Supplies: Worsted weight yarn, 5mm knitting needles, soft stuffing, and a blunt end large eye needle for sewing. Cast on 12 stitches, and knit until you have 15 to 16 garter ridges. Every ridge is 2 rows of knitting. So you will have 30 to 32 rows of knitting total. You can keep count here: 1 2 34 5678 9 10 1112 1314 1516 1718 19 202122232425262728 2930/3132 Next row: knit 2 together all across the row. You will have 6 stitches left. Break off yarn leaving a long tail 14 inches, and thread needle with this tail Use needle to pull thread through the six stitches left on your knitting needle. Bring yarn around and do it again. Pull knitting needle out.
Pull yarn up tight till the stitches are all gathered. Knot the yarn end and set your fishy body piece aside. Time to knit his top fin.
Knit top fin
Cast on 4 stitches and knit 6 rows. - 1 2 3 4 5 6 That will make 3 ridges. Next row: knit 2 together as if they were one stitch, knit next 2 stitches 3 stitches left. Next row: Knit the 3 stitches. Last row: Cast off these 3 stitches. Trim yarn ends to 1 inch lonc Now you are ready to sew the top fin to the fishy while you are sewing up the fish body seam. Position the fin near the head of the fish (the gathered end) and tuck the end and 1 inch yarn tails down into fishy. Using the yarn you drew up the end stitches, sew fish body and fin by slipping the needle in the end ridges of the knitting and through the fin. Sew to within an inch of the end of the fishy, and knot yarn securely. Do not sew the last inch closed, this will be the tail of your fishy.
Now go down the side of the fish as shown above in the second photo in between the ridges, drawing the yarn through. Stuff some fiber filling into your fishy, then when he is as full as you want him, pull the yarn up tight to tie off the tail. Then wrap the yarn end tightly around the tail end and knot, and hide the end in the fish body.
Spread his tail out. Now you are ready to sew a face on, and do the side fins. Use contrasting yarn for the eyes and mouth. Thread needle and push needle into body and bring out where you want the eye to be. Knot the yarn and repeat the stitch and knot again. Pull yarn through head and out where you want the other eye. Knot and stitch and knot, then hide the yarn by pushing into the fish head and out of the body, pull up and snip. Be careful to only snip the yarn thread, not your knitting. The yarn end should disappear into the fish body. Do the same stitching for the mouth in another color.
Side Fins
Cast on 3 stitches and knit 4 rows. This will make 2 ridges. 1 2 3 4 Next row: Knit 2 together, knit 1 Last row: Knit 2 together. Cut yarn leaving a long tail, and pull tail through the last loop on your needle. Thread this yarn tail on to needle, and run needle down the side of the fin through the bumps. Tie off in a knot. Now thread both yarn ends (the one from the cast on and the one you just finished using for knotting) and use both of these yarn ends to sew the fin on to the fish. Line up fin with the front of the top fin, and down 2 knit bumps. Repeat for the other side of your fish. Now you are done, make your fishy a friend!
