A new book, Octopus! The Most Mysterious Creature in the Sea, by Katherine Harmon Courage, comes out today. Harmon Courage takes a deep dive into all things octopus, ranging from their culinary use in dishes around the world to their tragic sex lives. Here, we highlight a few of the fascinating points covered in the book. I had so much fun crocheting this octopus pillow! I love his cute little face and wiggly tentacles! You can make this little guy your own with yarn and button choices, and how you sew on the face. Most of the patterns on this list can be made by crochet beginners who have some experience with basic stitches, casting on, binding off, increases and decreases, and crocheting in the round. Just a few patterns included contain more difficult techniques – these would be an excellent choice for intermediate crocheters.

R9 (tentacle round): Work in FLO this entire round. Sl st into the first front loop. Make a tentacle, then sl st in front loop of next st. *(Make a tentacle, insert hook into front loop of next st, and insert hook into front loop of the stitch after. YO, pull through all 3 loops on the hook.) *Repeat around, creating a total of 8 tentacles. Attaching Parts: You will need to know how to attach arms, legs, heads, and tails to some of these octopi. Yarn Needle: You will need this to attach tentacles, eyes, and faces etc. as well as weaving in ends. I love using bent tip tapestry needles for amigurumi, but straight needles can be used for eyebrows and lines too. Octopuses, those whip-smart but bizarre cephalopods, seem to embody everything creepy and mysterious about the sea–the thought of their soft squishy bodies lurking in the oceans’ dark reaches has inspired monsters ranging from the Kraken to the Caribbean Lusca. Their otherworldly forms, heightened by unfurling arms, find their way into more modern monsters and villains too–think Disney’s sea witch Ursula or Spider-Man’s Doc Oc. And don’t forget the octopus-themed horror movies!

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Rnd 9: Hdc in the next 8 sts, 2 hdc in the next st, *hdc in the next 17 sts, 2 hdc in the next st; rep from * until 9 sts rem, hdc in last 9 sts. (76 hdc) Octopuses have blue blood. To survive in the deep ocean, octopuses evolved a copper rather than iron-based blood called hemocyanin, which turns its blood blue. This copper base is more efficient at transporting oxygen than hemoglobin when water temperature is very low and not much oxygen is around. But this system also causes them to be extremely sensitive to changes in acidity. If the surrounding water’s pH dips too low, octopuses can’t circulate enough oxygen. Accordingly, researchers worry about what will happen to the animals as a result of climate change-induced ocean acidification.

Pins: Pins make it easy to attach extra pieces (nose, yarn eyes, etc.) of the crocheted toy, so when they are sewn on they are in the correct spot. Meanwhile, there were others who were happy to receive support from Greta as one wrote: “Thank you for having the courage to speak up about Palestine.” “I support my Queen! Love you,” read one more comment. “Thank you Greta for speaking up! Freedom for Palestine,” said another. Rnd 6: *(Hdc in next 7 sts, 2 hdc in the next st) twice, hdc in next 8 sts, 2 hdc in the next st; rep from * around. (56 hdc) - DO NOT BREAK YARN. Under-Tentacles Octopuses have three hearts. Two of the hearts work exclusively to move blood beyond the animal’s gills, while the third keeps circulation flowing for the organs. The organ heart actually stops beating when the octopus swims, explaining the species’ penchant for crawling rather than swimming, which exhausts them.Magic Loop:The magic loopis a crochet technique that creates a closed, tight bottom of a circle. It can be used for hats, place mats, circles and these cute animals too! Learn more about the Magic loop (or circle) to use this method. For amigurumi octopus patterns, DK or worsted-weight yarn is the most common option. Cotton is a good choice since it shows the stitch definition well. However, nearly any fiber content will do. Wire: Sometimes you will see an amigurumi pattern that requires wire to shape ears, tails and other parts of the animal.

Rnd 17: Hdc in next 4 sts, hdc2tog, *hdc in next 7 sts, hdc2tog; rep from * around until 3 sts rem, hdc in last 3 sts. (64 sts) This list has something for everyone who has an appreciation for these beautiful and unique sea creatures: Safety Eyes: Most of the crocheted octopus toys you will find to make use safety eyes. These are usually plastic snap together pieces that form an eye in amigurumi. If you prefer not to use safety eyes, you can surface crochet eyes onto almost any octopus pattern instead with yarn or embroidery thread. As I mentioned earlier, some patterns are octopus amigurumi, which means you will need to know a few techniques as well as have a few supplies on hand if that is what you are going to crochet. Stitches and Techniques for Crocheting Amigurumi Octopus PatternsWhen stuffing your amigurumi octopus, use enough stuffing so that it’s not saggy, but avoid using too much. It’s easy to overstuff your octopus, leading to a toy that’s more stiff than cuddly. Sew the parts together securely. Scissors: You will need scissors to cut the yarn end when you are done crocheting your octopus design. A good pair of stork scissors are great for cutting yarn smoothly. As a leading environmental activist in Israel, I’m deeply disappointed by your post. You did not say a word about the horrible atrocities done by Hamas. You are a leader and an influential figure, You have responsibility! You made a terrible mistake and caused the climate movement huge harm. Shame on you. I used to talk about you as an example. Not anymore!” said another. Changing Yarn Colors: You can learn more changing colors in crochet with our free tutorial. This is helpful for a smooth transition from one color to the next in these toys. Crochet Hook: Most of the patterns will use a smaller sized crochet hook than the yarn they are using calls for. This is because it will create a tighter single crochet stitch in the pattern, which in turn makes a cleaner looking end product.

Prep for Finishing: Insert the Pillow into the Body, then match up the Tentacles and Under-Tentacles. Making sure that all buttons are facing out, use stitch markers to secure the pieces together. Final Seam: Using Color A, sc through Tentacles and Under-Tentacles from the Body side of the project, working evenly around the entire body. Use Seamless Finishing to join, break yarn and weave in end. Many hospitals are using these cuddly octopus toys as a form of therapy to help comfort and calm premature babies. Call your local hospital to see if they accept donations of crochet octopi for preemies. More Free Amigurumi Crochet PatternsSingle Crochet Increase & Invisible Decrease:These methods create seamless transitions in an octopus toy when you’d like to make a leg go from bigger to smaller or vice versa.