I can’t say that I’ve ever felt the desire to hug an actual octopus, but a stuffed one has a distinct appeal: eight embracing arms! With such magnanimity, a Knit Octopus makes a pretty sweet companion!
What I didn’t know about designing an octopus was that it would put me on a deep-sea exploration of knitting’s inherent intelligence. Knitting, like the ocean itself, answers to an inscrutable essence, part natural law and part mystery. Bound by the mathematics of eight, this Knit Octopus practically created itself, and so to me, the result feels magically inevitable.
And for mathematical magic there’s nothing better than the purity of warm white. Blue Sky’s Sport Weight Alpaca in Natural White brings a lovely serenity and simplicity to the Knit Octopus, while the wonderful softness of 100% baby alpaca (doubled!) brings us back to all that hugging I was talking about!
I hope, like me, that when you create your Knit Octopus you feel a little bit like the Jacques Cousteau of knitting, probing the fathomless world of knits and purls, learning a little something along the way! -Whitney
Materials
- 6 skeins of Blue Sky’s Sport Weight Alpaca – Solids, 100% baby alpaca, in the color Natural White. PLEASE NOTE: This pattern uses just about all of the 6 skeins. So if you’re worried about running out of yarn, please buy an extra skein. You can exchange it if you don’t end up needing it (click right here for Purl Soho’s return policy).
- A bag of Fairfield’s Poly-Fil stuffing
- About 2 yards of scrap yarn for the eyes. We used Blue Sky’s Sport Weight Alpaca in Natural Light Gray.
- US 6, 16-inch circular needles
- A set of US 6 double pointed needles
Gauge
4 1/2 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch, with the yarn doubled
Size
Circumference around widest part of Body: 20 1/2 inches
Height of Body: 7 1/2 inches
Length of each Arm: 10 inches
Note
You will use the Sport Weight Alpaca doubled throughout this pattern. The easiest way to do this is to pull from two balls at once.
Pattern
Body
Using two strands of the Sport Weight Alpaca, cast 6 stitches onto the double pointed needles.
Join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Round 1: Knit into front and back (kfb) 6 times. (12 stitches)
Round 2: *K1, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (18 stitches)
Round 3: *K2, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (24 stitches)
Round 4: Knit.
Round 5: *K3, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (30 stitches)
Round 6: Knit.
Round 7: *K4, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (36 stitches)
Round 8: Knit.
Round 9: *K5, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (42 stitches)
Round 10: Knit.
Round 11: *K6, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (48 stitches)
Round 12: Knit.
Round 13: *K7, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (54 stitches)
Rounds 14 and 15: Knit.
Round 16: *K8, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (60 stitches)
Rounds 17 and 18: Knit.
Round 19: *K9, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (66 stitches)
Rounds 20 and 21: Knit.
Changing to the 16-inch circular needle…
Round 22: *K10, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (72 stitches)
Rounds 23-25: Knit.
Round 26: *K11, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (78 stitches)
Rounds 27-29: Knit.
Round 30: *K12, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (84 stitches)
Knit for 2 1/2 inches.
Next Round: *K12, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (78 stitches)
Knit 2 rounds.
Next Round: *K11, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (72 stitches)
Knit 4 rounds.
Next Round: *K11, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (78 stitches)
Knit 1 round.
Next Round: *K12, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (84 stitches)
Knit 1 round.
Next Round: *K13, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (90 stitches)
Knit 1 round.
Next Round: *K14, kfb, repeat from * to end of round. (96 stitches)
Set the Body aside without cutting the yarn.
First Arm
With the yarn doubled, cast 6 stitches onto three double pointed needles.
Join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Round 1: Knit.
Round 2: K1, make 1 left (m1l), knit to end of round, make 1 right (m1r). (8 stitches)
Round 3: K4, p1, knit to end of round.
Round 4: K1, m1l, k3, p1, knit to end of round, m1r. (10 stitches)
Rounds 5 and 6: K4, p1, k1, p1, knit to end of round.
Round 7: K1, m1l, k4, p1, knit to end of round, m1r. (12 stitches)
Round 8: K6, p1, knit to end of round.
Round 9: K5, p1, k1, p1, knit to end of round.
Round 10: K1, m1l, k4, p1, k1, p1, knit to end of round, m1r. (14 stitches)
Rounds 11 and 12: K5, (p1, k1) 2 times, p1, knit to end of round.
Round 13: K6, p1, k1, p1, knit to end of round.
Round 14: K1, m1l, k5, p1, k1, p1, knit to end of round, m1r. (16 stitches)
Rounds 15 and 16: K6, (p1, k1) 2 times, p1, knit to end of round.
Round 17: K5, (p1, k1) 3 times, p1, knit to end of round.
Round 18: K1, m1l, k4, (p1, k1) 3 times, p1, knit to end of round, m1r. (18 stitches)
Rounds 19 and 20: K7, (p1, k1) 2 times, p1, knit to end of round.
Round 21 and 22: K6, (p1, k1) 3 times, p1, knit to end of round.
Repeat Rounds 19-22 until piece measures 10 inches from the tip, stuffing the Arm lightly as you go. End 5 stitches before the end of a Round 20. Cut a 12-inch tail.
Slip the next 11 stitches onto one double pointed needle and arrange the remaining 7 stitches onto another double pointed needle.
Now weave in the cast on tail to encourage the slight curl at the tip of the Arm. Weave the tail up the center stitch of the stockinette side.
And weave it back down toward the tip to secure.
Attach Arm to Body
Returning to the Body, knit 12 stitches.
**Flip the Body over so the circular needle is on the bottom and the knitting is on the top.
With wrong sides facing each other, hold the double pointed needle with 11 stitches parallel to the left-hand circular needle.
Using the 12-inch tail from the Arm, work Kitchener Stitch to graft the 11 stitches of the Arm to the next 11 stitches of the Body. (There will be one stitch from the Body remaining. Leave it on the circular needle.)
Put the Arm’s remaining 7 stitches on a piece of scrap yarn.
Flip the Body over again and with the right side facing you, knit the next 12 stitches.
Set the Body aside.
More Arms
*Knit another Arm identical to the first.
To attach it to the Body, repeat from ** of the Attach Arm to Body section.
Repeat from * until you have made and attached a total of eight Arms (Do not knit 12 stitches after attaching the final Arm).
You should now have 8 stitches on the circular needle, one between each Arm. Make sure the end-of-the-round marker is still in place.
Bottom
Now working with the circular needle and the yarn that is still attached to the Body…
Round 1: Pick up 1 stitch from between the last Arm attached and the next stitch on the needle. The red dot in this photo shows you where.
*Purl the next stitch, then pick up 1 stitch from between the stitch you just purled and the next Arm.
Slip the 7 stitches from the next Arm onto the left end of the circular needle. Remove the scrap yarn.
Working those 7 stitches, (p1, k1) 3 times, p1. Then pick up 1 stitch between the last stitch purled and the next stitch on the needle.
Repeat from * to the end of the round, finishing with the 7 stitches of the eighth Arm. (80 stitches)
Round 2: *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.
Now is a good time to even out any tension issues from grafting on the Arms and to weave in the remaining ends.
Round 3: *(P1, k1) 3 times, p2tog, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (64 stitches)
Changing to the double pointed needles…
Round 4: *P1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Rounds 5 and 6: Repeat Round 2.
Stuff the Body so it is nice and plump, and keep adding stuffing as you finish.
Round 7: (P1, k1) 2 times, p2tog, k2tog, repat from * to end of round. (48 stitches)
Rounds 8-10: Repeat Rounds 4-6.
Round 11: P1, k1, p2tog, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (32 stitches)
Rounds 12-14: Repeat Rounds 4-6.
Round 15: *P2tog, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (16 stitches)
Knit 2 rounds.
Next Round: K2tog 8 times. (8 stitches)
Cut a 12-inch tail and thread it through the remaining stitches. Then sew the tail through the center of the Bottom up to the top center of the Body, causing the center Bottom to pull in a little bit. Weave in the tail.
Eyes
Using a tapestry needle and scrap yarn (I doubled a scrap of Blue Sky Sport Weight Alpaca’s Natural Light Gray), backstitch a sleeping eye onto the Body, a few rounds above the first round of decreases.
Make another eye to match the first.
Give your octopus a squeeze and you’re all done!
PRINT
I finally finished my octopus! I made it for my cousin’s baby who is turning one tomorrow. I must say eight legs is a lot:) But I’m so glad it turned out and thank you for an inspiring pattern! I love the PurlBee.
Is it possible to knit this on a circular needle? Are there any issues i might have?
Hello Kate!
Double Pointed Needles are a version of circular needles, but since they are disjointed they can accommodate projects in the round with very small circumferences, like the octopus’ tentacles! You could use connected circular needles to create this pattern, but you would need to use the magic loop method to create such small tubes of knitting.
Hope this helps and best of luck! -Alyson
Hi There, this is my first project using double pointed needles, and I may be in over my head! I finally finished the body, but I’m having the hardest time with the arms. The hardest part for me is m1L/R, I think because I have so few stitches and it’s difficult to see the “bridge”. Can I use another increase method or will the results be different? Thanks!!
Hello Magnolia!
Of course you can use a different increase! We chose m1R/L because we think they are the most elegant and invisible technique. Doing kfb would also totally work, and they would give the tentacles a little more texture.
Keep up the diligent work with the double pointed needles, once you master those you can make almost any shape with knitting! Enjoy! -Alyson
Hi,
I was wandering if I can use much thicker yarn tho make it really huge? I ‘ve got some polyester, fluffy and incredibly soft yarn that fits for 5 or even 6mm needles. Do you think that there’s the point to try this pattern with this kind of yarn?
Thanks in advance for your answer
Manuela
Hello, Manuela!
Thank you for writing in! You can totally use thicker yarn to make a larger octopus! Please keep us updated on your progress and let us know if you have any further questions!
Best,
Kumeko
Hi, I am knitting the octopus right now and am a little confused on the pattern. When attaching the final arm do you knit the 12 stitches you attach it to?
Hi Sandra,
Thanks for writing in! You will not knit 12 stitches after attaching the final arm of the octopus. Otherwise, you will follow the same directions for attaching the final arm as you did for the previous arms.
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
I have been looking for an octobus for a while its good for premiered babies to comfort them as umbilical cord. Thank you so much. X
Hi,
I would like to know how to design these kind of patterns; like the octopus. I like to believe I could so it to but maybe that is wishfull thinking. Is there a book to lwarn from or do you just need to be born wit these kind of designing skills? BR, Guillaumine (the Netherlands)
Hi Guillaumine,
Thanks you for the question! Designing your own patterns isn’t difficult if you are willing to put in the work and believe in your design enough to follow through and make it happen. The first thing you need is a lot of knitting experience because this helps you choose useful and creative techniques to knit what you need to. When I am designing I do tons of swatches and figure out my preferred gauge. From there you’ll do a lot of math based on your gauge. When knitting your sample it might not always turn our right and you’ll need a lot of patience and perseverance at this point! Best of luck and happy knitting!
-Adam
Hey Adam, thanks for your quick reply. I am glad to hear that there are no special skills or (multiple) study required. I have some experience with knitting but I do believe the experience I have might not be enough. I knitted the octopus and I am very happy with the end result. I am going to break my head about my own design then.. Thanks again! BR, Guillaumine.
Love this pattern! Finished the body and started working on the arms. I have a question about the ending though. How do not lose your needle when curling the center part of the bottom? Is there a special trick?
Hi Josie,
Thank you for writing in and for your kind words! There is no special trick here! You just want to be sure that you have left a long enough tail at your cast on (at least 6 inches), so that you have the room to weave the end in, secure the bit of curl and still have extra yarn to pull your needle out!
Best,
Cassy
Can you just buy it already made.?
Hi Jaimie,
Thanks for writing in! We do not sell the items premade. We do have all of the supplies available! We are also happy to answer any questions here on the project page!
Best,
Cassy
What is the purpose of knitting with two strands? Is it to give the fabric thickness so the stuffing doesn’t show through? Could I get a smaller size with one stand?
Hi Savannah,
Thanks for writing in! We hold the two strands together to get a good thick fabric that will not show the stuffing and to get the size of the octopus. You can certainly use a single strand of yarn to make this octopus. You will want to go down a needle size or two to get a goof tight fabric. Additionally, please do note that the smaller the yarn, the smaller the size of the octopus. You will certainly want to swatch and try out different needle sizes to get the fabric that will work for this lovely octopus!
Best,
Cassy
How much yarn was used for the tentacles? I have the crazy idea of hand dyeing some speckled on the yarn for the tentacles to give them a bit of dimension, and I want to have it all ready to go ahead of time.
Hi Lindsey,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, we did not note the amount of yarn used for each section of this project so I am not sure how much yarn each leg takes or how much yarn they take in toto. You could certainly knit one leg and note how much yarn you use and that will give you an idea of the amount all the legs together will take. I would wager that it is somewhere between 50 and 75% of of the total yardage but this is just a guess based on the size of each section.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Thanks Cassy! I purchased 8 50g skeins to have some extra, so my thought is to go ahead and dye 4 of them now, then I can do more later if needed. I’m looking forward to working on it!
Can you please explain what is meant by flipping the knitting over, when attaching the arms, so that the body is on top of the circular needles?
Hello Joan,
Thank you for writing us! This is just in reference to the orientation of the Octopus as you are working on it. When you begin to attach the arms to the bottom the the body you must flip the body so that the bottom of the body is ready to be worked on.
I hope this clears things up and happy knitting!
-Marilla