Ollie the Octopus Knitted Toy — Free Knitting Pattern

There is something deeply satisfying about knitting a toy from scratch. You start with a skein of yarn and two needles, and somewhere in the middle of all those loops and rows, a personality begins to emerge. That is exactly what happens when you knit Ollie the Octopus. With his squishy round body, eight wiggly tentacles, and embroidered button eyes, Ollie has a way of winning hearts before he is even finished. This free knitting pattern is designed for adventurous beginners and confident intermediate knitters alike, and the finished toy makes a wonderful gift for babies, toddlers, and anyone who happens to love the sea.

Before we dive in, a quick note on safety. If you are making Ollie for a child under three years old, please skip the button eyes and embroider the eyes directly onto the face using black yarn instead. Buttons can be a choking hazard for very small children, so it is always better to play it safe.

A Little About Ollie

Ollie is a round, plump octopus with eight curling tentacles and a wide, cheerful face. He sits at about 20 centimetres tall when finished (roughly 8 inches), making him just the right size to tuck under an arm or prop on a shelf. The pattern is worked mostly in the round on double-pointed needles or a short circular needle, with the tentacles knitted flat and then seamed or picked up separately. The whole project uses less than 100 grams of yarn, so it is also a wonderful way to use up leftovers from other projects.

Materials You Will Need

To knit Ollie, you will need the following:

One 50-gram ball of DK weight yarn in your main colour (MC). A soft, washable acrylic or wool blend works beautifully here. Ollie looks wonderful in bright teal, deep purple, coral pink, or classic navy, though the colour choice is entirely yours.

A small amount of contrasting yarn in a lighter or complementary shade for the suckers or any decorative stripes, if desired. This is completely optional but adds a lovely touch.

A set of 3.25mm double-pointed needles (DPNs) or a 3.25mm circular needle, 40cm long, for magic loop method.

A pair of 3.25mm straight needles for the tentacles.

One pair of 12mm safety eyes, or black yarn for embroidered eyes.

Polyester toy stuffing.

A yarn needle for seaming and weaving in ends.

Stitch markers.

Scissors.

Gauge

18 stitches and 24 rows over 10cm in stocking stitch using 3.25mm needles. Gauge is not critical for a toy, but working to a tighter gauge than usual is recommended so the stuffing does not show through the fabric. If your knitting is naturally loose, try dropping down a needle size.

Abbreviations

Throughout this pattern the following abbreviations are used:

k — knit, p — purl, k2tog — knit two stitches together (a right-leaning decrease), ssk — slip, slip, knit (a left-leaning decrease), kfb — knit into the front and back of a stitch (an increase), st(s) — stitch(es), rnd(s) — round(s), CO — cast on, BO — bind off, RS — right side, WS — wrong side, pm — place marker, sm — slip marker.

Pattern Notes

The body of Ollie is worked from the top down in the round. You begin at the crown, increase outward to form the wide belly, and then decrease back in toward the base. The tentacles are worked separately on straight needles and then attached, or they can be picked up directly from the base of the body if you prefer a more seamless finish. Both methods are described below.

Ollie is stuffed firmly so that his body holds its round shape. Do not be afraid to pack the stuffing in well before closing the base. A loosely stuffed octopus will look a bit sad and deflated, and Ollie deserves better than that.

The Pattern

Body

Using your main colour and double-pointed needles or circular needle, cast on 8 stitches. Distribute evenly across needles and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist. Place a stitch marker to indicate the beginning of the round.

Round 1: Knit all stitches.

Round 2: (kfb) to end of round. 16 sts.

Round 3: Knit.

Round 4: (k1, kfb) to end of round. 24 sts.

Round 5: Knit.

Round 6: (k2, kfb) to end of round. 32 sts.

Round 7: Knit.

Round 8: (k3, kfb) to end of round. 40 sts.

Round 9: Knit.

Round 10: (k4, kfb) to end of round. 48 sts.

Round 11: Knit.

Round 12: (k5, kfb) to end of round. 56 sts.

Rounds 13–28: Knit all rounds without shaping. This forms the wide middle section of the body.

Now begin the decreases to shape the base.

Round 29: (k5, k2tog) to end of round. 48 sts.

Round 30: Knit.

Round 31: (k4, k2tog) to end of round. 40 sts.

Round 32: Knit.

Round 33: (k3, k2tog) to end of round. 32 sts.

Round 34: Knit.

At this point, attach the safety eyes between rounds 15 and 16, approximately 8 stitches apart on the front of the body. If you are embroidering the eyes, you can do this once the body is complete and stuffed.

Round 35: (k2, k2tog) to end of round. 24 sts.

Begin stuffing the body firmly at this point. Continue stuffing as you work the remaining rounds.

Round 36: Knit.

Round 37: (k1, k2tog) to end of round. 16 sts.

Round 38: (k2tog) to end of round. 8 sts.

Cut the yarn, leaving a 15cm tail. Thread the tail onto a yarn needle and draw through all remaining 8 stitches, pulling tight to close the hole. Fasten off and weave in the end on the inside.

Tentacles (Make 8)

The tentacles are where Ollie really comes to life. Each one curls slightly at the end thanks to an asymmetric decrease, giving that wonderful wiggly, organic look.

Using your main colour and straight needles, cast on 26 stitches.

Row 1 (RS): Knit to last 2 sts, k2tog. 25 sts.

Row 2 (WS): Purl to last 2 sts, p2tog. 24 sts.

Row 3: Knit to last 2 sts, k2tog. 23 sts.

Row 4: Purl to last 2 sts, p2tog. 22 sts.

Row 5: Knit to last 2 sts, k2tog. 21 sts.

Row 6: Purl.

Row 7: Knit to last 2 sts, k2tog. 20 sts.

Row 8: Purl.

Continue in this way, decreasing at the end of every RS row only, until 8 stitches remain.

Next RS row: (k2tog) to end. 4 sts.

Cut yarn and draw through remaining 4 stitches to close the tip of the tentacle. Do not pull too tight — you want the curl to be natural, not a sharp point.

Fold each tentacle in half lengthwise with right sides together and seam along the long edge using mattress stitch or backstitch, leaving the cast-on edge open. Turn right side out. The tentacle will naturally begin to curl as you pull it through. Give it a gentle twist as you go to encourage the curl.

Attaching the Tentacles

Arrange the 8 tentacles evenly around the base of the body, spacing them so that 4 are at the cardinal points (north, south, east, west) and 4 fill in the diagonal positions. Pin them in place before sewing to check that the spacing looks even and that all tentacles curl in a pleasing direction.

Using a yarn needle and a length of main colour yarn, sew each tentacle firmly to the base of the body using a whip stitch worked all the way around the cast-on edge of the tentacle. Take several passes to make sure each one is secure, as the tentacles will be grabbed and tugged by small hands.

The Face

If you opted for safety eyes, they should already be in place from the body section. If you are embroidering the eyes, use black yarn and a yarn needle to work two large satin-stitch circles between rows 15 and 16 of the body, spaced about 8 stitches apart.

For the smile, thread a length of black yarn onto your yarn needle and work a simple curved line of backstitch below the eyes, roughly 3 stitches long on each side of centre. Curve the ends slightly upward to give Ollie his characteristic cheerful expression. A French knot or two at the corners of the mouth can add a charming finishing touch.

Some knitters like to add small white yarn highlights to the eyes using a single straight stitch in the upper corner of each eye. This tiny detail gives Ollie a wonderfully lively, sparkly look and takes only a moment to do.

Optional Suckers

If you want to add a little extra detail to the tentacles, you can embroider small French knots along the underside (the seamed side) of each tentacle using a contrasting colour of yarn. Space them about 1 centimetre apart along the length of the tentacle. This is entirely optional and adds time to the project, but the effect is lovely, especially on a toy made in a rich, deep colour where pale suckers will stand out clearly.

Tips for a Beautiful Ollie

Getting the tension right matters more for toys than for many other knitting projects. Because the stuffing will push against the fabric from the inside, any gaps between stitches will show up clearly. Work at a slightly tighter tension than you usually would, and use a needle one size smaller than the yarn label recommends if needed.

When stuffing the body, take your time. Add the stuffing in small pieces rather than one large handful, and use a blunt pencil or chopstick to push stuffing into the crown of the head, which can be tricky to reach. The goal is a firm, round, even shape with no flat spots or lumps.

If you find that the transition from body to tentacles looks a little untidy after sewing, you can work a row of single crochet or a simple blanket stitch around the base of the body in the main colour. This tidies up the join beautifully and adds a decorative finish at the same time.

Blocking is not strictly necessary for a stuffed toy, but if your finished Ollie looks a little uneven or the fabric seems puckered in places, a light steam can help smooth everything out. Hold the steam iron a few centimetres above the surface and let the steam do the work without pressing down onto the fabric.

Yarn Substitution Ideas

This pattern is written for DK weight yarn, but it works just as well in worsted weight if you use appropriately sized needles (try 4mm) and accept that your finished Ollie will be slightly larger. A chunky yarn version worked on 5mm needles produces a giant, wonderfully squishy Ollie that makes a fabulous cushion or statement toy for an older child’s room.

For a baby-safe version, look for a yarn that is machine washable and free from scratchy fibres. A superwash merino or a quality acrylic blend will hold up beautifully to repeated washing and still feel lovely and soft against a baby’s skin. Avoid mohair or very fluffy yarns for toys intended for young children, as loose fibres can be a safety concern.

Gifting and Caring for Ollie

Ollie makes a wonderful handmade gift for so many occasions — a new baby, a birthday, a holiday, or simply because someone needs a cheerful octopus friend in their life. If you are gifting him, consider tucking a small tag inside with the care instructions for the yarn you used, so the recipient knows how to keep Ollie clean and looking his best.

For washing, most Ollie toys made in an acrylic blend can be machine washed on a gentle cycle in a mesh laundry bag. If you used a wool yarn, hand washing in cool water is recommended. Squeeze out excess water gently without wringing, and reshape the toy before laying it flat to dry. Avoid putting Ollie in a tumble dryer unless your yarn label specifically says it is safe to do so.

Sharing Your Ollie

One of the best parts of making a toy from a free pattern is sharing your finished creation with other knitters. If you make an Ollie, please consider sharing a photo online with the hashtag #OllieTheOctopus. Seeing all the different colour combinations and interpretations that other knitters come up with is one of the great joys of the knitting community. Teal and gold, purple and pink, classic navy with white tentacles, rainbow-striped with black eyes — every version of Ollie has its own personality, and all of them are wonderful.

If you run into any problems with the pattern, feel free to leave a comment or question. Toy knitting can have its fiddly moments, and you are definitely not alone if the tentacles give you a bit of trouble the first time around. Most knitters find that by the third or fourth tentacle, the rhythm clicks and the rest go quickly.

A Final Word

Ollie the Octopus is the kind of project that reminds you why you started knitting in the first place. It is small enough to finish in a weekend, satisfying enough to feel genuinely proud of, and useful enough that it will be loved and played with for years. Whether you knit him in the colours of the deep sea or in the brightest, most cheerful shades you can find, he will bring a smile to the face of anyone who receives him.

Happy knitting, and give Ollie a squeeze from us when he is done.