Crochet goldfish rattle

Start by attaching the fish to the wooden ring. How to do it: Round (rd) 1: Take Col 1 and make 15 chain stitches (ch). Turn, skip the first ch and work 13 double crochets (dc). Work 3 dc into the last stitch (st), now continue working around the lower edge, work 12 dc and 3 dc into the last st. Now you have worked 1 rd and have a total of 30 sts. Rd 2: Work dc in the rd. Make 2 dc in both end sts (= 32 sts). Rd 3: Now work in the outer loop of the sts, and again work 2 dc into the end sts (34 sts). Break off yarn, leaving a tail long enough to sew with. Lay the work right side up on top of the wooden ring and sew it firmly so that the two sides meet around the ring.

Continue working with Col 1. Rd 1: To start the body, work dcs into the inside loop of the sts you were working on before. Start at one end and crochet clockwise in the rd. Rd 2: Make two increases (incs) on each long side evenly distributed (inc 4 in all). Rd 3: Work dc in the rd, no incs. Rd 4: Repeat rd 2 (inc at the same places as before so the new inc are over inc in the previous rd). Rds 5-6: Work 2 rds, no inc. Rd 7: Repeat rd 2. Rds 8-10: Work dc in the rd, no inc. Rd 11: Make 2 decreases (dec) on each long side evenly distributed (dec 4 in all). Rd 12: Work dc in the rd, no dec. Rds 13-16: Repeat rds 11-12, decreasing in alternate rds. Remember to insert rattle and stuffing as you work. Rds 17-20: Repeat rd 11. Rd 21: Dec in every st all the way around. Break off yarn and sew the work to close completely.

Switch to Col 2. Start at centre top. Make the fish’s top lip first. Work 2 ch followed by 4 treble crochets (tr) in the same st. Work in and around the same st horizontally so that the tr form a fan shape. Work 1 dc at the corner of the mouth, and work a lower lip in the same way as the upper lip, working 4 tr into the same st at the centre. Finish with 1 dc at the opposite corner of the mouth. Break off yarn and sew the corner and upper lip together. Weave in end. The mouth is done.

Use Col 2. Start a few rds from the wooden ring on the upper side of the fish. Work 8 dc in a row towards the mouth. Turn and work 3 half treble crochets (htr) into the first st. Now work 3 tr into the next st and then 3 double treble crochets (dtr) into the next st, 3 triple treble crochets (trtr) into the next st, 2 quadruple treble crochets (4tr) into the next st, 2 quintuple treble crochets (5tr) into the next st and finally 1 sextuple treble crochet (6tr). Break off yarn and weave in end. Switch to Col 1 and work 1 row of dc along the top edge.

Using Col 2, work the fish’s right fin about 9 rds from the wooden ring at the bottom of the side. Work 5 dc on the body at an oblique angle down towards the belly. Turn and work 4 ch followed by 1 x 4tr and 1 x trtr into the next st, 2 dtr into the next st, 2 tr into the next st and 1 dc into the last st. Break off yarn and weave in end. Switch to Col 1 and work 1 row dc along the top of tr edge. Now do the same on the other side with the other fin, just in reverse.

Using Col 2, start by attaching the yarn to the wooden ring in the same way as described for the body. Rd 1: Work 8 ch. Rd 2: Work 6 dc (start in the 2nd ch from the hook) and 3 dc into the end st. Turn the work and work 5 dc and then 2 dc into the end st at the other end. Rd 3: Work 1 rd of dc into the outer loops of the sts and again work 2 dc into the end sts. Break off yarn, leaving a tail long enough to sew with. Now sew the work onto the ring as before.

Start at the end that will become the lower edge of the tail: Using Col 2, work 15 dc in the rd into the inner loop of the sts just worked. Work clockwise. When you return to the first st, turn the work and work 15 dc back again. Crochet the fins as follows: 5 ch, 3 x 4tr, 2 trtr, 1 dtr and 1 tr into the next st, 1 dtr and 1 trtr into the next st, 1 x 4tr and 1 x 5tr into the next st, 1 x 6tr and 1 x 7tr into the next st, 1 x 8tr and 1 x 9tr into the next st. Break off yarn and work the same sequence on the other side. Switch to Col 1 and work 1 row dc along the edge of the row of tr. Break off yarn and weave in ends.

Using Col 3, sew between two points as follows: Start at the 5th rd from the mouth at the centre (on the fish’s side), skip 4 rds and sew between these two points. As you sew, make sure the stitches are parallel and equal on both sides. The eye should gradually become more rounded as you sew back and forth. When the eye is an appropriate size, switch to Col 4 and make a small white dot in the eye by sewing a single stitch around the black yarn. Hint: The dot should not sit in the middle. Sew a white ring around the eye. To do this, sew two semicircles by sewing back and forth between a hole above and a hole below the eye, twice on each side of the eye. If you wish, sew a single stitch around the white of the eye at the corners to secure the semicircles better.