fasten off. (10 scallops, 73 sts)
Count check: 17 sc + (10 x 5) + 6 = 73. Checkpoint: 0.9 in (2.3 cm) wide.
Attach the tail: Hold the smooth edge of the tail base against body loops 12, 11 and 10. With RS facing, sl st through a foundation loop and the body loop together. Work 6 sl sts per body loop, for 18 sl sts in total over foundation sts 1-18. Fasten off. Foundation sts 19-49 (31 sts) stay free.
Form the curl: Roll the last 1.8 in (4.6 cm) of the tail into a tight spiral toward the scalloped side. Tack the tip to the base of the 10th scallop with 3 small stitches.
Edging
Edging gauge: 10 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm). Work 6 sc per ch-6 loop and 1 sc per free foundation st. Work 2 sc per mesh row end and 3 sc per fan row end.
With RS facing, join at the tail base, at the end of tail Row 4.
- Tail base: 1 sc in each of 4 row ends. (4 sc)
- Loops 1-2: 6 sc in each. (12 sc)
- Hind foot: Ch 5, sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next 2 ch.
- Loops 3-5: 6 sc in each. (18 sc)
- Chest: Work 2 sc in the Row 1 end, 3 in the Row 2 end and 2 in the Row 3 end. In the free Row 3 loop, work 2 sc, then the paw (ch 4, sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next 2 ch), then 2 more sc. Finish with 2 sc in the Row 4 end. (13 sc, 1 paw)
- Face: Work 3 sc in the Row 5 end and 2 in the Row 6 end. Work (sc, ch 2, sc) in the snout sc. (5 sc, snout tip)
- Head top: Work 4 sc in each of the 2 ch-3 sps before the ear. Around the ear, work 5 sc, 3 sc in the tip, then 5 sc down the other side. Finish with 4 sc in the last ch-3 sp. (12 sc, 13 ear sts)
- Back of head: Work 1 sc in the Row 7 end, then 2, 3, 2, 2, 3 and 2 sc in the Row 6 through Row 1 ends. (15 sc)
- Loop 9: 6 sc. (6 sc)
- Inner tail edge: 1 sc in each of the 31 free foundation sts. After the 17th sc, ch 25 for the hanging loop, then sl st in the same sc. (31 sc)
Fasten off.
Total: 4 + 12 + 18 + 13 + 5 + 12 + 15 + 6 + 31 = 116 sc, plus the foot, paw, snout, 13 ear sts and the hanging loop.
Why the math works: A ch-6 loop holds exactly 6 sc, 1 per chain, so the lattice lies flat. Fan rows are taller than mesh rows, so they get 3 sc instead of 2. The free tail sts are already at sc gauge, so they get 1 sc each. Every edging count comes from a stitch that already exists, so nothing is added or lost. Keep the edging relaxed around the curl.
Final Blocking
- Soak the ornament in cool water with a drop of mild soap, then rinse.
- Roll it in a towel to press out the water.
- Pin it RS up to 4.5 in (11.4 cm) x 3.75 in (9.5 cm).
- Pin each scallop and the ear, snout, paw and foot to a point.
- Round out the spiral and open its center.
- Open each ch-6 loop around the flower evenly.
- Spray with starch or brush on stiffener until damp throughout.
- Let it dry for at least 6 hours before unpinning.
- Sew the bead eye between Rows 6 and 7, 0.25 in (0.6 cm) behind the snout.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Size is 4.5 in (11.4 cm) x 3.75 in (9.5 cm)
- The flower shows 8 clear petals and an open center
- Round 5 has 12 even loops
- The fans lie flat
- The ear is pointed
- The tail has 10 scallops and an open spiral
- The tail seam is flat
- The ornament hangs upright
- The bead eye is secure and all ends are woven in
Troubleshooting
Petals cup: Work ch 4 instead of ch 3 in Round 2.
Body loops ripple: Work ch 5 in Round 5 and 5 sc per loop in the edging.
Head is too narrow: Work 9 dc fans in Row 5 and place the Row 6 sc in the 5th dc.
Tail won’t curl: Pull the Row 3 ch-1 sps tighter and starch the spiral firmly.
Tail curls too early: Recount Row 3. It needs exactly 3 short repeats.
Ornament tilts: Move the hanging loop one sc toward the head or the tip.
Care
Hand wash in cool water, lay flat to dry and re-starch as needed. Store the ornament flat in tissue so the spiral keeps its shape.
Final Notes
Each measurement leads to the next:
- The flower is 1.1 in (2.8 cm) after Round 3 and 1.4 in (3.6 cm) after Round 4.
- Round 5 makes a 2 in (5.1 cm) body.
- The head rises to 3.6 in (9.1 cm), and the ear brings the height to 4 in (10.2 cm).
- The 4.9 in (12.4 cm) tail joins along 18 sts and curls at the tip.
- After edging and blocking, the squirrel measures 4.5 in (11.4 cm) x 3.75 in (9.5 cm).
Check each stage and the finished ornament will match.
Happy crocheting!