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.

My Very Own Kitty Cat Shirt

I bought a bunch of shirts that I need to repurpose, and I thought, "Hey, maybe I can crochet something I can sew on the shirt." And voila, my very first t-shirt design. It's not perfect, both the cat applique and the sewing, but I'm proud of the outcome.

As usual, I scoured the Internet for a pattern that I can use. I found a bunch of interesting patterns, but none that I can use. So I just made one. Again, the pattern is not perfect.

Materials:

• 3.5 mm hook
• mercerized cotton yarn
• tapestry needle
• needle for sewing
• thread

Stitches used:

• chain (ch)
• half double crochet (hdc)
• double crochet (dc)
• double crochet 3 together (dc3tog)

The pattern:

Make 63 ch, turn. (mark 30th ch, this will be the base of the cat body)

Row 1: Dc on the 4th ch from the hook. Dc on next 2 ch. Dc3tog, dc3tog, dc on next 3 ch, 3dc on next 2 ch, dc on next 3, dc3tog, dc3tog. Dc all the way to st before marker (31st ch). This is the tail. Dc until the end. Turn.

Rows 2-4: Ch 3. Dc on same stitch. Dc all the way to second to the last stitch. 2dc on last stitch. Turn.

Rows 5-10: Ch 3. Dc until the end. Turn.

Rows 11-14: Dc3tog. Dc all the way, leaving 3 st for dc3tog at the end. Turn.

Rows 15-17: Ch 3. Dc until the end. Turn.

Row 18: Ch 3. Dc on same stitch. Dc all the way to second to the last stitch. 2dc on last stitch. Turn.

Rows 19-20: Ch3, 2dc on same stitch. Dc all the way to second to the last stitch. 2dc on last stitch. Turn.

Rows 21-24: Ch 3. Dc until the end. Turn.

Row 25: Dc3tog. Dc all the way, leaving 3 st for dc3tog at the end. Turn.

Rows 26-27: Ch 1, hdc. Dc all the way, leaving to 2 st for hdc and sc. Turn.

Row 28: Ch 1, hdc. Dc on next 4 st, hdc, sc, hdc, dc on next 4 st, hdc, sc. Turn.

You will now start working on one of the ears. Since I forgot to write down this part, I'm not sure if this is how I worked it, I can't really see the end stitches since I've already sewn my cat applique on the shirt.

Row 29-31: Dc2tog on each end, dc in the middle.

Row 32: Dc2tog. Fasten off.

To work on the next ear, repeat rows 29-32.

Pocoyo's Unfisnished Hat

My youngest son loves Pocoyo so I decided to make him a Pocoyo hat. I thought for sure he'd love it. No. He. Hates. It. Takes it off as soon as I've put it on him. So this Pocoyo hat that is pictured below? I never really finished it. I'll probably re-use the yarn and make another project.

I used this pattern as my basis for the hat, adjusted the ear flaps, and added the back flap of the hat.

My changes on the ear flaps:

Rows 1: ch 3, dc on next 8 stitches, turn. (9 st)
Row 2-4: ch 3, dc on same stitch, dc until the end of the row. (10, 11, 12, 13 st)
Row 5: ch 2, sc until the end of the row (13 st)

Back flap:

From the "back" end of each flap, mark the 5th stitch. This is where your back flap will start and end. Your rows should have the same stitch count (7 rows of dc stitches).

Edging:

Sc around the hat.


And that is all I managed to make.