How to Crochet an Amigurumi Octopus

Knitcraft Everyday DK Yarn in Blue (Yarn A)

Knitcraft Everyday DK Yarn in Black (Yarn B)

Knitcraft Everyday DK Yarn in Beige (Yarn C)

Knitcraft Everyday DK Yarn in Brown (Yarn D)

Knitcraft Everyday DK Yarn in Yellow (Yarn E)

Knitcraft Everyday DK Yarn in Barbie Pink (Yarn F)

Knitcraft Everyday DK Yarn in Grey (Yarn G)

Knitcraft Everyday DK Yarn in Red (Yarn H)

BLO - back loop only
Ch - chain

Dc - double crochet

Dc2tog - double crochet decrease
FLO - front loop only

Htr - Half treble crochet
Ss - Slip stitch

St(s) - stitch(es)

Tr - treble crochet

* - repeat section from asterisk as many times as indicated

[ ] - repeat section in square brackets as many times as indicated

Round 1: Using a 3mm hook and yarn A, make a magic loop. Ch1 (does not count as a st) 6dc into magic loop. (6 sts)

Round 2: [1dc, 2dc in next st] 3 times. (9 sts)

Rounds 3 - 31: 1dc in each st for 29 rounds. (9 sts)

Round 32: 8dc, 2dc in next st. (10 sts)

Fasten off and weave in ends. Leave the tentacles unstuffed.

Now use pipe cleaners to make Pieter's tentacles posable. Take a pipe cleaner, fold the top section over itself.

Twist the pipe cleaner around the stem a few times to secure it in place.

Insert the pipe cleaner into the tentacle, trim the end and fold it over to fit inside the tentacle.

The tentacles can now be bent and twisted to create poses and to hold Pieter's paintbrush, pencil and palette.

Round 1: Using a 3mm hook and yarn A, make a magic loop. Ch1 (does not count as a st) 6dc into magic loop. (6 sts)

Round 2: [2dc in each st] 6 times. (12 sts)

Round 3: [1dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (18 sts)

Round 4: [2dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (24 sts)

Round 5: [3dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (30 sts)

Round 6: [4dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (36 sts)

Round 7: [5dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (42 sts)

Round 8: [6dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (48 sts)

Round 9: [7dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (54 sts)

Round 10: [8dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (60 sts)

Rounds 11 - 24: 1dc in each st for 14 rounds. (60 sts)

Before continuing with the body, embroider Pieter's eyes, beard and moustache. Position Pieter so round 1 is at the top of his head.

Using embroidery thread and a needle, insert your needle between round 16 and 17 and reinsert the needle 4 stitches across. Use sewing pins to mark where you want to embroider the eyes.

Before pulling the thread tightly, insert your needle through round 18, over the thread and back into the same stitch. This will create a loop over the thread.

Pull the loop tightly, this will secure the eyes in place. Insert the needle into the left corner of the eye and embroider one stitch across to create an eyelash.

Repeat again for the second eye, eyes should be roughly 4 stitches apart.

To embroider the eyebrows, create a diagonal stitch across rounds 12 and 13.

To embroider Pieter's beard, make vertical stitches between rounds 20 and 23.

For the moustache, make a number of diagonal stitches between rounds 19 and 22, then make an upwards diagonal stitch into round 21. Repeat on the other side.

You can now continue with the body.

Round 25: [8dc, dc2tog] 6 times. (54 sts)

Round 26: [8dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (60 sts)

Round 27: [9dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (66 sts)

Round 28: [10dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (72 sts)

Next, attach the tentacles to the body.

Round 29: *4dc, holding a tentacle next to the body, insert your hook through the first stitch on the tentacle.

Push your hook through to the other side of the tentacle, underneath a stitch from the opposite side (there should now be 2 sts on your hook).

Then insert your hook into the next stitch of the body (there should now be 3 sts on your hook) yarn over and complete a dc. Continue to work through all 3 layers for the next 4 sts of the tentacle (5 sts for each tentacle).

Repeat from * until all tentacles are attached with 4dc in between each one.

Round 30: [10dc, dc2tog] 6 times. (66 sts)

Round 31: [9dc, dc2tog] 6 times. (60 sts)

Round 32: [8dc, dc2tog] 6 times. (54 sts)

Round 33: [7dc, dc2tog] 6 times. (48 sts)

Round 34: [6dc, dc2tog] 6 times. (42 sts)

Round 35: [5dc, dc2tog] 6 times. (36 sts)

Start to stuff the body firmly.

Round 36: [4dc, dc2tog] 6 times. (30 sts)

Round 37: [3dc, dc2tog] 6 times. (24 sts)

Round 38: [2dc, dc2tog] 6 times. (18 sts)

Round 39: [1dc, dc2tog] 6 times. (12 sts)

Round 40: [Dc2tog] 6 times. (6 sts)

Finish stuffing the top of the body. Fasten off and weave yarn end through the front loops of the remaining stitches and pull closed. Weave in yarn end.

Round 1: Using a 3mm hook and yarn B, make a magic loop. Ch1 (does not count as a st) 8dc into magic loop. (8 sts)

Round 2: [2dc in each st] 8 times. (16 sts)

Round 3: [1dc, 2dc in next st] 8 times. (24 sts)

Round 4: [2dc, 2dc in next st] 8 times. (32 sts)

Round 5: [3dc, 2dc in next st] 8 times. (40 sts)

Round 6: [4dc, 2dc in next st] 8 times. (48 sts)

Rounds 7 - 9: 1dc in each stitch for 3 rounds. (48 sts)

Round 10: [1dc, dc2tog] 16 times. (32 sts)

Round 11: [2dc, dc2tog] 8 times. (24 sts)

Fasten off leaving a long yarn tail for sewing.

To create the stalk on the top of the beret, insert your hook into the top of the beret between round 1 and 2 and pull through a loop of yarn B.

Ch4, then starting in the 2nd ch from hook, 3dc.

Ss to join and fasten off. Weave in yarn ends.

Leave the beret unstuffed. Sew beret to the head and weave in ends.

Row 1: Using a 3mm hook and yarn C, ch67, starting in 2nd ch from hook 66dc, ch1 and turn your work. (66 sts)

Row 2: 66dc, ch1 and turn your work. (66 sts)

Row 3: 2dc, ch3 and skip the next 3 sts, 61dc. Ch1 and turn your work. (66 sts)

The chain space will work as a button hole for the smock.

Row 4: 66dc, ch1 and turn your work. (66 sts)

Row 5: In FLO [1dc, 2dc in next st] 33 times. Ch 1 and turn your work. (99 sts)

Row 6: 99dc, ch1 and turn your work. (99 sts)

Row 7: 99dc. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Next, you will create the button for Pieter's smock.

Round 1: Using a 3mm hook and yarn A, make a magic loop. Ch1 (does not count as a st) 6dc into magic loop.(6 sts)

Ss to join and fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing the button to the smock.

Sew the button onto the opposite end of the smock so when closed it sits directly underneath the chain space.

The smock should wrap around Pieter's body and button up at the front.

Round 1: Using a 2.5mm hook and yarn B, make a magic loop. Ch1 (does not count as a st) 3dc into magic loop. (3 sts)

Round 2: [2dc in each st] 3 times. (6 sts)

Round 3: 2dc in st, 5dc. (7 sts)

Round 4: 2dc in st, 6dc. (8 sts)

Round 5: 2dc in st, 7dc. (9 sts)

Stuff the paintbrush as you go.

Round 6: 2dc in st, 8dc. (10 sts)

Round 7: 2dc in st, 9dc. (11 sts)

Round 8: 2dc in st, 10dc. (12 sts)

Round 9: [2dc in st] 3 times, 9dc. (15 sts)

Round 10: [2dc in st] 3 times, 12dc. (18 sts)

Rounds 11 - 12: 1dc in each st for 2 rounds. (18 sts)

Round 13: [4dc, dc2tog] 3 times. (15 sts)

Round 14: [3dc, dc2tog] 3 times. (12 sts)

Change to Yarn G.

Rounds 15 - 16: 1dc in each st for 2 rounds. (12 sts)

Change to Yarn D.

Round 17: [2dc, dc2tog] 3 times. (9 sts)

Rounds 18 – 42: 1 dc in each st for 25 rounds. (9 sts)

Round 43: [1dc, dc2tog] 3 times. (6 sts)

Finish stuffing the top of the paintbrush. Fasten off and weave yarn end through the front loops of the remaining stitches and pull closed. Weave in yarn end.

Round 1: Using a 2.5mm hook and yarn F, make a magic loop. Ch1 (does not count as a st) 6dc into magic loop. (6 sts)

Round 2: [1dc, 2dc in next st] 3 times. (9 sts)

Round 3: In BLO work 9dc. (9)

Rounds 4 – 6: 1dc in each st for 3 rounds. (9 sts)

Stuff the pencil as you go.

Change to Yarn G.

Round 7 – 8: 1dc in each st for 2 rounds. (9 sts)

Change to Yarn E.

Round 9 – 30: 1dc in each st for 22 rounds. (9 sts)

Change to Yarn C.

Rounds 30 – 31: 1dc in each st for 2 rounds. (9 sts)

Round 32: [1dc, dc2tog] 3 times. (6 sts)

Round 33: 6dc. (6 sts)

Change to Yarn G.

Round 34: 6dc. (6 sts)

Round 35: [Dc2tog] 3 times. (3 sts)

Finish stuffing the top of the pencil. Fasten off and weave yarn end through the front loops of the remaining stitches and pull closed. Weave in yarn end.

Round 1: Using a 2.5mm hook and yarn C, make a magic loop. Ch1 (does not count as a st) 6dc into magic loop. (6 sts)

Round 2: [2dc in each st] 6 times. (12 sts)

Round 3: [1dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (18 sts)

Round 4: [2dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (24 sts)

Round 5: [3dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (30 sts)

Round 6: [4dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (36 sts)

Round 7: Ch9, skip the next 3 sts, 33dc. (42 sts)

Round 8: [6dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (48 sts)

Round 9: [7dc, 2dc in next st] 6 times. (54 sts)

Round 10: 1dc, 2htr, 4tr, 2htr, 1dc, 3 ss, 1dc, 1htr, 1tr, 3dtr, 1tr, 1htr, 1dc, 1 ss.

Fasten off and weave in yarn end.

(make 4, one each in yarn A, yarn E, yarn F and yarn H)

Round 1: Using a 2.5mm hook and yarn F, make a magic loop. Ch1 (does not count as a st) 6dc into magic loop. (6 sts)

Ss to join and fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing the paint spots to the palette.

Sew the paint spots onto the palette.

And Pieter is finished!