When I first made squidlets years ago on my old blog, a few people asked me for a pattern, and um, here it is! Two years later... oops. Anyway, I had a super rough pattern saved on my laptop, which I ran through and tidied up for public consumption (my pattern notation conventions are unusual, at best) and added another squidlet to my collection in the process!
Any size yarn and hook is fine, but I generally use DK weight yarn and a 4mm hook. You'll also want some animal eyes and stuffing.
This whole pattern is working in the round, so you'll need a stitch marker or something similar (I just use a piece of yarn) unless you want to do a lot of very tedious counting.
Start with a magic loop (a slip knot will work fine, but magic loop is much neater and well worth learning, so get thyself to youtube, my hooky friends!) then chain 2
Row 1: 5 sc into magic loop
Row 2 : 2 sc into each sc (10 stitches in total)
Row 3: *2sc into sc, 1 x sc* repeat (15 stitches)
Row 4: *2sc into sc, 2 x sc* repeat (20 stitches)
Row 5: *2sc into sc, 3 x sc* repeat (25 stitches)
Rows 6-9 : sc (25 stitches)
Row 10: *3 x sc, sc2tog* repeat (20 stitches)
Row 11: *2 x sc, sc2tog* repeat (15 stitches)
Row 12: (This row is worked only into the back loop of the stitch) *5dc in sc, sc* repeat for 7 shells, then sl st.
(Now is the time to pop the eyes in. I like to place them 2 or 3 rows up from the 'tentacles' and 5 or 6 stitches apart. You can also hide the loose end of yarn from where you started in the body of the squidlet by pulling it through.)
Row 13: (into the other half of the stitch on the bottom of the squidlet) *2 x sc, sc2tog* repeat
(This is a good point at which to stuff the squidlet.)
Row 14: *sc, sc2tog* repeat
Row 15: *sc2tog* repeat
Row 16: close the small hole that remains with a sl st through the opposite side of the opening, finish off, and weave in the loose end.
Ta-da! Your squidlet is ready to adventure! Please do make as many as you want and take them adventuring (squidlets love to adventure) but please don't sell your squidlets, pass them off as your own, etc etc. :)
By varying the yarn weight you can also make a GIANT SQUIDLET, which is extra cuddly. This one below was made using Rowan Big Wool.
Go forth with your squidlet friends!
alice
xox
