On the Second Day of Christmas...

Two Octopi... Two Octopus? No Turtle Doves...

This past month I picked up the crotchet hook to make some gifts. This is my first time trying out Amigurumi! I found it slightly challenging and my first attempt failed because the tension wasn't consistent enough. As a result there were gaps in the stitching when it was stuffed. I also broke a metal crotchet hook... Yes it is possible- the end flew off! Anyway, I succeeded on my second and third attempts. These are for two mothers to be, both due to have their babies soon.

Here are the Octopi:

This is the wool used for variegated octopus:

The green octopus is made using a beautiful wool that has flecks of yellow, aqua, blue and red through it. I have no idea the brand but it was much better to work with than the variegated wool which kept splitting!

Here is the link for the pattern used below; there are lots of really cute free patterns on this site: https://www.lilleliis.com/amigurumi-crochet-freebies/amigurumi-octopus-pattern/

Please note: I used invisible decreases, as these work best when doing amigurumi. I also altered the pattern... When doing the legs I stitched three single crotchets into each chain because I wanted a wider/fatter leg. Also on the legs; I stitched into the bump at the back of the chain instead of the actual front part of the stitch to help give a tighter spiral (I think this looked nicer). I also used a size 3.5 crotchet hook after I broke the 3.25 hook! Which is bigger than the pattern called for... I just stitched really tightly to make up for using the larger hook. As a general rule it's better to use a smaller hook to avoid the possibility of gaps in the stitching though, especially if you don't stitch tightly and if you haven't tried amigurumi before.