Crochet Sip the Squid
«Crochet Sip the Squid» is an adorable little crochet project where you can create your very own squishy and soft squid pal! With its whimsical design and easy-to-follow instructions, crafting your Squid friend will be a delight. You can customize its colors, add a cute smile, and maybe even give it a tiny hat for extra flair. This project is perfect for both beginners and experienced crocheters looking for a fun and charming new creation to bring to life. So grab your yarn and hook, and let's get crocheting a Squid that's bound to bring a smile to your face!
Materials:
2.75 mm crochet hook
Worsted weight yarn in the color of your choice
2 Pipe cleaners
10mm or 12 mm safety eyes
Fiberfill
Yarn needle
Stitch markers
Dowel
Wire cutter
Optional: felting supplies for spots and stuff
Abbreviations:
MC = Magic Circle
Sc = single crochet
Sl st = slip stitch
Rnd = round
Sc rnd = sc in every stitch of the round
Inc = Increase, 2 sc in same st
Dec = Decrease, next 2 sts crocheted together
[…] = repeat instructions within brackets as specified.
Techniques:
Magic circle: Essential to the start of most amigurumi,
Invisible decrease: Good for preventing gaps and giving a more uniform look to your sc’s.
Working in front lps: For my patterns I always work sc’s in the front loops of the stitch, unless otherwise specified. By working in only the front loops the sc’s will stack up straighter than if you worked them in both loops.
Stitch markers: I use a stitch marker (bobby pin) for keeping track of the beginning of my rounds, I place it in the first stitch of the round.
Staggered rounds: Staggered rounds off set the patterns inc’s or dec’s so you don’t get that pinwheel look and it is more of a circle instead of a hexagon. For example, [4 sc, inc] x6 is an even inc round that can be a staggered round, so it would become, 2 sc, inc, [4 sc, inc] x5, 2 sc, the even sc’s are split at the beginning of the round.
Close: Closing a piece is threading your yarn needle with the yarn end and putting it through each of the front loops of the last rounds’ sc’s, usually 6, and pulling tight. It should look like a mini magic circle, then put the needle through the center of it and out through the piece. Tie your knot and stuff ends back into the piece.
Whip stitch: Usually means the finished piece is folded flat with the last sc or yarn end at the edge of the piece. Thread yarn needle with yarn end, and again with only the front loops, ‘zigzag,’ or whip stitch the opening closed.
Pattern:
Body
The body starts off with making the two tentacles and then joining them to start making the body. Make sure you have two pipe cleaners on hand that are folded in half, they will be used with the tentacles.
RND 1: 6 sc in MC (6 sts)
RND 2: 6 inc (12 sts)
RND 3: sc rnd
RND 4: 6 dec (6 sts)
RND 5-15: Eleven sc rnds (6 sts)
Make two of these, (rnds 1-15) but don’t cut the yarn of second one, you will be joining the two in a second.
Pipe cleaners are used in the tentacles to make them bend and hold their shape. It can be kind of tricky getting pipe cleaners into the tentacles, but I found the best way to do this is to use a dowel. Insert the dowel into the tentacle and then bunch up the tentacle. Remove dowel but make sure to keep the tentacle bunched up. Insert a folded in half pipe cleaner into the tentacle, and then stretch the tentacle back out. Cut the pipe cleaner down so that it sticks out about 1/2 in. Fold in half so the pokey ends don’t stick out.
RND 16: With the second tentacle sl st into the first tentacle and sc in same st (place stitch marker), 5 sc around first tentacle, and 6 sc around second tentacle (12sts)
RND 17: sc rnd (12 sts)
RND 18: [3 sc, inc] x3 (15 sts)
RND 19: 2sc, inc, [4 sc, inc] x2, 2 sc (18 sts)
RND 20: [5 sc, inc] x3 (21 sts)
RND 21: 3 sc, inc, [6 sc, inc] x2, 3 sc (24 sts)
Rnd 22-24: Three sc rnds (24 sts)
RND 25: 3 sc, dec, [6 sc, dec] x2, 3 sc (21 sts)
RND 26: [5 sc, dec] x3 (18 sts)
Place eyes between RNDs 19 and 20, 6 sts in between. Stuff a little bit of fiberfill around the eyes.
RND 27: 2 sc, dec, [4 sc, dec] x2, 2 sc (15 sts)
RND 28: [3 sc, dec] x3 (12 sts)
Begin stuffing the body.
RND 29: sc, dec, [2 sc, dec] x2, sc (9 sts)
RND 30: [sc, dec] x3 (6 sts)
Fully Stuff the body and close.
Fins x2
The fins are just a basic triangle shape.
RND 1: 4 sc in MC (4 sts)
RND 2: 4 inc (8 sts)
RND 3: [sc, inc] x4 (12 sts)
RND 4: sc, inc, [2 sc, inc] x3, sc (14 sts)
Whip stitch opening closed and attach to the body starting between rnds 28 and 29 and sewing directly down.
Optional: Felting spots onto your squid. The first Sip I made had ovals and circles cut out from felt sheets that I glued on. They looked alright but I knew that they weren’t going to hold up well. For this one I tried out felting, still very new to it so it’s not great, but they look alright. I don’t know enough to give much of a tutorial on felting I just kinda went with it. If you wanna skip the spots and whatnot feel free to do so, Sip looks just as good without ‘em!
Now all that is left is to bend the tentacles, I just bend them around my fingers to make a sort of “S,” shape. And your Sip is complete!