Fandom crafts: Cthulhu knitting

H. P. Lovecraft may only have written a few slim volumes of prose and short stories before he died of cancer, but his mythos looms large in contemporary geek culture. His themes of forbidden knowledge, unknowable monsters from other realms and dimensions, and mysterious visages has spawned its own cultish fandom.

None more cultish than that which surrounds Cthulhu, the king monster of Lovecraft's fiction, being something like a man with an octopus head, lizard skin, wings and long claws. (Like Zoidberg, except not pink, and not incompetent.) Cthulhu shows up in many knitting patterns, I suspect partly because the face tentacles are as iconic as they are fun to knit. And who wouldn't love a cuddly little Cthulhu doll decorating their desktop or book shelf?

There are several patterns for Cthulhu amigurumi, both crocheted and knitted. But I am particularly enamored of this pattern by Sarah Howard of seraph knits, because its seated posture echoes the actual Cthulhu monolith as described by Lovecraft. As you might expect for a creature that spawned a popular tabletop RPG, there are several Cthulhu dice bag patterns. You have to reach into the tentacles to pull out your dice. (Creepy!)

For advanced knitters, there are several stranded colorwork patterns that feature Lovecraftian themes, including a chart you can use for mittens, a hat with a R'lyeh motif and a beanie with the visage of the dark god himself. If you're looking for a less showy nod to the Great Old One, try these lovely socks by Hunter Hammersen. They feature a tentacle pattern which is attractive and subtle. Or, if you really want to let your Lovecraft flag fly, try this Cthulhu balaclava, which will transform your face into His. (Or make it in pink, and call yourself Zoidberg!)

Image courtesy Flickr/C_Dave