Take it away, Steven!
Little Cuttlefish:
The example cuttlefish was done using a 4.00 mm (US G6) hook, blue worsted weight Lion Brand Wool Ease, and 3/8 inch safety eyes. You will also need a tapestry needle (to sew the head onto the body) and some sort of stuffing. Feel free to use a different hook, yarn, or eyes if you prefer.
I use the notation “[some stitches] x 3” to mean repeat the [some stitches] three times. Here are other abbreviations that I am using:
sc = single crochet
inc = increase
ch = chain
sl = slip stitch
blo = back loop only single crochet. This should leave an extra bar on the outside of the critter.
hdc = half double crochet (yarn over, hook through stitch, yarn over, pull through all three loops)
3bauble = Basically you will do three double crochets that all go into the same stitch, and then are closed off with a single, final pull-through. I guess that is [y/o, hook through stitch, y/o pull through, y/o, pull through 2 of the loops, leaving two on the hook] x 3 y/o pull through all four loops at once. This should make a bit of a bump but won’t be an increase or a decrease.
The body and head are done in the round, and I like to start with a magic loop.
Body:
The trick here is that your increases should be coming from the sides, not spread evenly as you would for a sphere; we’re trying to make a creature that is shaped more like an almond than a ball. The body should be worked in the round.
Row 1: Using magic loop, sc 4 (4 stitches total)
Row 2: inc in each sc from row 1 (8)
Row 3: [inc, sc 2, inc] x 2 (12)
Row 4: [inc, sc 4, inc] x 2 (16)
Row 5-6: sc 16 (16)
Row 7: inc, sc 6, inc, sc 8 (18)
Row 8-9: sc 18 (18)
Row 10: inc, sc 7, inc, sc 9 (20)
Row 11-12: sc 20 (20)
Row 13: inc, sc 8, inc, sc 10 (22)
Row 14-15: sc 22 (22)
Row 16: inc, sc 9, inc, sc 11 (24)
Row 17-18: sc 24 (24)
Row 19: [dec, sc 8, dec] x 2 (20)
Bind off
Fringe: Work slip stitches along the surface of the body about where your increases are coming from. I had to kind of take what I could get as far as keeping it straight and even. I used the last row of 24 as my starting and ending point. Once you have a base of slip stitches to work from, double crochet one row all the way around. For my fringe I did about 1 double crochet per slip stitch, but if you want a more ruffly fringe you should do more. 3-5 double crochet per slip stich would be much more ruffly.
This will be a more traditional circular increase but one of the rows is going to be a whole bunch of tentacles. When that happens you will be chaining off into the abyss and then working your way back to form the tentacle/arm. Working in the round again
Row 1: Using magic loops, sc 5 (5)
Row 2: blo 2 in each sc from previous row (10)
Row 3: [inc, sc 1] x 5 (15)
Row 4: sc 4, <tentacle>, <arm> x6, <tentacle>, sc 3 (15)
Row 5: sc 15 (15) When you get to the tentacles/arms, work into the back loops of row 3, making sure the arms are on the outside of the critter.
Row 6: sc 5, 3bauble x2, sc 1, 3bauble x2, sc 5 (15)
Row 7: sc 15 (15)
Bind off
<tentacle>: chain 10 out away from the head. Then turn and work back: sl 2, sc 3, hdc 4. Once you get back to the head, slip stitch to the front loop only of the stitch you would have been working into if not for the tentacle. The back loop will be left for the next row to work into. This whole thing should use one stitch from the row below but leave a long tentacle hanging off.
<arm>: chain 10 out and slip stitch 10 back with the last one being into the row below.
Use safety eyes and attach them on the outside of the bumps created by the pairs of baubles. I put mine between the two baubles but you can feel free to put them wherever looks the cutest. Once the eyes and fringe are in place, stuff both parts and sew the head onto the body.
That’s it! While I have crocheted a number of things without a pattern, this is the first time I’ve tried to formulate my ad-libbing into a pattern someone else could follow. Let me know if you find any mistakes and posts pics of your FOs!
I will be sharing mine soon, so keep an eye out for that and show me yours too!
Limpet x
OH MY BOB THANK YOU! This pattern is a staple of my stash-busting!
ReplyDeleteI didn't even have it saved! Just when I clicked on the old link the page flashed up for half a second before going to "this page doesn't exist". So I sort of mashed the 'page down' and 'print screen' keys tens of times until I had the full instructions :')
DeleteI'm so happy you can be reunited with your cuttlefish pattern!
What's a bauble?
ReplyDeleteBasically you will do three double crochets that all go into the same stitch, and then are closed off with a single, final pull-through. I guess that is [y/o, hook through stitch, y/o pull through, y/o, pull through 2 of the loops, leaving two on the hook] x 3 y/o pull through all four loops at once. This should make a bit of a bump but won’t be an increase or a decrease.
DeleteI'm so confused on how do I start the head... where do I start the 5sc magic loop?
ReplyDeleteThe head and body are crocheted separately, and then sewn together, so just start the head as you would a new project.
DeleteHello! I'm confused about row 5 of the head. Can you please help explain it a little further? What am I working into? Row 3 has no back loops? Thank you very much!
ReplyDeleteBecause in row 4 we only slip stitch the tentacles to the front loop in row 3, that leaves 8 leftover back loops. In row 5 you'll reach down and use those back loops to work into, making sure the tentacles are on the outside. Hope this helps!
DeleteI don’t understand where the number 8 comes from. If you crochet blo on row 2 like the pattern says, you end up with 5 front loops left over
Delete8 tentacles/arms are made in row 4. They are slip stitched to the front loop only of row 3. That leaves 8 leftover back loops from row 3, which you pick up and single crochet into as part of row 5.
DeleteVery easy pattern. Well written. Love the added explanations for different parts. I’d love to post my pictures but apparently I can’t do it here.
ReplyDeleteHiya! I am confused about Row4 of the head... for the arms do I start with a sc in the next available stitch on the round?
ReplyDeleteNot quite! After you chain 10 out and slip stitch back, you'll slip stitch into the front loop only of the next available stitch on the round.
DeleteAm I supposed to be crocheting in the back loop for row 3 as well as 2?
ReplyDeleteJust row 2!
DeleteThe reason back loops in row 3 are mentioned is because 8 tentacles/arms are made in row 4. They are slip stitched to the front loop only of row 3. That leaves 8 leftover back loops from row 3, which you pick up and single crochet into as part of row 5.
Thank you so much for sharing! This is a wonderful pattern and I finished my little cuttlefish last night!
ReplyDeleteHow do you do the frill on the body please im so confused
ReplyDeletealso how do you sew the two pieces together at the end? one is 15 and the other is 20
DeleteThank you for this great guide. Seven years after you posted this tutorial, it fits like a glove into my new project. And although I am German, I got along wonderfully with the instructions. So thank you again for taking the trouble to save this gem from oblivion. And if you're still reading this, I wish you a lovely day!
ReplyDelete