Crocheting for a Cause: My Journey in Crocheting 100+ Octopus for Premature Babies

Crocheting has always been much more than just a hobby for me; it’s a way to merge creativity with compassion. When I discovered the octopus initiative, which involves crafting octopus toys for premature babies, my heart was drawn to this cause. The idea of crocheting something that could help soothe fragile infants ignited my passion. This blog post will share my journey to become a US certified crafter, crocheting over 100 octopuses that got donated to hospitals in 11 states across the USA.

These cuties flew off to Texas.

How it started

Like many of my creative journeys it started with the need to make, combined with my love of yarn shops and my decades obsession of never throwing away any tiniest piece of yarn from my many, many knitting and crocheting projects through the decades. This eventually grew into a lovely collection of yummy colors and textured yarn that sat in my storage boxes, just shouted at my to be used! (Spoiler alert, I couldn't use any of it for making these cuties!)

Few years back, while looking for my next projectI learned about the Danish OCTO Project that started in February 2013 and is run by the Spruttegruppen. A group of volunteers that use premium cotton to crochet colorful octopus for premature babies as the tentacles of the octopus resemble the umbilical cord and remind the babies of their time in the womb. This idea was originated in Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, 2003 and in August 2025 they have donated 80.248 octopuses to hospitals in Denmark, Faroe Island and Greenland.

How cool is that!

I downloaded a pattern, of super cute brightly colored octopus with hats, bow tie, ear warmers and a hair bow. OMG, it was so cute! I defiantly found this project calling my name.

Source: mynomadhome.com

Then I started to research where to donate and quickly realized that this idea of using up my leftover cotton yarn while waiting in the carline to pick up my middle schooler, making colored octopus with accessories to donate to premature babies would take me down a completely different path!

Understanding the Need

Premature babies often experience heightened stress in hospital settings, leading to fears and discomfort. These little octopus toys are designed to provide comfort by mimicking the safety of the womb, emphasizing on safety. According to a study in Egypt I found online, such comfort items can decrease stress levels in infants, aiding in their emotional well-being and a hospital in Denmark found that when premature babies cuddled with the octopus they had more regular heart rates and better oxygenation .

These guys went to North Carolina.

All true, but most tiny babies start life in a incubator and have to stay in the hospital for days, weeks or months until their tiny bodies are ready to face life without the care of professionals in a very hygienic hospital surroundings. These vulnerable babies deserve the best start in life and I knew I needed to ensure my crochet octopuses were safe and effective for their new friends in the US.

Which led me to pursue a certification in crocheting Octopus for Premies!

A bit extreme, but I wanted my tiny little friends, that I was going to crochet in the carline while waiting for my daughter to be picked up from middle school to go out into the world and make a difference. Although she was not a preemie, as she was full 2 weeks over due date in my belly, she ended up needing an incubator.

Getting Certified

To start, I needed to find a reputable organization in the US or a group online that offered certification in crocheting Octopus for preemies. I joined a facebook group Octopus for a Preemie - US and got hooked. The ladies in this facebook group are rockstars, one of them has crocheted over 2700 octopuses through the years. My goal was 100!

To become certified and be able to donate your cuties to hospitals, you will need to download the approved pattern, use the approved yarn, follow the cleaning procedure to the letter and send out 2 octopuses to an ambassador for approval. If approved you join a second facebook group and are allowed to send your octopuses to a contact person that will inspect your little creatures before handing them off to a local hospital.

My test Crocheted Octos ready to be assessed!

I started this process in June 2021 and got approved on my first try few weeks later!

What I learned

Throughout the certification process, I learned crucial techniques, safety standards, and the specific patterns needed to create these cuddly creatures.

• You are only allowed to use certified Premium Cotton Yarn

  
  

I choose Scrubby Smoothie from Red Heart

• You will need proper tools

  
  

  

  A screw driver for stuffing and hardware for pulling needle.

  
  

• Each octopus needs to be boiled for 20 minutes!

  
  

Water needs to reach boiling point!

• They also need to be tumble dried, not with anything else.

Tumble drying the octopuses.

• Each tentacle has to be exactly the right length, fully stretched.

Each tentacle the same length.

• These cuties are not soft, they are hard as rock.

  
  

  

  Thumb tested - these guys are not soft.

  
  

• The stuffing needs to stay inside - every stitch with the same tension.

Very tightly crocheted, no holes between rows.

The process involved creating a snug, very hard and tightly crocheted body and carefully crocheted tentacles to avoid any choking hazards. I read and re-read the instructions, and followed them to the letter and thankfully received my certification on my first try.

With my certification in hand, I was excited to start my crocheting journey towards finishing my original goal of 100 Octopuses while traveling, watching TV and doing my carpool shifts.

Overcoming Challenges

No journey is without its bumps.

Crocheting 100 Octopus was a significant undertaking. It took me about 2 years to complete as I made these during my school pickups and traveling, especially as I didn't realize how tightly crocheted they needed to be and the stuffing of these creatures was quite an undertaking.

Today I wish I had pictures of my watching TV with a screwdriver pushing stuffing into their small heads, as I defiantly got some upper arm exercise out of these stuffings. I realized very quickly that I needed proper tools as these guys are not soft, they are cute but very hard. I also managed to break or bend about 5 crochet hooks until I invested in what I thought was the best on the market only to have it break!

I only manage to make about 3 octopuses with my current yarn stash during my testing period before I realized that I needed to buy yarn if I wanted to get certified. Mainly because I didn't have enough of the approved yarn in my stash. I had lots of cotton yarn, but not the right type or enough of each color so I choose Scrubby Smoothie from Red Heart to be my companion throughout this project.

About 30 cuties into my project I realized that this yarn was out of production! What!

Got yarn donations from strangers - love fellow knitters!

I frantically searched for this yarn online and in the local yarn shops and managed to buy leftover yarn in the right color from many online shops and individuals via Raverly and eBay. I even found a lady that was donating her stash for a good course that saved my sanity. Can't thank her enough for helping me finishing my 100 octopus project for preemies.

Why just not buy a different brand?

Because I knew how to make the octopus with this yarn, I liked using it and didn't have to think very much about the specs as I got quicker at crocheting. Also some colors and yarn bleed during the extreme cooking and drying process. Nothing as frustrating as making a cutie just so it gets destroyed just before it flies off to their new friend!

Cuties being boiled, needed to weigh them down with a lid.

There were days when the number of octopuses felt daunting, leading to moments of self-doubt about why I was doing this. However, I constantly reminded myself of the little lives at stake, which fueled my determination.

The Donation Process

 The donation process is very smooth and professional. I got monthly list of hospitals requesting certain amount of octopuses that I sign up for, if I had any of these cuties ready. I made them in batches of 8, as it was a good number to fit into my big boiling pot for their boil swim before heading of to their new friends.

My first cuties went to Arkansas.

These guys flew all the way to California.

I sent the 100th octopuses to 13 hospitals in 10 states in the USA - AR, VA, UT, CA, AZ, WT, KT, TX, NC, and MI. The response was heartwarming. Many hospitals expressed sincere gratitude for the donations, noting how significantly these octopuses would impact the families and babies in their care. Sometimes I got a picture of one of my cuties with their new friend. This validation made all the effort worthwhile.

Reflections on the Journey

Looking back, I feel a deep sense of accomplishment. Crocheting 100 Octopus was more than just a crafting challenge; it brought me a sense of community, taught me new techniques, and made a real difference in the lives of premature babies across the USA.

These flew to Virgina.

This experience underscored the unique power of crafting to evoke positive change. It inspired me to keep helping others—whether through crocheting or other avenues. I urge anyone with a creative gift to consider how they can use it to benefit their community. If you are not a maker, consider donating yarn to someone that is making for charity. Believe me, it makes a huge difference!

Final Thoughts

My journey to crochet 100 Octopus for premature babies has been both rewarding and transformative. From certification to donation, every step highlighted the importance of compassion and community. If you have a skill or hobby you are passionate about, think about how you can use it to help others.

Bye to my 100th guy that went to Michigan.

Thank you for joining me in this adventure, and I hope it motivates you to start your own journey filled with creativity and kindness, either by making for charity or donating yarn to a person that is making for charity.

Together, we can craft comfort and bring joy to those who need it the most.

Happy Crocheting!