Little Fish

Little Fish by Angela Keeler

What Is Being Made

Little Fish is a small crocheted toy designed by Angela Keeler in 2020. This adorable amigurumi-style fish measures approximately 8cm (3.5 inches) in length, making it a perfect pocket-sized companion or decorative piece. The finished toy features safety eyes and is stuffed with toy filling for a soft, cuddly finish.

Craft and Technique

This project uses the crochet technique, specifically the amigurumi method of creating three-dimensional stuffed toys. Amigurumi is a Japanese craft tradition that involves crocheting small, densely-worked pieces in the round and stuffing them to create lifelike creatures. The Little Fish pattern demonstrates fundamental amigurumi construction by building the body through successive rounds of increases and decreases, creating a tapered fish shape that transitions from a wider body to a narrower tail section.

The pattern uses magic ring construction to begin the body, a technique that creates a tight center point ideal for seamless, professional-looking toy construction. Working in continuous rounds rather than joining at the end of each round helps maintain the smooth, three-dimensional form essential to amigurumi toys.

Stitches Used

• Chain (ch): The foundation stitch used to create loops
• Double crochet (dc) / Single crochet (sc): The primary stitch used throughout the body, worked in continuous rounds to build height and structure
• Double crochet two together (dc2tog) / Single crochet two together (sc2tog): A decrease stitch used to reduce stitch count and shape the fish's body as it tapers toward the tail
• Half treble (htr) / Half double crochet (hdc): Listed in abbreviations for reference, providing stitch variety options
• Slip stitch (ss): Used for joining rounds and finishing

Materials and Yarn

The Little Fish pattern calls for Hayfield Bonus DK yarn, a lightweight yarn category (DK weight) that creates appropriately-sized stitches for a small toy. The pattern specifies one ball each in two colors:

• 978 Sunflower (or 981 Bright Orange as an alternative)

The Hayfield Bonus DK yarn is 100% acrylic, making it durable, washable, and ideal for toys that may receive frequent handling or washing. One 100g (3.5oz) ball is more than sufficient to complete several fish, as the finished toy is quite small. A 4mm (US size G/6) crochet hook is used to work the yarn to the appropriate gauge. Additional materials include a pair of 8mm safety eyes for facial features and toy stuffing to fill the completed body.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as beginner-friendly, making it an excellent introduction to amigurumi and toy crochet. While the pattern does involve shaping through increases and decreases, the straightforward stitch sequence and small scale make it manageable for newer crocheters. The gauge is noted as not critical to the pattern's success, reducing pressure on achieving perfect tension—a helpful feature for beginners still developing consistent stitch work.