Easy, one-piece, fairly realistic Octopus

This will probably be the easiest pattern I ever post.  But, who knows.  I have some cool Christmas tree ornament patterns I might write up someday.  On a side note, the octopus would make a pretty awesome Christmas tree ornament, too.

It’s hard for me to estimate how long a project will take to crochet.  I wish I could just time it, but my usual crochet process goes something like this: choose a pattern then grab a hook and yarn from my stash.  Find the toddler and ask him to stop destroying whatever he is destroying.  Get followed and intensively questioned by the toddler.  Go and change the yarn color because the toddler wants me to make an octopus for him.  Start to crochet.  Get approximately 10 stitches done, then the baby wakes up from her nap.  Feed the baby, change the baby, rock the baby.  Get the baby playing happily.  Check on the toddler again.  Wonder what happened to my preschooler (he’s reading).  Work on the crochet project.  Baby starts crying.  Calm the baby.  Toddler gets into mischief.  Stop the toddler.  Distract the toddler by letting him choose eyes for the project.  Work on the project some more.  When I’m almost done, the toddler and preschooler will invariably start fighting just as the baby starts screaming.  Calm them all down, dry the tears, get them happily occupied again, and then finish the project.  But, that’s me.  Assuming you are able to just sit down and crochet, I think you could make 2-3 octopuses in an hour.

Anyway, digression aside, here is my easy, one-piece, fairly realistic octopus.  Made in just 20 steps.

one-piece-octopus-updated  (corrected a typo in step #14 of original pattern)

When finishing the octopus I like to run the yarn up through the head, cut it, and stretch the head to pull the yarn back inside.  Instead, you can use the yarn to hang the octopus as an ornament.

The next pattern I plan to write up is my tiny turtle.   I’ll warn you though, they are addictive.