Here’s the FREE pattern! Have fun!

SKILL LEVEL: Beginner

YARN: Medium Weight Cotton Yarn (Lace 4) in Aqua, White, Yellow and Black

OTHER MATERIALS: Polyester Fiber Filling; Two 10mm Black Plastic Safety Eyes; White Felt

HOOK SIZES: E/3,25 mm

DIMENSIONS: 6” x 5”

STITCHES USED and ABBREVIATIONS: magic ring (mr), chain (ch), slip stitch (sl st), single crochet (sc), half double crochet (hdc), decrease (dec), increase (inc), fasten off (F/O).

INSTRUCTIONS: work in rounds (join with a sl st and ch1 at the end of each round) unless otherwise instructed.

BODY (aqua and white yarn)

1) starting off with aqua yarn, 8 sc in a mr (8)

2) sc inc around (16)

3) *1 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** around (24)

4) *2 sc, 1 sc inc *, repeat ** around (32)

5) *3 sc, 1 sc inc *, repeat ** around (40)

6) *4 sc, 1 sc inc *, repeat ** around (48)

7) sc even (48)

8) *5 sc, 1 sc inc *, repeat ** around (56)

9) sc even (54)

10) *6 sc, 1 sc inc *, repeat ** around (64)

11) *7 sc, 1 sc inc *, repeat ** around (72)

12-17) sc even (72)

18) switch to white yarn, sc even (72)

19-29) sc even (72)

Cut two 6/8” rounded pieces of white felt, create a hole in them whit your scissors, insert the plastic safety eyes in the holes and then place them between rounds #12-18, 7 stitches apart. Secure the eyes with the back parts.

30) *7 sc, 1 sc dec *, repeat ** around (64)

31) *6 sc, 1 sc dec *, repeat ** around (56)

32) *5 sc, 1 sc dec *, repeat ** around (48); start stuffing the body

33) *4 sc, 1 sc dec *, repeat ** around (40)

34) *3 sc, 1 sc dec *, repeat ** around (32)

35) *2 sc, 1 sc dec *, repeat ** around (24)

36) *1 sc, 1 sc dec *, repeat ** around (16); finish stuffing the body

37) sc dec around (8); F/O, close the hole and hide the yarn

MOUTH (black and aqua yarn)

1) starting off with black yarn, 6 sc in a mr (6)

2) 1 sc, 4 sc in the next st, 2 sc, 4 sc in the next st, 1 sc (12)

3) switch to aqua yarn, 3 sc, 1 sc inc, 5 sc, 1 sc inc, 2 sc (14); F/O and leave a long tail of yarn to sew the mouth onto the body between rnds #16-22.

FINS (yellow yarn; make two)

1) 6 sc in a mr (6)

2) *2 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** twice (8)

3) *3 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** twice (10)

4) *4 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** twice (12)

5) *5 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** twice (14)

6) *6 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat ** twice (16)

7) flatten the fin and crochet through both layers now, 1 sc, 3sc in each of the next 6 sts, 1 sc in the last one (20); F/O and cut the yarn.

Attach the fins to the side of the body between rnds #17-19.

CAUDAL FIN (yellow yarn)

1) work 6 ch, 1 sc inc in the 2nd ch from the hook, 3 sc, 4 sc in the last st, keep working on the other side of the foundation chain, 3 sc, 1 sc inc in the last st that already contains 2 sc (14)

2) sc even (14)

3) 1 sc inc, 5 sc, 2 sc inc, 5 sc, 1 sc inc (18)

4) 1 sc inc, 7 sc, 2 sc inc, 7 sc, 1 sc inc (22)

5) 1 sc inc, 9 sc, 2 sc inc, 9 sc, 1 sc inc (26)

6) flatten the fin and crochet through both layers now, 1 hdc, 3hdc in each of the next 11 sts, 1 hdc in the last one (35); F/O and cut the yarn.

Attach the fin to the back of the body between rnds #15-21.

SPINES (aqua and white yarn)

In order to create the spines, cut very long strings of yarn and with a yarn needle embroider the bumps wrapping the yarn around a stitch a few times.

Use aqua yarn for the upper part of the body and the white one for the lower part.

I’d suggest starting embroidering at the top of the body, between rnds #2-3, and then working the bumps vertically leaving 4 rows between each bump.

All Finished.