As much as I love all the wonderful creatures inhabiting the worlds’ dry lands, I am even more fascinated by Earths’ magical watery worlds and their colorful inhabitants. Here is a way to dive into the enchanting and spectacularly splashy underwater world, without even getting your feet wet!

The glitter squid is a member of the aquatic family of pencil squids. This squid can change its body colors and patterns lightning fast through light-reflecting, pigment-containing cells. Since these squid merely reflect light, that is shone upon them, they are not bioluminescent (glow-in-the-dark). But don’t let that hold you back from creating your own glimmering, gleaming glitter squid, that actually does glow in the dark! And complete your knit with the cute, cuddly conch!

The squid and conch were made on 2 mm double pointed needles. The squid (16 cm) was knitted in a lace gauged (mohair) yarn to give it an auroral look, but it can also be knitted on larger needles in heavier yarn.
The conch (10 cm) was made in fine gauged yarn, the thin needles produce a denser fabric to create a solid appearance. The inner shell can be done on 1.2 mm needles and lacy yarn in miniature or on thicker needles in heavier yarn. Both options are described in the pattern.

Only small amounts of yarns are needed, so both the conch and the glitter squid are great projects to use up any scraps you have lying around. A few of them together will make a great mock aquarium or a colorful crib mobile.

The glitter squid actually GLOWS IN THE DARK!
Just adding a strand of luminescent sewing yarn to your knit, will do the trick. There are a few special yarns available for this.

This is an easy, fast and fun project with some color work, short rows, I-cords and bobble stitches (explained in the pattern)

Enjoy your knit (and squid)!