The Danish Octo Book

Delight a child with a colourful crocheted or knitted Octo. Octos’ twisty tentacles are calming and comforting – and they feel a bit like mum’s umbilical cord.


THE DANISH OCTO BOOK is the official book on the adorable knitted and crocheted octopus puppets that have become a huge phenomenon in Denmark and is now spreading like wildfire across the globe. With tentacles reminding babies and young children of an umbilical cord, what started as a means to soothe and calm premature babies in hospitals has now become a natural presence in lots of Danish homes, and turned into an unstoppable movement with Octo groups forming all over the world. But this is only the beginning. With the octopuses having showed similar effects with older babies, the Octo movement is about to reach a whole new magnitude.


It all started with one octopus-obsessed dad who, when his daughter was born premature, got hold of a small octopus-shaped puppet for her. At the hospital, people soon noticed that the little girl was clutching onto the puppet’s tentacles, looking calmer and more secure. It didn’t take long till two volunteers started crocheting similar puppets for the neonatal units at three hospitals. This is how the Danish Octo Project was born. Today, this association of volunteers has many ambassadors in the country, supplying Octos for babies at every hospital in Denmark.


THE DANISH OCTO BOOK tells the story of this fascinating international phenomenon, but also contains lots of cute and inspiring knitting and crocheting patterns to help parents and guardians make their own octopuses. Written in collaboration with The Danish Octo Project, this small, lovely book is the original and official book on this new movement. Combining the Danish way of life with the mindfulness of knitting, this is the ideal book for parents, grandparents, and all those who want to cultivate their meditative passion for knitting, while at the same time creating the ultimate loving gift for a child.