Welcome to Wednesday Coffee Hour. This is an open topic thread so help yourself to the goodies and sit a spell and let us know what is new with you. October 8th is International Octopus Day. These fascinating creatures have been around for 300 million years, long before the dinosaurs. Per Scientific American Octopuses have some remarkable assets, including eight semi-autonomous arms, thousands of smart suckers, cold-adapted blue blood, three beating hearts and eerily advanced intelligence.
One of the things I learned to make when I was young was a yarn octopus. So today I thought I'd bring back one of our toys from childhood. My brother Reid wanted a green octopus so here is the making of Emerald Sur La Mer.
Start with your favorite yarn. You won't need a full skein.
Get a large book. Take the paper cover off if it has one on.
You will need 2 large and 8 smaller rubber bands. The color can be the same or contrasting. You will also need a pair of eyes.
Evenly wrap the yarn around the book starting at the top and continuing down. The more even you wrap the smoother and easier to make the octopus.
Cut the yarn at the bottom. You will have room to slip the scissors in and cut without damaging the book.
Gather the yarn about an inch from the top smoothing it down.
Tightly secure with a large rubber band.
About half way down secure tightly with a second large rubber band. This will be the head.
To make the head fuller cut small strands of the yarn and stuff the head with them.
You should have a smooth and rounded head when you are done.
Separate the yarn into eight even batches. These will be the legs.
Braid each leg a fasten off with a rubber band. Again you can use either contrasting or the same color.
You should have eight braided legs when you are done.
Trim the ends of the legs to make then neat and even.
Add a pair of "googly" eyes. For the mouth glue on a piece of red yarn.
You can add finishing touches. I gave her a little rose. And here she is Reid's Emerald Sur La Mer.