Squiddles

[hooked_on_anime]

Hey folks :) Happy solar new year to you! I'd like to say that my goal for this cycle is to post one new pattern a month, but with my finances as they are (that is, not the best) that may not be an option. Still, I live in hope.

Today I bring you a pattern for Squiddles, of MSPA/Homestuck fame. Pictures:





The initial pair I made for my younger brother for the holidays this year. While they do attach with magnets to the point where one can hold the other up [see second photo], the magnets I used (packaging labeled "Strength 6") were not strong enough on their own to do so for more than a few seconds with two layers of crochet between them. By sandwiching a third magnet between the two Squiddles, I was able to form more viable Tangle Buddies, but that's definitely not an ideal solution :/ Rest assured, I will be researching magnet application in the near future. [Edit:] It has been confirmed that two strength six magnets per Squiddle are strong enough for them to maintain Tangle Buddies on their own. [/edit]

The HorrorTerror version is magnetless, which is also an option. That one I kept for myself, because I'm selfish like that ;)


Squiddle pattern:

Things you need to know: US stitch names, crocheting in the round (spiral), increasing ([stitch] 2 in 1), Decreasing ([stitch] 2 tog), Single Crochet (sc), Front Post Crochet (fp[stitch])*
* You can substitute Front Loop Crochet (fl[stitch]) for Front Post Crochet if you like, though I've found that the latter leaves sharper edges.
A note on magnets: In case you skipped the paragraph I put up with the pictures, I felt it prudent to include an extra note. Magnets labeled "Strength 6" are not heavy-duty enough to suspend ~3oz/75g of Squiddle (or more, depending on how tightly you stuff them) through two layers of crochet. That is, if you put one strength six magnet inside of each Squiddle, while they will still be magnetically drawn to one another, they will not be strong enough to suspend one from the other in Tangle Buddies position for more than a few seconds. If you're fine with that much, or just don't plan to use magnets, great! If not, however, either consider how you can work with stronger magnets, or slip a second magnet into each Squiddle.

Body
1: Begin in a ring; Sc 6; continue in a spiral
2: Sc 12 (sc 2 in 1 all around)
3: Sc 18 (sc 2 in 1, sc 1)
4: Sc 24 (sc 2 in 1, sc 2)
5: Sc 30 (sc 2 in 1, sc 3)
6: Sc 36 (sc 2 in 1, sc 4)
7: Sc 42 (sc 2 in 1, sc 5)
8: Sc 48 (sc 2 in 1, sc 6)
9 thru 17: Sc 48 (sc 1 in 1 all around)
18: Fp sc 48 inside
19: Sc 42 (sc 2 tog, sc 6)
20: Sc 36 (sc 2 tog, sc 5)
21: Sc 30 (sc 2 tog, sc 4)
22: Sc 24 (sc 2 tog, sc 3)
23: Sc 18 (sc 2 tog, sc 2)
24: Sc 12 (sc 2 tog, sc 1)
25: Sc 6 (sc 2 tog all around)
26: Sc 3 (sc 2 tog all around)
Finish

Ridge
1: Beginning three rows from the [flat] bottom, fl sc 48; continue in a spiral
2: Sc 72 (sc 2 in 1, sc 1)
3, 4: Sc 72 (sc 1 in 1 all around)
5: Sc 48 (sc 2 tog, sc 1)
Stitch the most recent round to the bottom of the Squiddle's main body, stuffing as you go.

Magnet Patch
1: Begin in a ring; Sc 6; continue in a spiral
2: Sc 12 (sc 2 in 1 all around)
3: Sc 18 (sc 2 in 1, sc 1)
4: Sc 24 (sc 2 in 1, sc 2)
Finish

NOTES: Magnets are an optional feature, and you don't need to include one in your Squiddle(s). If you do include a magnet, you can feel free to stick it into the main body before you close it up if you'd feel more comfortable with that; I preferred to make a separate patch to sew on and keep the magnet not only in one place, but in one position (N vs S/+ vs -).
Remember, magnets will only stick together if you face their opposite ends together; N/N and +/+ will repel each other, but N/S and +/- will stick. I labeled mine before including them, and coded the Squiddles themselves as well (+ down looking right, - down looking left). You should be able to figure it out fine with trial and error, I just like labeling things :P Just make sure you do so before you sew the magnets in.
ALSO, if you are using the Magnet Patch method, I recommend attaching the magnet before attaching the Squiddle's legs. Depending on the number of legs you use, attaching the magnet after could end up looking quite messy.

Tentacles
I chose to make six tentacles per Squiddle, because they don't look right to me with only four. Feel free to make however few or many as you like, though.
1: Begin in a ring; Sc 6; continue in a spiral
2: Sc 9 (sc 2 in 1, sc 1)
3 thru 15: Sc 9 (sc 1 in 1 all around)
Finish


I think that's all for now :) Happy April 13, 2009!

Edit: Time for far, far too belated awarding of credit. This pattern is heavily influenced by Hooks and Needles' Futurama Brain Slug Pattern. I really should have mentioned it earlier, but at the time I wasn't consciously aware of just how much of a role that pattern played in the development of this one. My sincerest apologies for not mentioning this sooner. I'm going to go hang the shame curtains now.

Edit 2: With thanks to a kind anon for the tip, I've moved the instructions on when to stitch the ridge to the body to after the instructions for the ridge itself. Hopefully that clears things up for anyone who's confused.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Hi! I am following your template and making my own Squiddles. This is actually my first crochet project, as I'm taking it up just to make this.. ever since I saw the pictures of it from Google image search, I HAD to have my own! ^_^

Anyway, would you mind helping me out on something? I'm stuck at making the ridge. I'm confused by what you mean in row 1 ("beginning 3 rows from the [flat] bottom, fl sc 48"). Are you starting a new separate piece from a single chain or doing single crochets straight onto the row sticking out from the front post crochet row on the body? I'm also unsure how I would get both edges of the ridge piece to attach onto the body.

Help appreciated! And thank you for the template :)

[(Anonymous)]

Oops! Update from previous comment: I think I've worked it out. Just started crocheting on the body a bit above the FPC line (what you meant by the bottom). Now they're almost done and looking good!

Also re: magnets. Like you, I found that one was not strong enough. What I did was I stacked 2 magnets together (so used 2 in each instead of 1), and this made the attraction powerful enough for them to automatically stick to each other and hold each other up.

[hooked_on_anime]

I'm so, so sorry I disappeared and didn't show up to answer your questions/comments /)_(\ ADHD ate me, I'm afraid, but I'm glad you figured things out. Thank you very much for the tip about two magnets each, and I'll be looking into making this pattern easier to understand ASAP.

[(Anonymous)]

First of all, I just wanted to say thanks for posting your awesome Squiddles pattern. :D I'm a huge Homestuck fan and hope to make tons of these little guys.

I have a question, though -- I, too, am confused as to what to do for the ridge. Do I just attach a new thread to the body a few rows up and start crocheting downward to the flat part (working the last part of the ridge into the raised part from the front post row of the body)? If that is the case, what do I work the single crochets into when I start the ridge? The spaces between the posts in row 14/15-ish?

Anyway, any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for the awesome pattern. :D

[hooked_on_anime]

Sorry about the late reply; real life has gotten a bit hectic on my end recently, I'm afraid =_=

My pleasure :) I love knowing other people are having fun using my patterns.

You do start by attaching a new thread about three rows up from the bottom; front-post crochet means you crochet through the previous crocheted area. I usually just follow along the row, making the final stitch(es) across a row to correct the line. Crochet the following rounds from that round rather than through the other crocheted part. The final row should not be attached to the bottom of the body on its own; take an extra length of yarn and sew it closed.

Here's a poor-quality computer illustration to hopefully help out a little bit: Pic! Provided your new stitches go in the same direction ("up" vs. "down") as the more gumdrop-y part of the body, it should form a nice ringlike bump that would resemble the letter C if cut.

I hope that clears things up a bit; if not, I'll keep trying.

[(Anonymous)]

How did you attach the eyes/mouth?

[hooked_on_anime]

I crocheted simple shapes for the eyes, and stitched them on the same way I stitched the body together. For the standard Squiddles, I added an extra stitch of white to the eyes after attaching them. The mouths I just embroidered in.

For this later set, I cut out felt shapes of about the right size and hot-glued them down. I added the eye dots with a bit of acrylic fabric paint.

I prefer the final effect of the felt version, but the yarn version is great for if you don't have hot glue or aren't comfortable with it.

[(Anonymous)]

Cool, thanks! After seeing this tutorial, I decided to take up crocheting, so I don't know a lot of the basics.

It's turned out to be a great stress-buster, and is really helping me get away from the comptuer. I'm hoping to learn tunisian crochet after this, as it seems like it's really good for colour changes (you can basically make crochet pixel art with it).

[hooked_on_anime]

I'm delighted to hear that ^__^

Yeah, crochet's great for de-stressing :) Just remember to put the hook down if it starts to hurt! (Unless you're already living with chronic pain, in which case I'm sure you'd be the best judge of when's a good time for a break.)

Ooo, crocheted pixel art, you say? I may have to look into this.

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, when I was doing research into crochet colour-changing, I ran into this:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3577/3393263514_9138307762.jpg

It was made using Tunesian crochet, and the person who made some blog posts on how she made it: gegecrochet.blogspot.com

Also: I've been looking into ways to make the tentacles more floppy. I tried double-crocheting them, but it turned out looking pretty messy: http://i.imgur.com/jgaD8.jpg

I'm now thinking maybe just do nine chains off the round, and then spirally weave them together, if that makes any sense.

18: Fp sc 48 inside?

[(Anonymous)]

I'm having a go at crochet just to try this! C: I'm a little stuck on the 'inside' part, though:
18: Fp sc 48 inside
I get the front post part, but I can't find any tutorials on 'inside' D: What is it?

Re: 18: Fp sc 48 inside?

[hooked_on_anime]

Oh, um. At that point, the basic structure should have formed a "cup" of sorts; you'll be doing the front post crochet so it ends up on the inside of the cup rather than the outside, so you'll eventually be making a sort of "lid" for the "cup". Or a bottom for the gumdrop.

Come to think of it, front loop crochet would probably work almost as well, and would be less confusing than the "inside" note :|a The reason I originally used front post crochet is because this pattern is heavily inspired by Hooks and Needles brain slug pattern - which, come to think of it, I really should have mentioned/credited a long time ago. I should take care of that while I still remember.

*ahem* If you look at the aforementioned brain slug pattern, you can find some pictures that should help. Just pretend the "fringe" isn't there, and it's the same basic idea.

*shuffles off to rectify long-standing oversight*

[(Anonymous)]

I'm just finishing my third squiddle! These are so cool, oh my god thank you for putting this up! C8 I need to take a picture of them sometime, haha.
Would you be ok with it if I sold some, ofc crediting you? It's just a few people have shown interest and I really like making them.
Again, thanks so much for posting this! 0u0

[hooked_on_anime]

I'm glad the pattern is working out for you ^_^ If you do get pictures up, I'd love to see them :)

I would totally be okay with that, thank you so much for asking! I do request that if you have or get the means to do so, please drop a little into Andrew Hussie's tip jar for each one you sell; it's what I've been doing, as per a deleted Formspring post/my best judgment. And, um, if you felt like sending a little my way, I wouldn't object.

Absolutely no guilt if you don't/can't pay for things online, though; it doesn't sound like you're setting up some huge shop for them or anything, so I'm still cool with it. (I'm pretty sure crocheted stuff falls under the legal umbrella of parody in either case, but I tend to play it extra safe 9_9a)

A thank you, and a question.

[(Anonymous)]

I recently made a scalemate using your pattern, and it turned out great. Thank you for making these patterns. I do have a question though, what does it mean by "Stitch the most recent round to the bottom of the Squiddle's main body, stuffing as you go." I don't know how you are supposed to do this. Thanks again.

Re: A thank you, and a question.

[(Anonymous)]

Just to clarify, I don't understand what you are stitching to the main body.

Re: A thank you, and a question.

[(Anonymous)]

Wait, I think I understand, you have to stitch the last row/round of the "ridge" to the body. If that's what it is, you should probably move those instructions to after the "ridge" pattern

Re: A thank you, and a question.

[hooked_on_anime]

You are absolutely right (she typed quite belatedly). I'll do that forthwith.

Umm...

[(Anonymous)]

Stupid question, I'm sure, but...how do you begin? It just starts with "sc 6" with no mention of ch stitches or anything...

Re: Umm...

[hooked_on_anime]

Sorry, lack of clarity on my part. You start in the round; there's several ways of doing this, from ch 3 and doing all 6 sc in the first ch, to a magic ring (my preferred method), to ch 4 and sl st into the first ch to make a chain ring and sc around that, and probably more besides. I've got some tutorials linked here where you can learn more about how to do that, if you like.

I hope that helps!

Re: Umm...

[(Anonymous)]

That does help, thank you!

Mini squiddles

[(Anonymous)]

Hi I saw an image of some mini squiddles and I was wondering if you could post the pattern to make the mini squiddles. Thanks.

Re: Mini squiddles

[hooked_on_anime]

I've actually been holding off on posting that pattern because I'm not entirely sure how to explain making the legs. If I'm not clear enough, I get questions, and while I generally love helping people and sharing my patterns, I am also this close to charging consultation fees.

I guess I'll give it a shot, though; it'd probably be good to actually have it written down somewhere, anyway. I'll reply with a link when I've got it up.

Re: Mini squiddles

[hooked_on_anime]

And it's up! I hope you enjoy using it :)

[(Anonymous)]

I loved this pattern!! :D It worked great. I made two Squiddles with it, though the one I did with stiffer yarn worked better. http://kk-sis.tumblr.com/post/49575900676/i-made-the-squiddles-around-christmas-time-and (If you'd like to see them!)
Thanks so much for this!!