Penelope the Pin Cushion: Octopus Crochet Pattern
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I’d like you to meet my new little friend and desk mate, Penelope. She’s an octopus with class and a secret weapon. You see, Penelope is a pin sharpening pin cushion. It’s true! And she is a free crochet pattern.
Penelope the Octopus
Penelope is unique in that her body is not stuffed with Polyfil as with regular amigurumi. Oh no! Her body is stuffed with steel wool (or stainless steel scour pads) that will help her sharpen the pins as they are used. Of course, if you are making Penelope for a youngster, or as a stuffed animal instead of a pin cushion, Polyfil would work just fine.
The steel works to sharpen the pins each time you insert them into the pin cushion. How cool is that!? Since I’ve started sewing more (adding linings etc) I’ve had my sewing pins in a glass cup on my desk. I decided it is high time I had a proper pin cushion – and a crocheted one, of course!
Pin Sharpening Pin Cushion
Materials:
Cotton yarn in two contrasting colors
-approx 120 yards of body
-approx 70 yards of underbelly
Scrap yarn for optional bow
Crochet hook in size G/4mm
Buttons for eyes OR Safety Eyes if giving to a child (9mm used)
Steel wool or (3) Steel scouring pads – 2.75’’ x 1.77” – possibly found at Dollar Tree in 3pks
I also made the same pattern using Bernat Blanket yarn, and it turned out over foot tall! I used:
Bernat Blanket
-approx. 170 yards body color
-approx. 100 yards underbelly
Crochet hook in size 8mm
Polyfil
Pattern Notes:
Pattern written using US terms.
Try the Invisible Decrease for the decreases along the base of the body.
Do not join at the end of each row, rather use a marker to note the first stitch of each round.
A tutorial for the bobble stitch can be found here on Heart Hook Home.
Grab the ad-free, printable version of this pattern on Ravelry. Thank you!
If you need help reading a crochet pattern, make sure you head over here and check out this detailed post.
Pin Cushion Crochet Pattern
With body color
Round 1: Magic Circle, 8 sc in circle. Do not join, work in a spiral. (8)
Round 2: 2sc in each st around (16)
Round 3: * sc in next, 2sc in next * repeat around (24)
Round 4: * sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next * repeat around (32)
Round 5: * sc in next 3 sts, 2sc in next * repeat around (40)
Round 6: * sc in next 4 sts, 2sc in next * repeat around (48)
Rounds 7 – 16: sc in each st around (48) sts
**place eyelashes (if desired) and safety eyes between rows 15 & 16, 8 sts apart
Round 17: * sc in next 6 sts, sc2tog * repeat around (42)
Round 18: * sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog * repeat around (36)
Round 19: * sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog * repeat around (30)
Round 20: * sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog * repeat around (24)
Rounds 21 – 22: sc in each st around (24)
Round 23: * sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next * repeat around (32)
Round 24: * sc in next 3 sts, 2sc in next * repeat around (40)
If desired, add a small mouth. Do not fasten off.
**stuff body as full as possible with steel wool/scour pads. Really cram it in.
For tentacles:
Continuing from body…
Row 1: Sc in next 5 sts.
Rows 2 – 17: Ch-1, turn, sc in each st. (5)
Row 18: Ch-1, turn, sc2tog, sc in next st, sc2tog. (3)
Row 19 – 21: Ch-1, turn sc in each st. (3)
Row 22: ch-1, turn, sc 3 tog.
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Fasten off and weave in end.
Attach yarn in next open stitch on body and make next tentacle. Continue until you have 8 tentacles.
Underbelly
With underbelly color
Round 1: Magic circle, 10 sc in circle. Do not join, work in spiral. (10)
Round 2: 2sc in each st around (20)
Round 3: * sc in next, 2sc in next * repeat around (30)
Round 4: * sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next * repeat around (40)
Do not fasten off.
For tentacles:
Row 1: Sc in next 5 sts.
Rows 2 & 3: Ch-1, turn, sc in 5 sts.
Row 4: Ch-1, turn, sc in 2 sts, bobble, sc in 2 sts.
Rows 5 – 7: Repeat row 3
Row 8: repeat row 4
Rows 9 – 11: repeat row 3
Row 12: repeat row 4
Rows 13 – 15: repeat row 3
Row 16: repeat row 4
Row 17: repeat row 3
Row 18: Ch-1, turn, sc2tog, sc in next st, sc2tog.
Row 19: Ch-1, turn sc in each st. (3)
Row 20: Ch-1, turn, sc in first, bobble, sc in last
Row 21: repeat row 19
Row 22: ch-1, turn, sc 3 tog.
Fasten off and weave in tail.
Attach yarn in next open stitch and make tentacle. Continue until you have 8 tentacles.
Construction:
Line up the top and bottom tentacles with the bobbles facing down. You may want to “pin” the two pieces in place with stitch markers. Pin in between each tentacle and at the end of each tentacle.
Looking down at the body, and starting at the base of any tentacle, sc tightly through both sides (the top and bottom) all the way up and back down each tentacle. When you get all the way around, fasten off and weave in all ends. Curl the tentacles in the direction they naturally want to curl.
Bow (optional):
With any color scrap yarn
Row 1: Ch-16, join with sl st to beg ch without turning. (16)
Row 2 – 3: Ch-1, sc in same st and in each around. Join with sl st to top of first sc. (16)
Fasten off leaving a super long tail (we will use the tail to make the center of the bow).
Find the middle of the “bow” and pinch together. Wrap yarn tightly to hold its shape and continue wrapping until you reach desired bow center width. On back side, use your upholstery needle to secure the end, leaving a long enough tail to then attach the bow to the pin cushion. Place bow off centered about 1” above the eye on the body.
Penelope the Pin Cushion is ready for use! I hope you love her!
On a side note, you could totally make a larger version of her using Bernat Blanket, or comparable yarn, and regular Polyfil!
If you make a Penelope, tag me on social media using @HeartHookHome so I can see!
More free crochet patterns
Creighton’s Blanket: Free Stitch Sampler Crochet Pattern
Easy Foldover Crossbody Bag: Free Crochet Pattern
Life’s a Beach Bag: Free Beach Bag Crochet Pattern
The Bee’s Knees Face Cloth: Small Face Cloth Free Crochet Pattern
I love this pattern! I have made two and now have orders for two more! Such a neat idea!
Hi Joann! I am so glad you have enjoyed the pattern!
Ashlea I am so glad I found your site. I am so looking forward to making Penelope, but she will have to for awhile as I am making your beautiful snow flakes right now. When I am finished with that I will make Penelope, I can’t wait
This is so adorable! I just recently made a little octopus (my very first crochet project … what a way to learn! lol) for a very-soon-to-be-born niece. I unfortunately didn’t come across this pattern until that one was already made. Well, I have a few more crochet skills under my belt now and this pattern is just SO much better than … I absolutely want to make another octopus. Maybe swap out the other one, maybe keep it for myself. Regardless, I must make this!
I have a question regarding the tentacles. Do you make each tentacle separate or can you just continue around/down for each new tentacle with the same working unbroken piece of yarn? I’m just not sure if I’m reading that part correctly. The tentacles were the harder part for me on my last octopus as well.
I also wondered – when you say not to join each row for the body, does this mean the body is worked in a spiral? How do you keep straight rows in the round if you don’t join each row and do a standing chain up for the next row? I’m still quite new to crochet so I wondered if you had tips or a tutorial somewhere that explained this a bit for me.
And one more question – last one, I promise. When attaching the underbelly to the body with the SC around the edges, are you doing that with a new piece of yarn? I’m trying to think how you would do this … push your hook through the corresponding stitches on each piece and then hook in a new piece of working yarn, like how you might do a color change mid-row on some amigurumi tutorials I’ve seen? I’ve never done it, so I might have to find some tutorials on that. Any tips for that?
I’m sorry I’m so needy lol. I’m still learning my way around really understanding crochet patterns and what they’re asking of me. Thank you in advance for any help you can give – and thank you so much for this pattern! I’m definitely going to have to be bookmarking your website so I can come back to see what other wonderful things you’ve done. All your works are just so lovely!
Hi Krystal! Welcome to crochet! Prepare to be hooked…lol! The tentacles are worked separately…so you will fasten off your yarn at the end of each tentacle then reattach in the next open space on the body(or underbelly) to make your next tentacle. To attach the body with the underbelly, yes, you will need to use a new strand of yarn…you will attach the new yarn in the same way you did when doing the tentacles. The main body is worked in a spiral, which is typical with most amigurumi…working in a spiral keeps from having an unsightly seam. I have a post on tips when working amigurumi here: https://hearthookhome.com/amigurumi-tips-tricks-beginners/
Making this for my grand-daughter’s birthday. Can’t decide on this one or the blanket yarn one. Do you have a picture of the one made from blanket yarn?
I love your creative mind!
great pattern as usual Ashlea. Question is this… I’m doing the “big guy” with Bernat Blanket how do his tentacles curl or what makes them curl? Will they just do this when I put bottom onto top ?
I followed pattern exactly and have correct stitch counts
Thanks
Hi Sheri! Did you get this figured out?
penelope is adorable.
Now I can take my pins out of my daughters stuffed animal
Thank you so much, for the pattern and it being so easy
I love Penelope! Looking forward to making her!