I don’t know were it came from but suddenly I had the urgent need to design and crochet my own version of „Dory“ from „Finding Nemo“ (and „Finding Dory“). Once in my head I absolutely had to do it. But then I found it more difficult than I thought and it took a while to work on the characteristics of the little fish. Well, I know she is not perfekt. Her eyes are a little large, but I love her anyway and I hope you will, too. So here we go for the pattern.
You need:
Cotton yarn in blue (a lighter shade for the body and a darker one for the freckles), yellow and black as well as a slightly too small hook size
Crochet yarn in black, purple (if possible use a glittering one) and white and a hook no larger than 1.5 (I use 1.0)
Stuffing
A squeaky element (can one call it like that? Do you know what I mean?)
scissors
a needle
Let’s go:
Body
1. R: 12 ch
2. R: 10 sc, 2 inc, 10 sc (24 sc)
3. R: 11 sc, 2 inc, 11 sc (26 sc)
4. R: 12 sc, 2 inc, 12 sc (28 sc)
5. R: inc, 12 sc, 2 inc, 12 sc, inc (32 sc)
6. R: sc, 2 inc, 29 sc (34 sc)
7. R: 2 sc, 2 inc, 30 sc (36 sc)
8. R: 3 sc, 2 inc, 31 sc (38 sc)
9. R: 4 sc, 2 inc, 32 sc (40 sc)
10. R: 5 sc, 2 inc, 33 sc (42 sc)
11. – 13. R: 42 sc
14. R: 24 sc, 2 inc, 14 sc (40 sc)
15. R: inc 1 at the bottom and 1 at the top, apart from that sc around (38 sc)
16. R: inc 2 at the middle of the top, apart from that sc around (36 sc)
17. R: 15. R: inc 1 at the bottom and 1 at the top, apart from that sc around (34 sc)
18. R: inc 2 at the middle of the top, apart from that sc around (32 sc)
19. R: inc 1 at the bottom and 1 at the top, apart from that sc around (30 sc)
20. R: inc 2 at the middle of the top, apart from that sc around (28 sc)
Put in the squeaky thing and stuff
21. R: 15. R: inc 1 at the bottom and 1 at the top, apart from that sc around (26 sc)
22. R: inc 2 at the middle of the top, apart from that sc around (24 sc)
23. R: 15. R: inc 1 at the bottom and 1 at the top, apart from that sc around (22 sc)
24. R: inc 2 at the middle of the top, apart from that sc around (20 sc)
25. R: 15. R: inc 1 at the bottom and 1 at the top, apart from that sc around (18 sc)
26. R: inc 2 at the middle of the top, apart from that sc around (16 sc)
Start anew with the black yarn:
27. R: 2 sc, hdc, dc, hdc, dc, hdc, 3 sc, hdc, dc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc, sl
Start with yellow yarn:
28. R: 2 sc, hdc, 2 dc, hdc, 4 sc, hdc, 2 dc, hdc, 2 sc
Stuff
From now on fold your work and crochet it together, then work on in rows.
1. – 4. Row: ch, 8 sc
Cut yarn and sew up the end.
Take the black yarn and do a little embroidery line of sling stitches from the upper right corner of the back fin to the other right corner down below. Then do the same on the other side. Starting again from the upper right corner do one line of single crochets around the sling stitches so that the fin looks more neat. Go on doing single crochets all the way up the back to the head to form the back fin. Do one chain and turn your work. Crochet single crochets back until the spot were the back becomes the tail. Stop here and do a sling stitch. Then cut yarn and sew up the end. Do one row of single crochets around this back fin with your blue yarn. In the end do one row of black single crochets around the sling stitches on the downside of the tail fin to make it look more nicely. (This was a long explanatory part. I hope it was understandable. If not, please leave me a comment and I try my best to explain it more clearly)
Vertical fins
Start with the blue yarn between rounds 7&8 at the side of the head.
1. Row: Ch, 2 sc (crochet them directly to the body)
2. Row: Ch, sc into the last stitch of the previous row (this counts as an increase), sc, increase (5 sc)
3. Row: Ch, 4 sc
4. Row: ch, 4 sc
5. Row: increase, Sc, increase, sc, increase (8 Sc)
6. Row: Ch, 7 Sc
7. Row: Ch, 7 sc
In yellow:
8. & 9. Row: Ch, 7 sc
Cut yarn and sew up all ends. Take the black yarn and embroider one line of simple stitches between the blue and the yellow part. Cut yarn and sew up the ends. Work the other fin in the same way.
Eyes 2x:
Take the black crochet yarn and a hook size 1.0.
1. R: 6 Sc into a magic ring
start anew with the purple crochet yarn.
2. R: 6 increases
Take the white crochet yarn
3. R: [sc, increase] 6 times work into the loop behind the two upper loops to get a nice line.
4. R: [2 sc, increase] 6 x (24 Sc)
5. R: [3 sc, increase] 6 x (30 Sc)
6. & 7. R: 30 Sc
8. R: jede 4. & 5. M zusammen häkeln (24 FM)
9. R: [2 sc, decrease] 6 x (18 Sc)
10. R: [sc, decrease] 6 x (12 sc)
Stuff
11. R: 6 decreases
Cut yarn and sew the eyes to the head with the ends, then sew them up.
Embroidery for the sides 2x:
1. R: 28 Ch
2. R: 15 Dc, 3 Dc into the 16. Stitch, 9 dc
Sew it to the body and sew up the ends
Eyebrows:
Right:
Start on the right side of the eye and do 12-14 sc in a nicely curved line around the upper part of the eye as seen in the picture.
2. R: Ch, Sc to the end of the row, turn
3. R: Ch, sc to the third but last stitch, then decrease, cut yarn and sew up the end.
Left:
This time you start between the eyes (leave one stitch out to meet the other eyebrow) and do another curved line of single crochets going all the way to the left side of the eye.
2. R: ch, sc to the end of the row, turn
3. R: leave out the chain and do sc from the 2nd stitch back to where you started.
Cut yarn and sew up the end.
You made it. You have your Dorie fish of your own now!
For better illustration I made a video-tutorial for this pattern with English subtitles:
You may sell any product made with the help of this pattern, but please don’t copy and share it. You may of course link it to your blog or social media. When selling products you made from it or linking it, please name this blog as source. Apart from that, I will be more than happy to see your results on my facebook-page,or if you tag me (@Flausch_Einhorn) on Twitter or Instagram.