Like many crochet enthusiasts, I have quite the collection of patterns both paid and free. I keep them all stored in binders with plastic sheet protectors and love to just flip the pages and decide which one I will try next.
Many of the patterns I end up buying are for commission work from friends and family. They give me an idea of what they would like, I send them pictures of patterns I find, and from there we decide together which one will best suit their needs.
That is what happened in this particular situation. I was in an Arabic language refresher course and met this adorable couple who just had a baby girl. After spending a few weeks in the same classroom, we started talking and getting to know each other more. Mother’s Day was approaching, and the husband came to me asking for a gift for his wife. He wanted a giant octopus – as big as I could make it with the time given. After doing some research and showing him some patterns that I had found, he decided on the Octopus XXL pattern by Oli Mori. And boy am I glad he did!
This pattern was so much easier than I had expected! Probably the most difficult part about this whole process was finding safety eyes big enough to use! I wound up ordering some on Amazon. I highly suggest making sure you have all of the required materials before starting a project like this one, or you will be waiting a day or two with nothing to do but wait.
The pattern is extremely easy to read. Actually, I should mention that it is rated for beginner to intermediate crocheters; don’t let the size fool you!
At the beginning, the designer clearly states what materials you will need, and gives you the meanings of the abbreviations. Throughout the whole pattern are pictures showing the process.
At the end of the pattern, you are given several ways to contact her if you have any questions.
Some difficulties I came across:
This pattern calls for a reverse popcorn stitch, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll have no idea how to do that. The designer put pictures of how to do this stitch, but I found it difficult to understand so I wound up finding a tutorial on YouTube. (It is SUPER simple by the way!).
I also struggled figuring out how to sew the thing together. I wound up cutting shorter pieces of yarn, sewing as much as I could with it, and connecting more as I needed it. That made it so much simpler for weaving without having to pull an entire skein of yarn through each stitch!
The final struggle I had with this pattern wasn’t actually the pattern itself, but rather everyone in my office who decided that now they NEED to have one of their own! I have a feeling I will be busy for quite some time!
Will I make this again? Yes! And actually, I’m already working on my second one.
If you would like to make one of your very own, be sure to check out this pattern on Etsy!
I hope you enjoyed my review of this Octopus XXL crochet pattern by Oli Mori! If so, please subscribe to see more reviews in the future!
