Crochet Octopus Pattern: Baby Toy

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This little small octopus toy is one of my most popular local toys to sell and gets a lot of “favoriting” on Etsy.  It is so easy to make and so quick! You can make up one of these little cuties in under one hour.  If you’d like a copy of the printable PDF it is right HERE on Etsy or find it HERE on my Ravelry.  Thank you for all your support.

You can see in this new photo, how I make these up with scrap yarns.  I follow the same pattern below, but I hold two strands of yarn and my size I/J hook depending on the yarn.  These make the best baby gifts!! I use a squeeze ball for the inside so they are washable and there is no stuffing!

 

This pattern is intended for personal use only. This pattern -and all my patterns- are offered for free or a small fee to help support my family so please do not redistribute, sell, copy or use them in any way not in accordance with fairness.

You may sell products made from this pattern, but please give me credit as the designer. Please do not use my photos as your own work, but you may use my photos to reference back to my blog, Etsy, Pinterest, IG or FB, but please link back to me.

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Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket, 2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to me, Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Materials:

Yarn: almost anything will work for these guys. I typically use a 4-ply worsted weight yarn or double up a few strands of sport weight. Kitchen cotton is also a great material for these and can then be used as a baby teether. I think leftover bits of cake yarn add quite a charming touch for these guys. *pictured is Caron Big Cakes in the color Toffee Brickle

-Hook: H hook is what I typically use for the above type of yarn.

-Small bit of yarn for embroidering the eyes – *you don’t want to add safety eyes for these if you are stuffing with a stress ball like I have – and needle to embroider face.

-Stuffing. For this pattern, I use a stress ball. I pick these up at my local Michael’s craft store. They have an area with small cheap $1 toys, but I am sure you can find little stress balls in many places. You can also just use a Poly-Fill type of stuffing.  After getting this pattern ready to publish, I wanted to see what was available on Amazon for those of you don’t have access to any craft type stores with these little squeeze balls.  I found the same exact balls that I use on Amazon. Of course, it is a large box of 24, so cheaper than $1 each, but if you are getting ready for craft fairs it may be the way to go.

This pattern starts at the top of the head and works down. We DO NOT BREAK off the yarn at all.

To make the little top loops you will need to leave a very long tail to start – about 2 feet at least.

Ch 2 (you can also use a magic ring if that is your preferred method of starting a circle or amigurumi).   I leave a tail and crochet over my tail for the first two rounds and then pull my tail tight. It closes up any gap.

Round 1: 6 sc in second chain from hook (6)

Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch around (12) (Starting in the first sc make 2 sc in that stitch and in each stitch around. (12) *Still work over the starting tail. After getting done with all 12 sc for that round, pull the starting tail to cinch up the opening. You can now trim that tail or weave it in or just leave it if it will be on the inside of your work.)

Round 3: *1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc** repeat around (18)

Round 4: *1 sc in next two sc, 2 sc in next sc** repeat around (24)

For the next rounds you will work straight with no increases, BUT, before I do any increases I usually stop here and make the top loops on the top of the head. If you are doing that pull the tail from the inside to the outside of your work. The next photos may help with this.

My top loops are just a series of different length chains from a chain of about 7-8 to one of about 12-14. Make two or three loops by chaining up, slip stitching to first round, chain up again a different number, slip stitch, etc.

Now, continue to work straight.

Rounds 5+ : work one sc in each stitch around. My examples have anywhere from 5 rounds to 8 rounds. This will largely depend on your crochet tension, your ball, your materials, etc. After working about 5 rounds with no increases add your ball to see how it fits:

You want to crochet until just about where I have in the photo above because you will also have some crochet rounds under the legs and want a nice snug fit of the ball inside the body.

After you reach your desired body length stop and embroider your eyes.

I just make a few X’s and tie on inside the head.

The tentacles get worked around the body from this point on IN THE FRONT LOOP ONLY OF YOUR WORK. You will be working the entire tentacle round in the FRONT LOOP ONLY and then after these are all made (8 of them) you will continue to work behind them in the BACK LOOP ONLY for a round before decreasing.

My tentacles vary in length from a chain 20-30. I don’t have any rhyme or reason – I just chain the number I feel for that one I’m working on and then do some increases/crochet to make a spiral. I do make them all the same for each ocotpus, but from octopus to octopus they might vary. But, to show you how they look and give you some options here are the numbers for these:

In the above photo the blue octopus on the left has a chain of 24 for each leg and his increases are 2 hdc in each chain for each tentacle.

The one in the middle with the yellow head has a chain of 28 and 3hdc in each chain for each tentacle.

The one with a red head on the right has a chain of 25 for each tentacle and I have done double crochet instead of hdc. I have done (2dc, 1dc) up the chain, but on the last stitch at the top done 1hdc, 1sc in last chain before continuing.

The top orange one has a chain of 21 with (2hdc, 1hdc) up the chain.

That might help with getting your tentacles just right for you.

Okay, so to do the actual tentacles, after you finish your straight round and working continuous – no joining – you will do the next stitches in the FLO for the tentacle round.

FLO (sc, sc, chain the number you want your tentacle to be *see above* and do the stitches back up to the body, sc in the next stitch.)* repeat around. You will be making 8 tentacles and there are 24 stitches so that leave 3 stitches for each tentacle – sc, sc with tentacle, sc and repeat. You can see in this next photo that your back loops should be free.

After you finish all 8 and your single crochet between (there are 24 stitches around) you will then single crochet all around in the BLO for 24 (behind the tentacles) – there is no join. Just single in the first BACK LOOP after you come back around and in all 24 back loops. (photo above)

When you finish you will have a round of 24 single crochet behind the round of tentacles.

Now, you will start your decreases.

*1 sc in next two sc, inv dec over the next 2 sc* repeat around (18)

**SQUEEZE YOUR BALL AND INSERT HERE BEFORE YOU DECREASE ANYMORE.

If you are not using a ball start stuffing.

*sc in next sc, inv dec over next 2 sc* repeat around (12)

Do one more round of single crochet around if needed and FO and pull/sew closed.

And that is it! I’d love to see all your finished toys over @theburgundybasket on IG