Big Rainbow Fish Toy in Caron Simply Soft, Simply Soft Paints & Simply Soft Brites - Downloadable PDF

Big Rainbow Fish Crochet Toy Pattern by Deb Richey – Free Downloadable PDF

This free crochet pattern by Deb Richey for Caron guides crafters through creating a charming, oversized stuffed fish toy measuring a finished 16 inches long. Bright, playful, and beginner-friendly, the Big Rainbow Fish makes an excellent handmade gift for children or a decorative accent for a nursery or playroom. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is rated suitable for beginner crocheters.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a large, three-dimensional amigurumi-style stuffed fish toy. The design features a rounded, plump body worked in the round and separate fins worked in rows and attached. The fish is stuffed as work progresses, giving it a full, sculptural shape. The use of multiple yarn colors — including a multicolor painted yarn as the main color — creates the rainbow effect referenced in the pattern name.

Yarn and Materials Used

The pattern calls for three specific Caron yarn lines, used together to achieve the colorful, layered look of the finished fish:

• Caron Simply Soft Paints in Oceana (0006) – the main color (MC), used in a quantity of 2 skeins (113 g / 4 oz; 190 m / 208 yds per skein). This variegated yarn provides the shifting blue-green tones of the fish's body.
• Caron Simply Soft in Grape (9610) – Color A, 1 skein (170 g / 6 oz; 288 m / 315 yds). Used for accent areas such as fins or contrast sections.
• Caron Simply Soft in White (9701) – Color B, 1 skein. Likely used for detail areas such as the eye whites or belly.
• Caron Simply Soft in Black (9727) – Color C, 1 skein. Used for fine details such as the pupil of the eye.

The Caron Simply Soft line is a smooth, worsted to aran weight acrylic yarn, well known for its soft drape and wide color range, making it a popular choice for toy making. The Simply Soft Paints sub-line offers hand-painted style color transitions in a single strand, which contributes the rainbow gradient effect central to this design.

Stuffing is required and should be added as the body is worked in rounds. The pattern notes that tighter stitches will reduce the amount of stuffing visible through the fabric, which is a helpful tip for achieving a clean, polished finish.

Techniques Used

• Working in the round – The body of the fish is constructed entirely in continuous rounds, a core technique in amigurumi and stuffed toy crochet. A stitch marker is moved at the end of each round to track progress.
• Working in rows – The fins are constructed separately using flat rows, then attached to the body. This combination of in-the-round and flat construction is a fundamental skill for three-dimensional crochet projects.
• Increasing rounds – Early rounds use standard amigurumi increase sequences (such as working 2 single crochets into one stitch) to build the rounded shape of the fish's body from a small magic ring or foundation chain.
• Stuffing as you go – Rather than stuffing at the end, the pattern instructs crafters to add stuffing progressively as the body grows, ensuring even distribution and a firm, well-shaped result.
• Joining and finishing – Separate elements (fins, eyes) are worked independently and seamed or attached to the main body, a standard finishing technique in toy making.

Stitches Used

The pattern uses a straightforward set of crochet stitches, keeping it accessible for beginners while still producing a detailed and visually appealing toy:

• Chain (ch) – Used in the foundation and throughout construction.
• Single crochet (sc) – The primary stitch used throughout the body, worked in rounds and rows.