Great A’Tuin

“Through the fathomless deeps of space swims the star turtle Great A’Tuin, bearing on its back the four giant elephants who carry on their shoulders the mass of the Discworld…Exactly why this should be may never be known. Possibly the Creator of the universe got bored with all the usual business of axial inclination, albedos and rotational velocities, and decided to have a bit of fun for once.”

- Terry Prachett from the book Wyrd Sisters

As a fan of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, I thought it would be fun to crochet the Great A’Tuin as a Christmas gift for a friend who is also a fan.

The Great A’Tuin has three parts: the turtle, four elephants, and a flat Discworld. Although there isn’t an official pattern for A’Tuin, there are plenty of patterns for turtles and elephants available across the internet, and a fellow fan of the series has kindly provided a free pattern for the Discworld. This is a great moment to mention that crocheters should always take a second to look for free patterns. Many yarn companies and community members freely offer patterns to give back to the crafting community, and don’t forget to check local or digital libraries for even more free options.

I chose to use superfine sock/fingering yarn to make my Great A’Tuin on the smaller side. It ended up being just a little bit larger than my hand, which I think is the perfect size.

So, how does one get started making Great A’Tuin? Start with the elephants. Once they are done, you’ll have a reference for how large the turtle and the Discworld need to be. I made the four elephants using a free pattern kindly provided by L. Hodgins on Ravelry. The pattern’s name is “Mini Crocheted Elephant” and is also available on Hodgins’ blog, Dippycatcrochet. I altered the pattern a bit so that my elephants’ ears would be larger and shaped a little different and I added tusks. I made sure to upload photos and notes about the alterations I made on Ravelry in case anyone would like to make theirs similar to mine.

Next, I used the free pattern “Sea Turtle Plushy” by Bethany Wright Dearden, which I also found on Ravelry. I used the same yarn weight for the turtle as the elephants and I’m very happy with how the sizing turned out. The shell is just big enough to hold all four elephants without looking comically large. The pattern itself was very easy to follow and the turtle was a breeze to make. 

Lastly, I made the Discworld. I was incredibly fortunate to locate the PlanetJune Craft Blog, which had a free pattern available for making the Disc. Credit goes to June Gilbank, who crocheted the first Great A’Tuin, and special thanks to Tina Mancuso, who made the Disc pattern available to the community. If you check out June’s blog, you’ll find a lot of helpful tips for making A’Tuin, and she also offers her own elephant pattern for purchase.

Note: My crochet Disc deviates from Tina’s pattern quite a bit. I knew my Disc would need to be much, much smaller, so I only followed her pattern up to about Round 7 and then winged it from there. Once the top of the Disc was done, I placed a sturdy cardboard circle underneath and crocheted the back as well.

Because I was making a smaller Great A’Tuin, I was able to make everything within the span of one week. The Disc took the longest, mostly because the color changes were a bit finicky, and the elephants became a challenge because I had to experiment to get the ears just right. In the end, I think it turned out great and made for a fun Christmas gift.