Manny Man-o'-War, the Portuguese Man-of-War Amigurumi: For more pictures, see the end of the PDF. Meet Manny Man-o'-War! Manny is the Manager of the Oceans, the popular baseball team in the Undersea League. Manny is one tough guy, and he doesn't accept anything less than his player's best. They want to stay on his good side, because his stings pack a serious wallop and he's not shy about letting failures feel the rough side of his tongue, and his tentacles. Because of his gelatinous body and his incredibly nasty tentacles, no one could figure out how to get the green uniform on to Manny, but he didn't let that stopped him, he just intimidated a whole lot of photosynthetic algae in to sticking to his tentacles, and he excreted the black pin stripes necessary to complete the look. Don't let his doe eyes fool you! The other players live in terror of one of his infamous set downs, and he fights with the umpires so often that he's been thrown out of games more often than any manager in the history of the Undersea League. He wears the number 42, because for him - and under his rule, for his players - the Oceans are the Life, the Universe, and Everything. In the end, though, everyone puts up with him - and many even love him - because all he really wants is for the Oceans to win. He's a tough, mean, confrontational guy, but his heart is in the right place - or at least it would be, if he had a circulatory system.
Finished Size:
Height: 22 inches (from top of the fin to bottom of the longest tentacle) Length: 10 inches (the body) Width: 6 inches (the body)
Materials:
For regular version: Worsted Weight yarn (the body and tentacles): About 200 yards (around 100 g) Worsted Weight yarn (white contrast for the tentacles): About 150 yards (around 85 g) For baseball version: Worsted Weight yarn (white for the body and tentacles): About 200 yards (around 100 g) Worsted Weight yarn (green, or whatever color your uniform is, for the tentacles): About 150 yards (around 85 g) Worsted Weight yarn (black): Around 25 yards for the pinstripes and eyes. For both: Crochet hook, size G (4 mm) Crochet hook, size H (5 mm) Yarn needle Polyester fiberfill Abbreviations: Note that this pattern uses US definitions. Ch - chain Loop st - loop stitch Sc - single crochet Ss - slip stitch
Tips:
1. Use a marker to keep track of where each round of stitches ends. Make sure that you move the marker when you finish each round! 2. Unless otherwise specified, this amigurumi will be crocheted in rounds. When working in rounds, do not join with a slip stitch. Instead, each round starts in the first stitch of the previous round. 3. The format for these instructions is as follows: Round #: (instructions to follow): # of Sc in the round if you have done it correctly. 4. When you are crocheting this amigurumi, make sure you keep your tension even and do not work your stitches too tightly or too loosely. This is especially critical when doing the loop stitch. 5. I recommend that you use the “invisible decrease'" method for this project. In order to do an invisible decrease, you insert the hook through the top loop of the next two sc, draw a loop through both, then draw a loop through both loops on your crochet hook. You can find a helpful tutorial by the wonderful June Gilbank at this link: http://www.planetjune.com/blog/amigurumi-help/invisible-decrease/ 6. All of the instructions on how to make the “in uniform" version of Manny Man-o'-War are provided when they would have to be done. These will be marked “"To Make Manny Mano'-War in Uniform." If you are not making the in uniform version, skip these instructions and proceed to where it says “For Both Versions, Continue Here/"
Body:
The body is worked using the size G crochet hook. To make Manny Man-o-War in Uniform, you can choose to do the first 6 rows in the color of the uniform, if you'd like. e Row: To begin, ch 25. Starting in second ch from hook, sc in each ch: 24 sc Round 1: Ch 1. Turn. Working only in the top/front loop of the previous row, sc in next 12 sc, and place a marker. Sc in next 12 sc. Turn, and then complete 24 sc using only the remaining loop of the base row. When you reach the point where you started, do not join. Sc in next 12 sc (to where you placed the marker). At this point, you will have completed 60 sc, and have completed a round of 48 sc. If you are confused about how to complete Round 1, here is an alternate explanation: After you ch 25, complete one row of 24 sc. Next, you ch 1, and - using only the “top" loop - sc in next 24 sc. Then you turn it around, and sc another 24 times using the other loop. Once you've done that, you'll be back where you started doing the first 24 in the “"top" loop only. Sc in the first sc that you did in this “round, then in the next 11 sc as well. When you get to this point, you place a marker, and all of this - the full round and a quarter - gets called “round 1.? You will have done 60 sc, but if you count around you should have 48 “available." Round 2: Sc in next 10 sc, 2 sc in next 4 sc, sc in next 20 sc, 2 sc in next 4 sc, sc in next 10 sc: 56 SC Rounds 3 - 5: Sc around: 56 sc Round 6: Sc in next 8 sc, 2 sc in next 12 sc, sc in next 16 sc, 2 sc in next 12 sc, sc in next 8 sc: 80 SC Round 7: Sc in next 8 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc) 12 times, sc in next 16 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc) 12 times, sc in next 8 sc: 104 sc Round 8: Sc in next 8 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc) 12 times, sc in next 16 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc) 12 times, sc in next 8 sc: 128 sc Round 9: Sc in next 72 sc, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc) 12 times, sc in next 8 sc: 140 sc Rounds 10 - 15: Sc around: 140 sc Round 16: Sc in next 8 sc, (decrease once, sc in next 4 sc) 10 times, sc in next 72 sc: 130 sc Round 17: Sc in next 5 sc, (decrease once, sc in next 3 sc) 10 times, sc in next 10 sc, (decrease once, sc in next 4 sc) 10 times, sc in next 5 sc: 110 sc Round 18: Sc in next 5 sc, (decrease once, sc in next 2 sc) 10 times, sc in next 10 sc, (decrease once, sc in next 3 sc) 10 times, sc in next 5 sc: 90 sc Round 19: Sc in next 5 sc, (decrease once, sc in next sc) 10 times, sc in next 10 sc, (decrease once, sc in next 2 sc) 10 times, sc in next 5 sc: 70 sc Round 20: Sc in next 5 sc, decrease 10 times, sc in next 10 sc, (decrease once, sc in next sc) 10 times, sc in next 5 sc: 50 sc Round 21: Sc in next 5 sc, decrease 5 times, sc in next 10 sc, decrease 10 times, sc in next 5 sc: 35sc Round 22: Sc in next 3 sc, decrease 5 times, sc in next 8 sc, decrease 5 times, sc in next 4 sc: 25 SC Round 23: (Decrease once, sc in next 3 sc) around: 20 sc Leaving a long end, cut the yarn. The long end should be about a yard. Take a length of yarn, and use it to sew the top five rounds together, as shown in the pictures. To make Manny Man-o'-War in uniform, this should be in the contrast/pinstripe color. Before you proceed, you should also stitch the name of your team on one side of the fin, and the Manager's number on the other. In my example, the name of the team is the Oceans (abbreviated OCN) and his number is 42, but you can make these whatever you would like.
These two images show the two sides of the fin. The top image also shows where the line of stitching should be in order to sew the top five rounds together.
For both versions, continue here.
ff with fiberfill. Make sure you stuff it tightly, or else the sides will buckle in. Resume crocheting with the long end that was left Round 24: Decrease around: 10 sc Round 25: Decrease around: 5 sc Ss in the final sc, tighten and finish off. Man-o'-War in uniform, now is when you sew on the pinstripes and the eyes The eyes are made on the fatter end of the body. To make them, first do a French knot - this is the round part. Then, do a stitch one row of sc long, from the center of the French knot to the next row up. Third, make a big loop (as if you were embroidering a chain stitch), and tack it down at two points - two stitches over from the French knot, and one stitch over and one stitch down. You can see all of this in the above example.
This image shows the placement of the eyes.
This image shows the placement of the pinstripes. Do not worry about the exact placement of the pin stripes! The only thing that really matters is that they are relatively even on both sides of the body! They are embroidered using a back stitch. The above image shows how I did it; pretty much all of the pinstripes on mine meet at the point that is the center of the frill (the green loops) - you'll be able to see this in a picture provided below. For both versions, continue here.
Long Tentacles:
The long tentacles are worked with a crochet hook size H, and you use TWO strands of yarn. To make the out of uniform version of Manny, use your body color and white. To Make Manny Man-o'-War in uniform, use white and whatever color you have chosen for your uniform (green heather in the example). Tentacle 1 (make 1): When you form your initial loop, leave a long end for sewing. Ch 81. Starting in second ch from hook, 2 sc in each of the next 40 ch. Ss in next ch, tighten and finish Off. Tentacle 2 (make 2): Ch 76. Starting in second ch from hook, 2 sc in each of the next 40 ch. Ss in next ch, tighten and finish off. Tentacle 3 (make 2): Ch 71. Starting in second ch from hook, 2 sc in each of the next 40 ch. Ss in next ch, tighten and finish off. Tentacle 4 (make 1): Ch 66. Starting in second ch from hook, 2 sc in each of the next 40 ch. Ss in next ch, tighten and finish off.
Short Tentacles:
The short tentacles are worked with a crochet hook size G, and you use only one strand of yarn. To make the out of uniform version of Manny, use white. To Make Manny Man-o'-War in uniform, use whatever color you have chosen for your uniform (green heather in the example). Make 6. On any one tentacle, start with a long end for sewing. ch 81. Starting in second ch from hook, (3 sc in next ch, sc in next 4 ch) to ba:
Frill:
The frill is worked with a crochet hook size G, and you use only one strand of yarn. To make the out of uniform version of Manny, use white. To Make Manny Man-o'-War in uniform, use whatever color you have chosen for your uniform (green heather in the example). To make the frill, you have to use Loop Stitch. If you do not know how to make this stitch, there is a useful tutorial on June Gilbank's blog, Planet June. You can access the tutorial at this link: http://www.planetjune.com/blog/how-to-crochet-loop-stitch/ Round 1: Ch 50. Join. Place a marker if you'd like, but it's probably not necessary. Round 2: Loop st in each of the 50 ch. Work your loops loosely so that they dangle down about an inch to an inch and a half each. Don't worry about making them even: 50 loop st Round 3: Loop st around. Make the loops in this round very large - larger than whatever size you made the previous round of loops - so that they hang longer than the first round of loop stitches:50loopst Ss in next st, tighten and finish off. Leave a long end for sewing. Sew the frill on to the bottom of the body. Center it roughly on the side of the base of the body where it dimples in. Then, sew the short tentacles in a ring within this, and finally sew the long tentacles in a ring within that. Below is a series of images to help you with your placement. This image shows where on the body you should be attaching the ruffle.
Step 1: Sew on the ruffle. Here is a view on the placement of the frill. If you are making the version in uniform, you can also see where the pinstripes come together. Try to make it be in a circle, but it's okay if it's not perfect. (note that the length of green going through the middle is the length for sewing). Step 2: Sew on the short tentacles, in an more-orless evenly distributed circle.
Step 3: Last step! Sew the long tentacles in a tight circle within the circle of the short tentacles. ... And now you're done!! If you have any comments, questions, advice, stories, or what not, related to my pattern, please feel free to contact me at any time at unforth @yahoo.com!! Check out my etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/unforth. Visit me on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/projects/unforth.
Curiously Crafted Creations, my blog about crafts, can be read at http://unforthccc.blogspot.com/.
① Claire Houck, 2011
