Octopus Amigurumi

I saw a pattern for an octopus amigurumi on one of the crochet groups on Facebook, and I thought my kids would like it. I made a few modifications on the pattern, and re-written it for easier understanding. Like some of the commenter, I got a bit confused with the pattern and I just used my instincts so I can proceed. Luckily, I was right. Some said their octopus head looks like a brain. Haha!

Anyway, here's a picture of the Octopus Amigurumi that I made. Isn't it cute? I love how it turned out.

Materials:

• I used Monaco mercerized crochet cotton thread: fuschia (A), black (B), and white (C).
• 2.5mm crochet hook
• tapestry needle
• scissors
• stitch marker
• polyester fiber fill, although I used cotton because I don't have fiber fill.

Crochet stitches used:

• single crochet (sc)
• half double crochet (hdc)
• slip stitch (sl st)
• increase (inc) - 2 sc in one stitch
• decrease (dec) - join 2 stitch into one
• magic ring
• chain (ch)

Note: The original pattern used the invisible decrease. This is copied from her post:

"Invisible decrease (Put hook through the FRONT LOOP ONLY of the two stitches you are bringing together. Pull yarn through. You will have two loops on hook. Pull yarn through both loops)"

Embroidery stitches used:

• back stitch
• satin stitch

Instructions:

The octopus has three parts: a pair of eyes, the head, and the tentacles (eight).

Eyes (make 2)

1. Using color B, make a magic ring. Ch 2. 6 dc inside ring. Sl st on top of first dc. Fasten off. Leave tail long enough to sew the eye on the octopus head.
2. Using color C, satin stitch eye reflections on each eye.

Head, use color A

Row 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 1. 6 sc inside ring. The original pattern didn't say anything (or maybe she did and I just missed it) about closing off each row, so I made each row continuously. She did, however, said to mark (and update) each row. (6 stitches)

Row 2: Inc in each stitch. (12 stitches)

Row 3: * Sc, inc in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (18 stitches)

Row 4: *Sc on 2 stitches, inc in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (24 stitches)

Row 5: * Sc on 3 stitches, inc in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (30 stitches)

Row 6: * Sc on 4 stitches, inc in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (36 stitches)

Row 7: * Sc on 5 stitches, inc in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (42 stitches)

Row 8: * Sc on 6 stitches, inc in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (48 stitches)

Row 9: * Sc on 7 stitches, inc in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (54 stitches)

Row 10: * Sc on 8 stitches, inc in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (60 stitches)

Rows 11-18: Sc on each stitch. (60 stitches)

== Sew on eyes and mouth. ==

Row 19: * Sc on 8 stitches, dec in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (54 stitches)

Row 20: * Sc on 7 stitches, dec in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (48 stitches)

Row 21: * Sc on 6 stitches, dec in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (42 stitches)

Row 22: * Sc on 5 stitches, dec in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (36 stitches)

Row 23: * Sc on 4 stitches, dec in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (30 stitches)

Row 24: * Sc on 3 stitches, dec in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (24 stitches)

== Start stuffing the head == 

Row 25: * Sc on 2 stitches, dec in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (18 stitches)

Row 26: * Sc, dec in next * Repeat stitches enclosed in * until end of row. (12 stitches)

== Finish stuffing head ==

Row 27: Dec until end of row. (6 stitches)

Sew the opening close. Leave the tail long for attaching the tentacles on the head.

Tentacles (make 8)

1. Using color C, ch 20. Turn. The original pattern calls for 30 ch, but I wanted my tentacles shorter and more proportional with the head. 
2. On the second stitch from the hook, sc. Hdc until you reach the end. Fasten off. This part, I changed the tip of the tentacles and the height (or width) of each tentacle. If you want a bigger tentacle, the pattern is linked at the start of this post.
3. Using color A, do the same as #1 & #2, but do not fasten off. You'll have something like this.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Place partial tentacle color A on top of color C. Make sure they are aligned nicely. Also note that you have color A on your hook. Turn the aligned partial tentacles. Ch 1. Sc around the two. Again, you have to make sure that you have the two aligned perfectly and your sc should go through both partial tentacles. Fasten off. Leave a trail for sewing the tentacles together.
   
   

   

   I hope this image helps. This is not the tentacle that I used for my octopus;
   this is using the original pattern's tentacle

Combining the parts of the octopus

After making the tentacles, sew them together. What I did was sew the edges of two tentacles together (in a line), then added one tentacle at a time until it looks like the image below.

Then sew the tentacles to the bottom of the head. Clean up the trailing thread/yarn.

Chewy Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies

Hi there! Today is my birthday! I made these oh-so-yummy chewy cookies yesterday just so I can enjoy munching on it today. This is a shortcut-recipe using a brownie mix. Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix, to be exact, but you can use any brownie mix out there.

I got the recipe from The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book, but I made a slight change. In the recipe, it uses half a pack of cream cheese. I used the whole pack. By accident, to be honest. I wasn't paying attention to the recipe. Insert awkward laugh here.

Ingredients:

• brownie mix, 1 pouch/pack
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 pack (8oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg

Baking materials:

• wooden spoon
• cookie sheets
• mixing bowl
• wire rack
• oven, duh

Baking instructions:

1. Preheat oven. I have a small electric oven, I have it set up at 250C (or was it 200C?)
2. Mix all ingredients in the mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until well blended. The dough will sticky.
3. Drop dough onto cookie sheets, with at least half an inch space between them. The recipe book says 2 inches apart, but I have a smaller oven, and I wanted to make at least 6 cookies in a batch. Anyway, they didn't stick to each other, so I'm sticking with my half-inch space.
4. Bake for 8 minutes. Adjust your time as needed. It will not bounce back immediately when you press the cookie, but it shouldn't be hard as well. Remember, these are chewy cookies. Not crunchy ones.

Toucan Drawing

My 6-yo son is artistically inclined, so I dedicate a few hours a week to make art with him. I bought us how-to-draw books last weekend, so this week's art activity is drawing a toucan.

The LO didn't finish his drawing because it's "ugly". He got a little bit frustrated because he was handling the pencil too hard, so I taught him how to use light strokes. He has now moved on to drawing flowers, but I thought I'd share with you my finished drawing.

Tada!

It took me about 10-20 minutes to do this, I used a Stabilo Othello 282 pencil. Don't ask me why, it was just the pencil that I grabbed from the drawing set that I bought. I don't know the differences between pencils yet, I should probably start learning since I have to guide my son with his drawing while he's not enrolled in art school but I'm too lazy to learn by myself. If there's anyone who is willing to teach me (for free *coughs*), just let me know.