Introducing Axel the Squid! Axel joins my tentacled gang of sea beasts – including Ingrid the Octopus and Jag the Jellyfish. There’s just something way too much fun about crocheting dangly arms and suction cups and tentacles! So, here he is, in all his dangly glory. This amigurumi pattern is the perfect balance between realistic + adorable. Accompanied by a video tutorial, this squid crochet pattern will be a sweet gift for your loved one, or the perfect addition to your amigurumi toy collection!

Jump into the squid crochet pattern now, or PIN it for later here!

I’ve created a helpful video tutorial for this pattern as well. You can find that further down in this post or access it straight away on YouTube here.

This squid crochet pattern is supported by ads on my blog. If you’d rather print the pattern for some cozy couch crocheting, you can find the 14-page ad-free, printable PDF in my shop here or on Ravelry here.

This pattern is written in US terms. If needed, you can find a handy term conversion chart right here in my Resource Library.

Squid Crochet Pattern Guide:

Size & Gauge:

Size: 18″ tall

Gauge: N/A. Ultimately with toys, gauge doesn’t matter. It won’t have to fit someone’s body or a specific space. My patterns will include the size of the finished toy based on the yarn and hook I use. But if you want it smaller or bigger, just use a bigger yarn and hook! Just remember, when crocheting toys, crochet tightly and choose a hook one size smaller than the yarn size recommends in order to avoid holes between each stitch where the stuffing will show through.

Yarn & Stuffing:

Yarn: Take your choice of yarn! Choose colors that bring you joy and fibers that feel good between your fingers. I use 100% cotton yarn because I make these toys for my kids and need them to be functional. Cotton is natural, washable, soft, and relatively inflexible so the toys don’t stretch and sag, even after being thrown across the house, down the stairs and adventured through every part of the garden!

Stuffing: Stuff more than you think you should. Not enough for the stitches to stretch and show holes, but enough to make the toy stiff and able to withstand the rough trials of toy life. The filling will compress a bit over time. I encourage you to use an alternative to poly-fill (unless it’s recycled!). Try using leftover yarn scraps and snippets or old non-donate-able clothes and materials cut into strips. For this squid crochet pattern, I used recycled polyester stuffing.

Policies & Disclaimers:

This squid crochet pattern is for PERSONAL USE ONLY. This pattern or parts of it may not be reproduced, resold, distributed, published, altered, translated, posted or shared without authorization. You can sell your finished items provided that you credit Off the Beaten Hook as the designer using this verbiage, “This pattern was designed by Lindsey Roe and Off the Beaten Hook.” Thank you for your respectfulness!

This post contains affiliate links for materials I use and love. If you purchase something using one of these links I may earn a small commission which in no way affects the cost to you. These partnerships help me support my small business which allows me to provide you with free crochet patterns. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support!

What makes this pattern eco-friendly and sustainable?

THE YARN: I use only sustainable and eco-friendly yarn that has been ethically grown/raised and processed, putting the people and the planet first. This is why I chose 100% cotton yarn for this pattern.

THE STUFFING: I used 100% Post-Consumer Recycled Polyester Filling (recycled water bottles) for this squid free crochet pattern. You can also use recycled cotton stuffing, left over yarn snippets (save them all – they add up fast!) or old fiber you’ve cut into strips.

THE SLOW YARN MOVEMENT: I’m participating in the Slow Yarn Movement. There’s far too much to talk about here, but please take a few minutes to learn about what this means by reading the article I wrote about the Slow Yarn Movement as part of my 6-part Sustainable Crochet Series.

I’M MAKING SUSTAINABLE TOYS FOR MY KIDS: This is the reason I learned how to crochet to begin with! I wanted my son to have mostly sustainable toys to play with as I eliminated a huge amount of non-renewable plastics from our home.

If you’re interested in learning more about sustainable crochet you can read all about it in the 6-part series I did covering everything about Sustainable Crochet and how to implement it into your own crafting starting today!

Materials you will need for this squid crochet pattern:

YARN:

Deramores Studio Organic Cotton DK | | 100% Cotton | Weight: 3/DK/Light Worsted | 115 yards per ball:

• Pepper (red): x2 balls (you’ll use about 173 yards)
• Honeysuckle (pink): x1 balls (you’ll use about 35 yards)

YARN SUBSTITUTION OPTIONS:

If you can’t access the recommended yarn, want to explore other colors, or would just prefer to use a different yarn for this cauliflower free crochet pattern, here are some others that will work well! All of these are DK weight:

100% Cotton Options:

• Stylecraft Naturals Organic Cotton
• Rico Essentials Organic Cotton DK
• Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK
• Rowan Handknit Cotton
• Debbie Bliss Cotton DK

Cotton Blend & Other Fiber Options:

• Scheepjes Linen Soft (Cotton/Linen/Acrylic)
• Paintbox Yarns Simply DK (Acrylic)
• Stylecraft Bamboo & Cotton Blend
• Sirdar Stories DK (Cotton/Acrylic)
• Valley Yarns Haydenville DK (Wool/Acrylic)

OTHER TOOLS & MATERIALS:

• Crochet Hook Size: 3.00 mm
• Pair of safety eyes: 16 mm (I used the “realistic” looking ones with the sparkly background)
• Tapestry Needle
• Stitch Markers
• Scissors
• Stuffing

Abbreviations used in the squid crochet pattern:

ch – chain
st – stitch
hk – hook
sl st – slip stitch
mc – magic circle
sc – single crochet
hdc – half double crochet
dc – double crochet
DcBo – double crochet bobble (I use a 3 DcBo in this pattern)
FLO – front loop only
BLO – back loop only
inc – increase
dec – decrease
(…) x – repeat instructions indicated number of times
[…] – number of stitches in row/round
PH – photo reference number

MEET AXEL the SQUID:

In the depths of the ocean, where the seaweeds sway,
Lived Axel the Squid, in a cozy hideaway.
With tentacles long and a heart full of cheer,
He danced through the currents, without any fear.

But poor Axel had a dilemma, you see,
His eyesight was fuzzy, as fuzzy could be.
He’d squint and he’d blink, trying hard to see clear,
But his vision was blurry, bringing him near tears.

His friends in the sea, they’d chuckle and tease,
“Hey Axel, watch out! You might bump into reefs!”
They’d giggle and snicker, as Axel felt small,
His heart growing heavy, his confidence fall.

But Axel, oh Axel, he didn’t give in,
He knew in his heart, he was more than his skin.
With courage and strength, he swam through the tide,
Determined to find a new vision inside.

He met wise old octopus, wiggling with glee,
Who whispered, “Dear Axel, come listen to me.
Your eyes may be blurry, but your heart sees true,
Embrace who you are, there’s no one like you.”

With newfound assurance, Axel took flight,
Through coral and seaweed, with all of his might.
He danced with the jellyfish, raced with a shark,
His spirit as bright and as warm as a spark.

For Axel the Squid, with his eyesight unclear,
Found beauty in difference, without any fear.
With each wobbly squish and each blurry view,
He embraced his true self, and so can you too!

So let’s cheer for Axel, the squid with a glow,
Who teaches us lessons, more precious than gold.
For in the depths of the ocean, or under the sky,
We’re all a bit different, and that’s just fine, oh my!

The Squid Crochet Pattern

Mantle & Fins:

NOTES:

• The mantle is worked in continuous rounds – do not join after each round
• Over Rnds 4-25, we will alternate where we place the increases so the mantle will take on a nice cylindrical shape instead of a triangle.

Upper Arms:

NOTES:

• You will now split the round to create the 8 arms (sometimes inaccurately referred to as the tentacles)
• Please note that after you create the chain of 30, you?ll begin your first sc in the very first ch from the hook (commonly, you skip that first chain and begin in the 2nd ch from the hook)
• To make it easier to line-up the upper arms to the under arms when sewing together, I recommend placing stitch markers in these places: at the tip of the tentacles and in the 1st and 5th stitches of the 5-stitch section made along the mantle between each tentacle

Center tentacles – make 2

NOTES:

• You will now crochet the 2 longer, central tentacles which will be sewn onto the base arm section
• For the squid, we use a 3-DcBo for our bobbles. If you?re unfamiliar with how to make a bobble stitch, I show you how in the video tutorial.
• I use the invisible fasten method to fasten off (optional). If you?re unfamiliar with how to do this, I also show you that in the video tutorial

Under Arms & Suction cups:

NOTES:

• The base tentacles are worked in continuous rounds – do not join after each round
• To make it easier to line-up the upper arms to the under arms when sewing together, I recommend placing stitch markers in these places: at the tip of the tentacles and in the 1st and 5th stitches of the 5-stitch section made on Rnd 7 between each tentacle

Finish up:

Ensure the mantle is stuffed sufficiently (you will have one more chance to finish stuffing before the end as well. Now, line up the under arms with the upper arms, matching up the stitch markers all the way around – PH 42. Using red yarn, sc the two pieces together, all the way around, making 2 sc in the tip of each of the tentacles so they don?t curl under – PH 43. Stop before the final couple of tentacles to give the squid a final stuff. Fasten off and bring yarn to the inside.

SQUID CROCHET PATTERN VIDEO TUTORIAL:

You did it! Well done! I hope you loved using this squid crochet pattern.

I would love to see your version of Axel the Squid. Please post pictures on instagram and tag me @offthebeatenhook and use #offthebeatenhook. Cheers!

PIN THIS SQUID CROCHET PATTERN FOR LATER!