About

Cost: $ $ $ $ $

Difficulty: • • • • •

Time: 4h00

Crocheted Sea Creatures
The crocheted puffer fish is soft and cuddly, unlike its real-life deadly counterpart. Picots form the spines covering the body and a simple scalloped pattern creates the delicate-looking edge of the fins.

Information
Finished size
Approximately 41⁄2in (11.5cm) diameter body

Tension
24 sts and 26 rows to 4in (10cm) over double crochet using 3mm hook
Special abbreviation
Picot: The picot appears on the reverse
side of the work. This will be the right side. Insert hook into next st, catch yarn and draw back through stitch (2 loops on hook), (catch yarn and draw through first loop on hook only) 4 times, catch yarn and draw through both loops on hook.

DID YOU KNOW?
Puffer fish contain lethal toxins for self-protection. In Japan puffer fish are eaten as a delicacy, but if the chef isn’t quite skilled enough in preparing only the toxin-free flesh, this can be a deadly dinner!

Posted by GMC Group • Published 13th July 2015 • See GMC Group's 304 projects » © 2024 Vanessa Mooncie / GMC Publications · Reproduced with permission. · Crocheted Sea Creatures by Vanessa Mooncie, published by GMC (£14.99, available from www.thegmcgroup.com)

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Step 1
How to make Puffer fish
The body is worked in continuous rounds of double crochet; the picots, which appear on the reverse side of the work, are made with a number of chain stitches formed into a loop. The fins are crocheted in rounds; each piece is flattened and then joined at the top with a decorative edging of double crochet and chain stitches. The bulging eyes and open mouth provide
the finishing touches to the features.

Body
Starting at the top of the body, with 3mm hook and A, wind yarn around a finger
a couple of times to form a ring, insert the hook, catch the yarn and draw back through the ring.
Round 1 (WS): 1 ch (does not count as a st), work (1 dc, picot) 3 times into the ring (6 sts).
Round 2 (inc): (Dc2inc) 6 times (12 sts).
Pull on the short end of yarn to close the ring.
Round 3 (inc): (Dc2inc, 1 dc) 6 times (18 sts).
Round 4 (inc): (Dc2inc, 1 dc, picot) 6 times (24 sts).
Round 5 (inc): (Dc2inc, 3 dc) 6 times (30 sts).
Round 6 (inc): (Dc2inc, 4 dc) 6 times (36 sts).
Round 7: (1 dc in next 2 dc, picot) 12 times.
Round 8 (inc): (Dc2inc, 5 dc) 6 times (42 sts).
Round 9 (inc): (Dc2inc, 6 dc) 6 times (48 sts).
Round 10: (1 dc in next 3 dc, picot) 12 times.
Round 11 (inc): (Dc2inc, 7 dc) 6 times (54 sts).
Round 12 (inc): (Dc2inc, 8 dc) 6 times (60 sts).
Round 13: (1 dc in next 4 dc, picot) 12 times.
Round 14 (inc): (Dc2inc, 9 dc) 6 times (66 sts).
Round 15 (inc): (Dc2inc, 10 dc) 6 times (72 sts).
Round 16: (1 dc in next 5 dc, picot) 12 times.
Rounds 17–18: Work 1 dc in each dc. Round 19: As round 16.
Round 20: Work 1 dc in each dc.
Join and continue in B.
Step 2
Round 21: Work 1 dc in each dc. Round 22: As round 16.
Rounds 23–24: Work 1 dc in each dc.
Round 25: As round 16.
Round 26 (dec): (Dc2dec, 10 dc) 6 times (66 sts).
Round 27 (dec): (Dc2dec, 9 dc) 6 times (60 sts).
Round 28: As round 13.
Round 29 (dec): (Dc2dec, 8 dc) 6 times (54 sts).
Round 30 (dec): (Dc2dec, 7 dc) 6 times (48 sts).
Round 31: As round 10.
Round 32 (dec): (Dc2dec, 6 dc) 6 times (42 sts).
Round 33 (dec): (Dc2dec, 5 dc) 6 times (36 sts).
Round 34: As round 7.
Round 35 (dec): (Dc2dec, 4 dc) 6 times (30 sts).
Round 36 (dec): (Dc2dec, 3 dc) 6 times (24 sts).
Round 37 (dec): (1 dc in next 3 dc, picot) 6 times, sl st into same st.
Step 3
Fasten off A, but do not fasten off yarn
B. Remove the crochet hook and insert
a safety pin into the loop to prevent
the work unravelling. Carefully turn the piece right side out. Stuff the body firmly. Remove the safety pin and insert the hook back into the loop. Continue working on the RS, pushing the picots forward so the stitches can be seen for the next round. Round 38 (dec): (Dc2dec, 2 dc) 6 times (18 sts).
Round 39 (dec): (Dc2dec, 1 dc) 6 times (12 sts).
Fasten off, leaving a long length of yarn at the end. Thread the yarn onto a tapestry needle and weave it through the last round of stitches. Push a little extra stuffing inside, if necessary, before pulling up the yarn tightly to close the opening and fastening off.
Step 4
Caudal (tail) fin
With 3mm hook and B, wind yarn around a finger a couple of times to form a ring, insert the hook, catch the yarn and draw back through the ring.
Round 1: 1 ch (does not count as a st), work 6 dc into the ring (6 sts).
Round 2 (inc): (Dc2inc, 1 dc) 3 times (9 sts). Pull on the short end of the yarn to close the ring.
Round 3: 1 dc into the back loop only of each dc.
Round 4 (inc): (Dc2inc) 9 times (18 sts). Join in A.
Round 5: 1 dc in each dc in A.
Round 6 (inc): With A, work (dc2inc, 2 dc) 6 times (24 sts).
Round 7: As round 5 in B.
Round 8 (inc): With B, (dc2inc, 5 dc) 4 times (28 sts).
Scalloped edge
Round 9: With A, work *(1 dc, 2 ch, 1 dc) in next dc, miss next dc*, rep from * to * 13 more times, sl st into the first 2 ch
(14 scallops).

DID YOU KNOW?
To protect themselves, puffer fish swallow lots of water to inflate their bodies. This makes them almost impossible for
a predator to swallow.
Step 5
Join top of fin
Bring together and match the 7 scallops from each side of the opening, flattening the tail fin.
Next: With B, work **(1 dc, 2 ch, 1 dc) into the next 2 ch sp on both sides at the same time to join**, rep from ** to ** 6 more times to join each side (7 scallops). Fasten off.
Step 6
Tail
Turn the caudal fin upside down, so the first round is at the top. With 3mm hook and A, join the yarn to a dc on round 2 of the caudal fin with a sl st.
Round 1: 1 dc in the front loop of the same st, work 1 dc in the front loop of each of the next 8 dc (9 sts).
Round 2: 1 dc in each dc.
Round 3 (inc): (Dc2inc, 2 dc) 3 times 12 sts).
Round 4: As round 2.
Round 5 (inc): (Dc2inc, 3 dc) 3 times (15 sts).
Round 6: As round 2.
Round 7 (inc): (Dc2inc, 4 dc) 3 times (18 sts). Sl st to next st and fasten off, leaving a long length of yarn at the end.
Step 7
Pectoral and dorsal fins (make 3)
With 3mm hook and B, wind yarn around a finger a couple of times to form a ring, insert the hook, catch the yarn and draw back through the ring.
Round 1: 1 ch (does not count as a st), work 6 dc into the ring (6 sts).
Round 2 (inc): (Dc2inc) 6 times (12 sts). Pull on the short end of yarn to close the ring.
Round 3: 1 dc in each dc.
Round 4 (inc): (Dc2inc, 1 dc) 6 times (18 sts).
Join in A.
Rounds 5–6: As for rounds 5–6 of caudal fin.
Scalloped edge
Round 7: With B, work from * to * of round 9 of the caudal fin 12 times. Sl st to first 2 ch sp (12 scallops).
Step 8
Join top of fin
Bring together and match the 6 scallops from each side of the opening, flattening the fin.
Next: With A, work from ** to ** of the caudal fin 6 times to join the top of the fin (6 scallops). Fasten off.
Step 9
Eyes (make 2)
Eyeball
With 3mm hook and C, wind yarn around a finger a couple of times to form a ring, insert the hook, catch the yarn and draw back through the ring.
Round 1: 1 ch (does not count as a st), work 6 dc into ring (6 sts).
Join in B.
Round 2 (inc): With B, working into the back loops only, (dc2inc, 1 dc) 3 times
(9 sts). Pull on short end of yarn to close ring.
Round 3: With B, (dc2inc, 2 dc) 3 times (12 sts). Fasten off.
Step 10
Eye socket
With 3mm hook and A, make 9 ch, join with a sl st to first ch to form a ring. Round 1: 1 ch (does not count as a st), 12 dc into ring (12 sts).
Step 11
Join eye pieces
Round 2: With right side of eyeball to wrong side of eye socket, slip the eyeball inside the eye socket and work 1 dc into each dc of both pieces at the same time to join. Sl st to next st and fasten off, leaving a long length of yarn at the end.
Step 12
Mouth
With 3mm hook and A, make 10 ch, join with a sl st to first ch to form a ring. Round 1: 1 ch (does not count as a st), 15 dc into ring (15 sts).
Round 2: 1 dc in each dc.
Join in C.
Round 3: With C, work 1 dc into the back loops only of each dc. Sl st to next st and fasten off, leaving a long length of both A and C at the end.
Step 13
Making up

All of the following features should be attached to the upper part of the body, worked in A.
Mouth and eyes
Join eye pieces – work into each dc of both pieces at the same time to join
Join top of fin
Bring together and match the 6 scallops from each side of the opening, flattening the fin.
Next: With A, work from ** to ** of the caudal fin 6 times to join the top of the fin (6 scallops). Fasten off.
Thread the length of C left after fastening off the mouth onto a tapestry needle and weave it through the last round of stitches, pull up tight to close the opening and fasten off. This will lie flat at the back to form the inside of the mouth. Squash the round shape a little to form an oval and, with the length of A left after fastening off, sew the front loops of round 2 of the mouth to the front of the body. Push some stuffing inside the eyes so they pop out. With the length of yarn left after fastening off, sew the eyes to the front of the
body, stitching all around the edges.
Step 14
Tail
Stuff the open end of the tail firmly and sew it to the back of the body, stitching all around the edge.
Step 15
Fins
Stitch one fin to each side of the body, sewing all around the narrow end to hold them firmly in place. These are the pectoral fins. Sew the remaining dorsal fin securely to the top of the body. Weave in all of the yarn ends.