Klara the mermaid – pattern

Klara originally was born back in 2013. It was part of my advent calendar back then and it was published bit by bit.

However I never was completely satisfied with her eyes and at some point back then I just lost interest in her. This eyes made me crazy. The pattern was available for nearly two years – still without eyes. These were only published on the blog, but never made it into the pdf.

So I decided to take the pattern down, until I would finally make new pictures, with eyes on the doll. And what can I tell you? Life! It just stopped me, I’m so sure that all of you know this. You plan to do something and then you just forget about it. Over and over again.

(I’ve recently read a nice text about this: you know when you enter a room and you wanted to do something and then you just forget about it? at that same moment there were aliens in the room with you, and then the Men in Black appeared, fought off the alien, then they neuralyzed you. That’s how you forgot..) Just a little site note, but I found it funny.

Well I don’t think I got neuralyzed over and over again to forget about Klara. I actually was reminded quite often of her. I never had so many questions on a pattern before. So many of you guys asked me about her disappearance and if Klara will be live again someday, TODAY is this day 🙂

for the abbreviations I use in this pattern please read here

Klara is worked in classic amigurumi style, which means in a long spiral round, never join a round after finishing one. Also I like my amigurumi to be worked through both loops (whereas I know couple fellow amigurumi makers who prefer the back loop only). So do whatever you like best.

Size | yarn | hook

I used catania yarn from Schachenmayr and my beloved 3.5 mm hook. My Klara mermaid is about 16 cm from top to bottom (and about 22c, when I stretch her tail to the maximum)

So, your little mermaid will be the size you choose, go with bigger yarn and a bigger hook and you will get a bigger mermaid. If you decide to go smaller, of course your Klara will be smaller, as easy as this right?

Easy or difficult?

Well, I would think intermediate. I write my patterns stitch by stitch, quite similar to knitting patterns actually. If you are familiar with my patterns you might think this is easy, as you only need the classic single crochet and slip stitch throughout most of the pattern. But it takes concentration so I think intermediate is quite fair 🙂

Final tip!!

use a stitch marker! I never give stitch count at the end of a round. All stitches are written to reach the end of the row. So if you are left with stitches before you reach the end please check you stitches.

I love to use a small piece of scrap yarn (I prefer pearl yarn, it stays unfuzzy pretty long) for marking my rounds. Another plus with scrap yarn, they don’t bulk the stitches around them and I can always choose a contrasting color.

_____________________

Sooo, the little amigurumi mermaid Klara  – –  the pattern:

5 – – sc4, m2x3, sc3

6 – – sc2tog, sc4, m2x3, sc3, hdc1

7 – – hdc2, sc1, slst9, sc1, hdc2

8 – – hdc2tog, hdc1, sc3, sc2tog, sc1, sc2tog, sc2, hdc2tog

9 – – hdc1, hdc2tog, sc1, slst5, sc2tog

10 – – sc1, sc2tog x2, sc2, sc2tog

• In row 10 on first fin: sc1, sc2tog x2, sc2__you will stop two stitches before the marker, secure the loop, cut yarn about ten inches and start the second fin
• Don’t cut the yarn on the second fin. Now it’s time to crochet both parts together and start on the tail itself.
• Continue on fin #2 with row 11 and add the first fin when indicated: just put the loop on the hook and keep crocheting

11 – – sc3, put the loop of first fin onto hook as well, sc2tog, sc4 – now continue to crochet on former second fin with sc2 – only use the last two sts before the marker, which means to leave 1 stitch of each fin untouched.

12 – – sc2, sc2tog, sc3, sc2tog, sc1

• if you want to switch colors for fin and main tail like in the front picture, do so now

13 – – sc8

14 – – m2, sc2, slst4, sc1

15 – – sc9

Use yarn end of first fin to sew the little gap between both fins together

16 – – sc2, m2, sc1, slst5

17 – – sc10

18 – – sc2, m2, sc2, slst5

19 – – slst1, sc2, m2, sc7

20 – – sc3, m2, sc2, m2, slst5

21 – – slst3, sc2, m2, sc6, m2, sc1

22 – – sc6, m2, sc4, slst5

23 – – slst4, sc12, m2

24 – – sc5, m2, sc4, m2, sc2, slst5

25 – – slst4, sc5, m2, sc8, m2, sc1

26 – – sc2, m2, sc13, slst6

27 – – slst5, sc14, m2, sc3

28 – – m2, sc3, m2, sc12, m2, slst6

29 – – slst8, m2, sc15, m2, sc2

30 – – sc1, m2, sc2, m2, sc15, m2, slst8

31 – – slst10, m2, sc17, m2, sc3

32 – – sc1, m2, sc5, m2, sc9, sc2tog, sc8, m2 , slst6

33 – – slst10, m2, sc22, m2, sc2

34 – – sc2, m2, sc4, m2, sc8, sc2tog, sc4, sc2tog, sc5, slst9

35 – – slst14, sc6, sc2tog, sc16

36 – – sc3, m2, sc16, sc2tog, sc4, slst11

37 – – slst17, sc1, sc2tog, sc5, sc2tog, sc10

38 – – m2, sc8, m2, sc15, slst10

39 – – slst5, chain 1, now only use the front loops: sc32

40 – – still using the front loops: sc5

Bind off the tail color with a slst

Body and Head

Now add the new body color to the back loops of R39 where you started with the single chain stitch.

See the arrow in the picture below.

The dot marks the old marker, I use pieces of wastes yarn as markers.

As you can see we are shifting the position of the marker from its the last position.

Now start in the same stitch that you attached the new color to. In R40 we will work 37 sts – it may seem like you can squeeze in 38, but this extra space results from the ch1 & BO and we won’t use this extra stitch.

40 – – slst15, sc22

41 – – sc13, sc2tog, sc6, sc2tog, sc5, slst9

42 – – slst9, sc6, sc2tog, sc2, sc2tog, sc14

43 – – sc12, sc2tog, sc5, sc2tog, sc5, slst7

44 – – slst7, sc4, sc2tog, sc6, sc2tog, sc10

45 – – sc2tog, sc9, sc2tog, sc3, sc2tog, sc5, slst6

46 – – slst6, sc3, sc2tog, sc5, sc2tog, sc8

• Stuff, take care to firmly stuff the tails end 47 (sc2, sc2tog) x6

48 – – (sc2tog, sc1) x6 49 sc12

• Stuff rest of the body

50 – – (m2, sc1) x6

51 – – (sc2, m2) x6

52 – – sc1, m2, (sc3, m2) x5, sc2

53 – – (sc4, m2) x6

54 – – sc2, m2, (sc5, m2) x5 sc3

55 – – (sc6, m2) x6

56 – – sc3, m2, (sc7, m2) x5, sc4

57 – – sc54

58 – – sc29, dc1, B3, dc1, sc22

59 – – sc54

60 – – sc4, sc2tog, (sc16, sc2tog) x2, sc12

61 – – sc51

62 – – sc12, sc2tog, (sc15, sc2tog) x2, sc3

63 – – sc48

64 – – (sc6, sc2tog) x6

65 – – sc42

66 – – sc3, sc2tog, (sc5, sc2tog) x5, sc2

67 – – (sc2tog, sc4) x6

68 – – (sc3, sc2tog) x6

• at this point, in case you want to use plastic safety eyes instead of the crocheted ones indicated below, add them now. In round 58 we made a nose, so you’ll have an idea where the front of your little mermaid is

69 – – (sc2tog, sc2) x6

70 – – (sc2tog, sc1) x6

• stuff head (and in case you need to also squeeze in some more stuffing to the body)

71 – – sc2tog x6

BO with a slst

• in case you need to, add a little more stuffing to the head and sew hole closed. Now you can either
• hide the yarn end or leave it to help fix the hair in place.

Hair

1 – – make a double magic ring with sc5, close with slst

2 – – (chain 4, slst into base of chain to form a loop, secure loop with sc1 into next sc of starting ring) x5 … you created 5 loops

3 – – (into loop: sc1, hdc2, chain 2, sc1 into second chain from hook, hdc1, sc1) slst1 into next sc of previous round to secure first fish scale * repeat everything 4 more times … now you have made 5 fish scales

4 – – from now on always work behind your created rounds of scales, (chain 4, sc1 into same stitch that you started the chains from, chain 2, sc1 into center of scale, chain 2, sc1 into stitch between scales) x4, chain 4, sc into same stitch that you started the chains from, chain 2, sc1 into center of scale, chain 1

5 – – into the loop: *(sc1, hdc3, chain 2 and sc1 into second loop from hook, hdc2, sc1) , sc1 into next ch2sp, sc1 into sc between both ch2sp, sc1 into next ch2sp * repeat 3 more times
For the 5th scale, repeat everything but only work 2 of the 3 final sc

6 – – repeat round 4

7 – – (hdc1, dc3, chain 2 and sc1 into second chain from hook, dc2, hdc1) sc1 into second sc of previous round * repeat 4 more times

8 – – (chain 3, sc1 at center of scale of previous round, chain 3, sc1 between two scales) x4, chain 3, sc1 at center of scale of previous round, chain 3, slst between two scales

9 – – (Chain 5, sc3 into next ch3sp, sc1 between both ch3sp, sc3 into next ch3sp, sc1 into sc between both scales) repeat 3 more times. For the last scale repeat everything but only sc1 into the very last ch3sp

10 – – [into loops: (dc5, chain 2 and sc1 into second chain from hook, dc4), skip 3 sc, sc1 into next sc, skip 3 sc] x5

11 – – repeat row 8

12 – – repeat row 9

13 – – repeat row 10

14 – – (chain4, sc1) x10

15 – – (chain 5, [sc4 into next ch4sp, sc1 between both ch4sp] x2) x4, for the last scale: ch3, sc4 into next ch4sp, sc1 between both ch4sp, sc1 into next ch4sp

16 – – [(tr, dc4, chain 2 and sc1 into second chain from hook, dc3, tr1), skip 4 sc, sc1 into next sc, skip 4 sc] x4, into ch3loop: (dc4, chain 2 and sc1 into second chain from hook, dc3), skip 4 sc and sc1 into nect sc

• if you wish, mark the last scale (the one made into the ch3loop) with a removable marker, this will be the front scale later and I found it easier to identify it later, when it’s marked

17 – – (ch4, sc1 at center of scale, ch4, sc1 between two scales) x3, ch4, sc1 at center of next scale – you have 7 ch4sp

18 – – turn work, into ch4sp: sc5, sc1 between ch4sp, (ch3, sc5 into ch4sp, sc1 between ch4sp) x5 – you have 5 ch3loops

19 – – turn work, start in 2nd sc from hook: slst1, sc1, [(into loop: dc4, chain 2 and sc1 into second chain from hook, dc3, skip 2 sc, sc1 into next sc, skip 2 sc) x2, into next loop: (dc1, hdc3, chain 2 and sc1 into second chain from hook, hdc2, dc1, skip 2 sc, sc1 into next sc, skip 2 sc), into last two loops: dc4, chain 2 and sc1 into second chain from hook, dc3, skip 2 sc, sc1 into next sc, skip 2 sc

BO with a slst and cut yarn – leave long enough to start sewing the hair scales to the head.

Arms

1 – – make a double ring with 6sc

2 – – m2 x6

3 – – sc3, m2, sc5, m2, sc2

4 – – sc14

5 – – sc4, B2 x2, sc4, sc2tog, sc2

6 – – sc13

right arm

7 – – sc2tog, sc6, sc2tog, sc3

8 – – sc2tog, sc9

9 – – sc3, slst5, sc2

10 – – sc2tog, sc8

11 – – sc3, slst4, sc2

12 – – sc9

• start stuffing

13 – – sc4, slst4, sc1

14 – – sc1, sc2tog, sc6

15 – – sc8

16 – – sc8

• stuff rest of arm, don’t stuff too firm, leave upper two rows un-stuffed, to sew it on. I found a flatter arm looks best here

17 – – sc2tog x4 BO with a slst

left arm

7 – – sc1, sc2tog, sc5, sc2tog, sc3

8 – – sc6, sc2tog, sc2, slst1

9 – – slst4, sc6

10 – – sc6, sc2tog, sc2

11 – – slst4, sc5

12 – – sc9

stuff hand

13 – – sc1, slst4, sc4

14 – – sc7, sc2tog

15 – – sc8

16 – – sc8

• stuff rest of arm, don’t stuff too firm, leave upper two rows un-stuffed, to sew it on I found a flatter arm looks best here

17 – – sc2tog x4 BO with a slst

Sew arms to sides of body, take care to point the thumbs in the right direction.

Eyes

make a double ring with: sc1, hdc3, sc1

pull ring closed and sew in end, leave a yarn end long enough to sew the eyes to the head

use some white to add highlights to the pupil, you can see below: (1a) pupil fresh from hook (1b) pupil wth ends woven in (2) white highlights embroidered over the short side of the pupil (3) white highlights embroidered over the long side of the pupil

Sew eyes to head

and you’re done 🙂

if you find anything strange, or have a question, please leave a comment, so I can update the pattern or add some more information 🙂 thanks, Diana

___________