A Crochet Triops from Wupatki: The Desert Pool Crustacean as a Yarn Model

Triops are freshwater crustaceans that live in temporary pools of rainwater around the world, and their eggs can survive dry in the dirt for up to 30 years. In the summer of 2021, after almost 5 inches of rain in 10 days, a hatching of Triops appeared in the ballcourt of Wupatki Pueblo. They grew and lived in the water for about three weeks, until it dried up and they became food for animals such as ravens. The National Park Service hopes enough of them laid eggs for the next big rain, and offers a crochet pattern for a yarn Triops to bring a piece of Wupatki’s wildlife home.

A crocheted, stuffed Triops in yellow and orange yarn. The labels name the caudal furca, thorax and abdomen, telson, compound eyes, naupliar eyes, endites, endopods, exopods, carapace and gills. NPS/L. Carter.

What you need

• worsted weight yarn in two colors (the example uses yellow and salmon);
• a crochet hook, size H/8 (5.0 mm);
• two medium brown safety eyes (10 mm) and one small black safety eye (8 mm), or black or brown yarn to sew eyes on;
• a yarn needle, a stitch marker, fiber fill or cotton stuffing and scissors.

The pattern uses the standard abbreviations: sc for single crochet, sts for stitches, slst for slip stitch and ch for chain.

The parts

The full row-by-row counts are on the Park Service's page. In outline, the model has these pieces.

• Body (thorax and abdomen). Worked in the round from a magic ring, increasing and then decreasing, with stuffing added as it narrows. The two compound eyes go near the head end and the small naupliar eye between them.

The finished thorax and abdomen, and the two finished carapace pieces that are sewn together along the center line. NPS/L. Carter.

• Carapace. Two flat pieces, each worked in rows, joined along one edge so that together they look like wings. The carapace is sewn to the head by wrapping its V shape around the top of the eyes, and its far corners to the sides of the narrow abdomen.
• Caudal furca. Two long chains worked back with slip stitches to make a continuous V, sewn onto the telson at the end of the abdomen.

The finished caudal furca sewn onto the telson. NPS/L. Carter.

• Front endites. Two W-shaped pieces, each made of three chains of decreasing length worked with slip stitches, sewn on the sides of the head.

The two finished endite pieces that are sewn to the head. NPS/L. Carter.

• Endopods, exopods and gills. Two long pieces made of a series of short slip-stitched chains that look like many small legs, sewn onto the underside of the body in an S shape.

The underside of the Triops, showing where the endopods, exopods and gills go. NPS/L. Carter.

Sources

• National Park Service, Wupatki National Monument, “Triops Crochet Pattern”: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/triops-crochet-pattern.htm. The row-by-row stitch counts are left out; rewritten in hubnx's own words.