Anchor the Octopus – Crochet Pattern Review

This is a crochet pattern review of the Anchor the Octopus and Mini Anchor the Octopus designed by Humble Child Co. Review done by Candace of T&C Crafters for EyeLoveKnots.

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Find the crochet pattern review below, or click here to purchase the pattern from Humble Child Co. on Etsy!

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It’s me, Candace with T&C Crafters.

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Ocean animals have always been one of my favorite things to make, so when I saw realistic octopus patterns on social media, I had to try them out! I searched around Etsy for patterns and found that the Anchor the Octopus pattern was marked as a best-seller with some amazing tester pictures and great reviews. I knew I had to try it out!

If you are looking for a great, realistic octopus pattern, the Anchor the Octopus (or Mini Anchor the Octopus) are for you! Both patterns are intermediate patterns that work up faster than you would expect for their size. The finished octopi are so cute and squishy when finished. I highly recommend you try one (or both) of these patterns out!

I actually entered my Mini Anchor the Octopus in a local fair at the advice of a family member. I got a sweet comment on the back of my entry tag saying they loved it and earned third place at the fair. I would say that makes this a pretty great pattern!

What Do You Need to Crochet an Octopus Stuffie?

• Lion Brand Cover Story in the colorway Cameo (Main Color) and Mineral (Tentacles and Underbelly)
• K10.5/6.5 mm Crochet Hook – I used my Clover Amour Ergonomic Crochet Hook!
• Yarn Needle – I love using these steel yarn needles for amigurumi!
• Polyester Fiber Fil
• 15 or 20 mm Black Felt Eyes
• Anchor the Octopus and Mini Anchor the Octopus, Paid Crochet Patterns by HumbleChildCo. via Etsy

Material Notes:

If you haven’t tried out Lion Brand Cover Story yarn before, it is really similar to other styles of blanket yarn. The only noticeable difference is that Cover Story is just a little bit thicker than Bernat Blanket yarn. Due to the difference in thickness, it does impact the size of the finished piece as well as the tension that is used. I found myself working a little more slowly with this type of yarn than with Bernat Blanket due to the thickness, but the extra plushy finished pieces were worth it!

I used my K10.5/6.5 mm Clover Amour ergonomic crochet hook for all parts of both pieces. I likely could have sized up to a 7 mm hook instead since the yarn was so thick, but I wanted to make sure there were no gaps between my stitches. I did not use any stitch markers for either of my projects, but you may want to have them available. There are a few parts, especially on the larger octopus that would be easier with stitch markers.

When working with thick yarn and stuffing like this, I recommend using a steel yarn needle for sewing on pieces and finishing. It is much easier to push through the yarn than it would be with a needle that could potentially bend while you are using it. Despite the size of this project, it uses a relatively small amount of stuffing. You really only need stuffing for the head/body of the octopus.

The pattern calls for 15 mm (Mini Anchor) and 18 mm (Anchor) black safety eyes. I opted to use felt eyes instead for safety concerns. I used the 15 mm black felt eyes for the Mini Anchor and 20 mm black felt eyes for my regular Anchor the Octopus.

You can purchase the Anchor the Octopus and Mini Anchor the Octopus patterns separately from Humble Child Co. on Etsy, or you can do what I did and purchase the bundle that includes both patterns!

How Long Does it Take to Crochet Anchor the Octopus?

I worked on both of these projects over a period of several weeks. I would estimate that the Mini Anchor the Octopus took me about 6 hours total and the regular Anchor the Octopus took me about 8 hours total to complete.

How Big is Anchor the Octopus?

The Mini Anchor the Octopus measures about 17 inches long from the top of the head to the bottom of the tentacles. Each tentacle is about 11 inches long. The head is about 3 inches wide. With the tentacles hanging down, the finished Mini Anchor measures about 10 inches wide.

The standard Anchor the Octopus measures about 34 inches long from the top of the head to the bottom of the tentacles. Each tentacle is about 22 inches long. The head is about 6 inches wide. With the tentacles hanging down, the finished Anchor the Octopus measures about 12 inches wide.

Gauge:

I used a K10.5/6.5mm hook with Lion Brand Cover Story yarn. A magic circle with 6 single crochets measured approximately 1 1/4 inches in diameter.

Gauge is not critical in this type of project. You mainly just want to make sure that there are not gaps between stitches so that the stuffing does not come through. If you notice gaps, you will want to go down a hook size.

Making Anchor the Octopus:

Both the Anchor the Octopus and Mini Anchor the Octopus are intermediate level patterns. This is definitely not a project suited for a brand new crocheter due to the complexity of some of the parts of this pattern. However, if you have a relatively solid understanding of amigurumi with thicker yarns like blanket yarn, this project isn’t overly difficult.

Both versions begin with the tentacles. The part of the tentacle that goes on the bottom is made first. You then make the top of the tentacle in your main color and crochet it around the bottom. I really enjoyed this part of the design because I found them easy to make and the repetition made it a good evening project while watching my favorite show!

After all the tentacles are finished, you will crochet all the tentacles together and go right into making the bottom of the head with the eyes. I would say that this part of the pattern is probably the trickiest, but the pattern is really well-written with specific directions and pictures, so you can work through it. For the Mini Anchor, there isn’t as much work involved in creating the eyes as there is for the regular Anchor the Octopus.

I used felt eyes and attached them after my pieces were finished. However, if you are using safety eyes, the pattern is really clear as to where to attach them for the perfect placement.

The remaining pieces of this pattern are the underbelly and the bulbous part of the back of the head that goes upward (called the mantle). Both of these pieces are crocheted individually and then sewn on to the assembled body. I appreciated the construction of the mantle piece, as it made it really easy to see how to place it to create the slant that it should have on the back of the head. For the underbelly, there were really clear instructions on how to attach it, especially for the Mini Anchor the Octopus, where that part is a little trickier.

Overall, this is a really well-written pattern that creates such a beautiful design. I look forward to making more in the future and trying out some fun, variegated yarns for a different look. If you decide to try out this pattern, I would love to hear about it! Be sure to share your experience in the comments below or tag us on social media!

Looking for More Patterns Like This?

Be sure to check out some of these other great ocean animal patterns that have been featured right here on the EyeLoveKnots blog!

• Petal the Sunflower Turtle Crochet Pattern Review
• Pacific Disk Stingray Crochet Pattern Review
• Pi and Pippi the Octopi – Free Crochet Pattern
• Ollie the Mini Octopus Crochet Pattern Review
• Mini Manatee Crochet Pattern Review

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