"Oh, hi - just swimming along here in the ocean..."My very pregnant friend has an undersea-themed nursery, and this is my contribution. Baby is coming any day now and I'm pleased to have this happy little invertebrate done in time for her arrival. This post's title, by the way, is an inside joke with my mom based on a Passat commercial a few years ago (anybody?).
If you want one too, here is the pattern, with two disclaimers:
1) It's been so long since I did crocheting, I may not have my terminology right, so please forgive me; and
2) Any similarities to your stuffed octopus pattern are unintentional. I looked at a few examples but didn't directly copy any of them, at least that I'm aware of.
Materials:
- 1 ball (the WHOLE ball) Rowan All-Seasons Cotton (60% cotton, 40% acrylic, 50g), #217 "Lime Leaf." It's soft, it works up nicely, it comes in adorable colors, and it's machine washable!
- A small amount of scrap worsted weight yarn in a contrasting color, machine washable please, for the face. In this case some Berroco Pure Merino Heather in color "Tyrolean Alps."
- US G crochet hook.
- Polyfill, or alternate stuffing of your choice. Also machine washable.
Pattern:
*** I worked mine in a spiral, but if you prefer your crocheting to be joined evenly at each row, feel free to adapt as necessary.
HEAD/BODY:
Chain 2.
1 - Work 4 single crochets in 2nd chain from hook.
2 - 2 single crochets in each stitch - 8 total.
3 - (1 half double crochet (hdc) in next stitch, 2 hdcs in next stitch) around - 12 total.
4 - Repeat row 3 - 18.
5 - (1 hdc each in next 2 stitches, 2 hdcs in next stitch) around - 24.
6 - Repeat row 5 - 32.
7 - (1 hdc each in next 3 stitches, 2 hdcs in next stitch) around - 40.
8 & 9 - Work even in single crochet.
10-13 - Work even in hdcs.
14 & 15 - Work even in single crochet.
16 - (1 hdc each in next 3 stitches, hdc next 2 stitches together) around - 32.
17 - Work even in single crochet and finish off, leaving a long tail for attaching tentacles.
TENTACLES (make 8):
Chain 2.
1 - Work 4 single crochets in 2nd chain from hook.
2 - 2 single crochets in each stitch - 8 total.
3 - (1 sincle crochet in next stitch, 2 single crochets in next stitch) around - 12 total.
4-11 - Work even in single crochet. Finish off.
BOTTOM:
Chain 2.
1 - Work 4 single crochets in 2nd chain from hook.
2 - 2 single crochets in each stitch - 8 total.
3 - (1 single crochet in next stitch, 2 single crochets in next stitch) around - 12 total.
4 - Repeat row 3 - 18.
5 - (1 single crochet each in next 2 stitches, 2 single crochets in next stitch) around - 24.
6 - Repeat row 5 - 32. Finish off.
FINISHING:
How you do the facial features are up to you. In fact, if you leave it without a face, it's still pretty darn cute.
"Here is my backside, or, the no-face version."
But, if you want a face like mine - the eyes are done just like the start of the tentacles or bottom piece:
Chain 2.
1 - Work 4 single crochets in 2nd chain from hook.
2 - 2 single crochets in each stitch - 8 total.
Then attach to head/body doing your best to get the edges of the eyes to lie flat. I think the sparkles, a simple X using the body color, add a nice touch. Then eyebrows and mouth are embroidered on, going over each line several times and attempting approximate symmetry.
Attaching everything together takes just a little bit of patience. I used single crochets to join 4 stitches of each tentacle to the bottom piece (32 stitches), and the next 2 stitches at each end of the tentacle to the next tentacle. At this point you'll get a flower shape and can start stuffing each tentacle. Then I used slip stitches to join the remaining 32 tentacle stitches to the head/body, pausing before working the last several stitches to finish up with stuffing. Finish off and hide all the ends inside.
If you want one too, here is the pattern, with two disclaimers:
1) It's been so long since I did crocheting, I may not have my terminology right, so please forgive me; and
2) Any similarities to your stuffed octopus pattern are unintentional. I looked at a few examples but didn't directly copy any of them, at least that I'm aware of.
Materials:
- 1 ball (the WHOLE ball) Rowan All-Seasons Cotton (60% cotton, 40% acrylic, 50g), #217 "Lime Leaf." It's soft, it works up nicely, it comes in adorable colors, and it's machine washable!
- A small amount of scrap worsted weight yarn in a contrasting color, machine washable please, for the face. In this case some Berroco Pure Merino Heather in color "Tyrolean Alps."
- US G crochet hook.
- Polyfill, or alternate stuffing of your choice. Also machine washable.
Pattern:
*** I worked mine in a spiral, but if you prefer your crocheting to be joined evenly at each row, feel free to adapt as necessary.
HEAD/BODY:
Chain 2.
1 - Work 4 single crochets in 2nd chain from hook.
2 - 2 single crochets in each stitch - 8 total.
3 - (1 half double crochet (hdc) in next stitch, 2 hdcs in next stitch) around - 12 total.
4 - Repeat row 3 - 18.
5 - (1 hdc each in next 2 stitches, 2 hdcs in next stitch) around - 24.
6 - Repeat row 5 - 32.
7 - (1 hdc each in next 3 stitches, 2 hdcs in next stitch) around - 40.
8 & 9 - Work even in single crochet.
10-13 - Work even in hdcs.
14 & 15 - Work even in single crochet.
16 - (1 hdc each in next 3 stitches, hdc next 2 stitches together) around - 32.
17 - Work even in single crochet and finish off, leaving a long tail for attaching tentacles.
TENTACLES (make 8):
Chain 2.
1 - Work 4 single crochets in 2nd chain from hook.
2 - 2 single crochets in each stitch - 8 total.
3 - (1 sincle crochet in next stitch, 2 single crochets in next stitch) around - 12 total.
4-11 - Work even in single crochet. Finish off.
BOTTOM:
Chain 2.
1 - Work 4 single crochets in 2nd chain from hook.
2 - 2 single crochets in each stitch - 8 total.
3 - (1 single crochet in next stitch, 2 single crochets in next stitch) around - 12 total.
4 - Repeat row 3 - 18.
5 - (1 single crochet each in next 2 stitches, 2 single crochets in next stitch) around - 24.
6 - Repeat row 5 - 32. Finish off.
FINISHING:
How you do the facial features are up to you. In fact, if you leave it without a face, it's still pretty darn cute.
"Here is my backside, or, the no-face version."Chain 2.
1 - Work 4 single crochets in 2nd chain from hook.
2 - 2 single crochets in each stitch - 8 total.
Then attach to head/body doing your best to get the edges of the eyes to lie flat. I think the sparkles, a simple X using the body color, add a nice touch. Then eyebrows and mouth are embroidered on, going over each line several times and attempting approximate symmetry.
Attaching everything together takes just a little bit of patience. I used single crochets to join 4 stitches of each tentacle to the bottom piece (32 stitches), and the next 2 stitches at each end of the tentacle to the next tentacle. At this point you'll get a flower shape and can start stuffing each tentacle. Then I used slip stitches to join the remaining 32 tentacle stitches to the head/body, pausing before working the last several stitches to finish up with stuffing. Finish off and hide all the ends inside.
"Flower Power!"
