Is there any way to do it if I'm not on FB?

I came across this page
https://www.handylittleme.com/...

Is that the correct one, Cheryl?

It looks right to me. Thank you!

IDK how many groups there are? That pattern is a little different our stop at 24 rows. The large photo of all the octopuses look right. But the one with a bows attached and the eyes attached go against the pattern my group uses. No additional items can be added. The designs have to be embroidered in. It's for safety so they don't get pulled off, tangled in tubing, or fall off in the rigorous sanitizing process both by the Ambassadors and at the hospitals.

The group I joined is on FB. It's the one mentioned in the above article, actually. I don't see how you can become certified without the group. You send in photos to the moderators of the group on FB of your finished octopus showing specifics like, tentacle length, body length, and that it is stuffed rock hard. When approved, you mail it in where it will be sanitized and checked to see if it held up. If it passes you are notified, again on FB that you have become certified, then directed to yet another FB page that puts out how many octopus are needed and at which hospital. At that point, volunteers can choose to send as many octopus or as few or none at all to a specific Ambassador all over the US. It seems to be quite organized. Some hospitals ask on behalf of 10 babies. Some may ask for 100. It varies. I know of a lady who has a big map on her wall and marks with a pin where her octopuses have gone to. They are easy to become attached to. You can write a card of encouragement to the parents and tell them where the octopus came from. Some of these ladies and gentlemen have made 100's of octopuses to help 100's of babies. Sometimes the moms post a photo of their tiny baby holding on to their octopus. It's very fulfilling to see that!

The project is a medium hard level. I am a beginner crocheter. I caught on to the stitch right away. But I had troubles in other areas. That is where the FB group was really helpful with their hints and suggestions. But there are ladies who have crocheted for 30-40 years who could not do this pattern. It is not crochet. Its amigurami stitched extremely tight so that approved stuffing won'e ever come out. One of the biggest topic on the FB page is how to relieve hand cramps that sometimes accompanies this project.

There are local Octopus FB Groups like the one in Plano, TX near me. Sorta. 4 hrs away, actually. They hold in-person tutorials once a month and are there to help with any issues you might be having. They have nothing to do with approving or distribution of octopuses though. They are there just to help out.

There are other ways to volunteer like Hats for Hearts that make red beanies for babies etc. I am sure there are many others. But usually organized groups have ambassadors or reps they go through and rarely are they personally delivered by the volunteer to. But check with your local hospitals Volunteer Group to see what programs they have. You may find one that take drop offs. I know cancer-chemo patients need beanies and will gladly accept them.

One of my daughters friends that kinda grew up around here, had to have her baby taken at 21 weeks. That was four months ago, and today he is home and doing great. That would have not have been the outcome in my generation, amazing what they do these days. Anyway, its killing me I didnt know about this 4 months ago.
My daughter signed up to the facebook group, as she is the crocheter here, and it looks like the yarn we need is only at hobby lobby. Well...it Sunday, so thats out for the day. I havent been able to quilt since I started having to deal with my mother and caregiving duties, really been looking to somethng portble, will let you know how it goes.

One of my daughters was an NICU nurse for years. I made little knitted preemie hats for every hospital where she worked. I'd make them in holiday colors for the holidays. The staff gave each baby a little hat, and they looked so cute on them! I love this idea of making the little Octopuss toys for them!

Joann's is open @gardenglory Pam. (I'll enable you!) I Love This Cotton tends to be the favorite of all and available at Hobby Lobby. You just missed a 30% off yarn sale there. But from what I'm told, that sale runs approximately every 3 wks so watch for it.

But the list of approved cotton yarn is long. Some people love Red Heart Scrubbie Smoothie at Joann, or Paton Grace. The biggest hint I got is to get a silicone covered 2.5 mm hook by Clover ot Tulip Available at Joann. HL only carries Yarnology brand or Bates hooks. Trust me. It will save your hand!

Keep me posted. Happy to share the hints I got which helped me most that arent written on the pattern. Like, do Invisible Increase/ Decrease to avoid any holes or gaps, and the Double Magic Ring. And the first 4-6 rnds are the hardest. Dont give up!

I am making another doll, this one is for a future young veterinarian, who will go into research. Right now I am working on the basic doll. I sure thought I had the proper yarn for her hair, but no, not that dark brown. Oh well, have to go to the knit store again..... 💃🏻
So far I switched the upper body over to a greenish color, see if I can manage a v neck into the "shirt"

I will get her into a white lab coat with a couple of mice peeking out of her pockets and so on....
This time I am using florist wire to stabilize her.

Fantastic, Ursula. My daughter decided she wanted to be a vet when she was about 10 yrs old. She followed through and has been in practice for over 20 years now.

Just wondering -
while working on this doll, I am actually writing it down as I go along. Would these instructions make sense and are they clear enough to follow?

black and white slippers
(you are crocheting an oval, slightly larger over the toes than the heel)
chain 8 in black
1. 7 sc x 2 sc on both ends =16sts
2. both ends do 3x2 sc
3. add 1 extra sc on long sides, then both ends do 4x2 sc. 32 sts so far
4. over toe part of oval do 6x 2 hdc, over heel part do 6x 2sc. , 44 sts do far
5. 1 hdc alternating with 2 hdc 5 x over toe part, 1 sc alternating with 2sc 5 x over heel part. =54 sts.
6. white color - change direction upwards by doing 1 row in half the loop, in this case into the loop away from me
7. decrease 1 sc each on both sides, toe part, heel part = 50 sts
8. decrease 1 sc over heel part
9. one row black as is
10. decrease into half loop 5x alternating with regular sc over toe, do the rest of the row into the whole stitch
11. decrease 3 x into toe center
12. decrease 1 x into toe center, finish row and slip last stitch, done! = 40 sts.

@ursula I know exactly what you're doing, but if you want someone who's a beginner or hasn't done amigurumi or crocheted slippers before, they aren't going to know a thing you're saying.

I think it would typically be written something like:
Chain 8 in black
R1) SC in second chain from hook, sc in next 5 st, 2sc in last chain stitch. Now working along the backside of original chain stitches, sc in next 6 st, 2sc in last stitch.

It definitely makes it longer, but if it's a pattern you want to publish you have to kind of spell it out for people. Edited to add: but how you're writing it down is the same way I do too. Nothing wrong with it, unless you want to give it to the general public.

Side note...are any of you on Ravelry? It's my favorite for finding patterns and checking out how other people might finish a project. Lots and lots of people publish their own patterns there too.

Sara @flukybloom thank you so much! I am glad you could at least understand it! And I see exactly what you mean and I will rewrite it.

I am on Ravelry, I am AKJE. My name was taken in numerous combinations, so I used the first letters of my grandchildren.

Progress report - I am now working on hands and arms. The easiest would be to simply keep going on those short sleeves, but to crochet in the round with the whole doll attached is just too cumbersome. Stuffing the arm and hand first AND then pushing the wires through and all the way into the hand? I will see if this is a good way to proceed...I am leaving a hole where I will crochet the thumb, perhaps that will help.

Oh and I will shorten the arm - wires!

Im trying, but my barin just wont seem to click on the yarn under stuff. Nothing hard about it, brain on auto pilot for yarn over.

I have read people talking about "throwing the yarn" as a method of crocheting, as in this way of knitting. I don't know how to do that since I learned to knit continental ( I think that's what you call it...) as a child and always continued that way. I don't think it matters which way to form a loop as long as it is consistent, I would think.

Ursula said:I don't think it matters which way to form a loop as long as it is consistent, I would think.

I'm a knitting thrower I've tried to learn continental, and while the motions aren't that hard, everything else is (speed, tension, ability to zone out lol). Never heard of crocheters throwing though, looked it up and it kind of made my head spin

I just love how we can all do something a little different but it still works.

Absolutely!
My mother threw the yarn when knitting and, as I said, I did continental. Interestingly enough, in straight out knitting I was faster, but she could do something awesome, she knitted beautiful Fair Isle pattern as in those gorgeous norwegian sweaters, and she did it by having a different color thread on each forefinger and threw them in as needed. It was amazing to watch her knitting like that with no loss of speed.

Has anyone tried punch needling? I picked up a litthe kit to teach myself, but got the wrong fabric it looks fun though.

No, I never did. Looking it up, you can essentially paint pictures with this needle gadget. I can see where this is a nice thing to do.

I am not 100% happy with the eyes, but taking them off might not be a good idea, I would hate to cut accidentally into the head.
I tried to make her jeans, but to fit them over the disproportionately large feet was pretty impossible, so I am now making her a skort of sorts.
The recipient has her ears pierced like that, I found these cheaply at Michaels.

Next comes the white lab coat.