Confidence is a Crocheted Dolphin (a Free Pattern)

Look at that! Do you see that? I made that BY MYSELF.

I'M SO AWESOME.

Allow me to explain. I've been making a lot of stuffed animals for a lot of people lately. You know, you make one stuffed animal in pride colors, and suddenly everyone else wants a stuffed animal in pride colors. Well, anyways, for every stuffed animal that I made, there was a pattern that I made it from. I've never dared to attempt my own amigurumi pattern. I left that stuff to the pros.

That is, until one of the aforementioned people requested that I make them a dolphin. I looked for a dolphin pattern, and I didn't find one that pleased me. Whatever was I to do? "Weeeeellll," I thought, "I could try and make my own." That thought scared me. A dolphin looked so hard. The nose? And the curved body? Fins? I was rather hesitant, to say the least. But, whether I was up to it or not, this lady wanted a stuffed dolphin. So I gave it a shot, trying some weird shaping techniques and seeing how they turned out.

The results far exceeded my expectations. Look at the shape of that nose! And the curve! The decreasing of the tail end! And the tail fin!

I AM SO AWESOME.

Anyways, I'm very pleased to present to you my very first, 100% original amigurumi pattern. A dolphin.

A DOLPHIN.

Amigurumi Dolphin

Hook: Size 6 (G)

Yarn: Category 4 worsted weight. Any color that you desire, with contrasting color for eyes and mouth.

Gauge: It's a stuffed dolphin, silly. For those who just need to know, the dolphin I made ended up being about 9" long (including tail fin).

Other Materials: Stuffing, Large Eye Blunt Needle

(Note: When the pattern simply says "dec," it means that I used this method to work 2 stitches into 1, but you can use whichever method you prefer.)
Body
Round 1: 4 sc in magic ring.
Rnd. 2: Sc around.
Rnd. 3: 2 sc in each sc around. (8 sts.)
Rnd. 4: Sc around.
Rnd. 5: 2 sc in first 4 sc, sc in next 4 sc. (12 sts.)
Rnd. 6 Sc around.
Rnd. 7: *2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc* 4 times. (16 sts.)
Rnd. 8: Sc around.
Rnd. 9: *2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc* 4 times, sc in next 4 sc. (20 sts.)
Rnd. 10: Sc around.
Rnd. 11: *2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc* 4 times, sc in next 4 sc. (24 sts.)
Rnd. 12-16: Sc around.
Rnd. 17: 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 10 sc, dec, sc in next 10 sc.
Rnd. 18-22 : Sc around.
Rnd. 23: *Dec, sc in next 4 sc* 4 times. (20 sts)
Rnd. 24: Sc around.
Rnd. 25: 2 sc in next sc, sc in next 8 sc, dec, sc in next 8 sc.
Rnd. 26: *Dec, sc in next 3 sc* 4 times. (16 sts)
Stuff body, and continue stuffing as work progresses.
Rnd. 27-28: Sc around.
Rnd. 29: *Dec, sc in next 2 sc* 4 times. (12 sts)
Rnd. 30-31: Sc around.
Rnd. 32: *Dec, sc in next sc* 4 times. (8 sts)
Rnd. 33-34: Sc around.
Finish stuffing body.
Rnd. 35: Dec 2 times, ch 8, sl st LOOSELY in 2nd ch from hook and in next 6 ch sts back to rnd, dec 2 times, ch 8, turn.

(Note: Ok, that that must sound confusing. This is the prep round for the tail fin, so what you're doing here is making a chain foundation for the two halves of the fin, each half stemming from the two sides of the last round. Like this:



Anyways.)

Tail Fin
Row 1: Sc 2 tog in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next st, sc 2 tog, sc in next st. *Sc 2 tog* twice, drawing up loops
through both sides of decrease round (working them as 2 sts instead of 4).  *Sc in next st, sc 2 tog* twice. (10 sts) Ch 1 and turn.
Row 2: Sc in next 3 sc, *sc 2 tog* twice, sc in next 3 sc. (8 sts) Ch 1 and turn.
Row 3a: sc in next 2 sc, sc 2 tog. (3 sts) Ch 1 and turn, leaving last 4 sts unworked.
Row 4a: Sc 2 tog, 2 sc in next sc. Work 2 sc along edge of previous 3 rows. Fasten off.

Join yarn to the first sc worked in row 2.
Row 3b: Ch 1, sc in next sc, sc 2 tog. (3 sts) Ch 1 and turn.
Row 4b: Sc 2 tog, 2 sc in next sc. Work 2 sc along edge of previous 3 rows. Fasten off.

Dorsal Fin
Ch 7
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and next 5 sts across, 2 sc in last sc. (7 sts) Ch 1, turn.
Row 2: Sc in next 3 sc, sc 3 tog. (5 sts) Ch 1, turn.
Row 3: Sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in last sc. (6 sts) Ch 1, turn.
Row 4: Sc in next 3 sc, sc 3 tog. (4 sts) Ch 1, turn.
Row 5: Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in last sc. (5 sts) Ch 1, turn.
Row 6: Sc in next 2 sc, sc 3 tog. (3 sts) Ch 1, turn.
Row 7: Sc 2 tog, 4 sc in next sc. Fasten off, leaving long tail for sewing.

Flipper (Make 2)
Ch 5
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across. (4 sts) Ch 1, turn.
Row 2: Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in last sc. (5 sts) Ch 1, turn.
Row 3: Sc in next 2 sc, sc 3 tog. (3 sts) Ch 1, turn.
Row 4: Sc 2 tog, 2 sc in next sc. Fasten off, leaving long tail for sewing.

Finishing

With a large eye blunt needle, sew dorsal fin to top of body. Sew flippers to either side of body. With needle and CC, embroider eyes and mouth. Weave in loose ends.

This pattern was created by John Primrose in July, 2011. If you reproduce this pattern without crediting him, he will become rather agitated. He won't mind, however, if you follow this pattern and use the resulting dolphin for your own purposes. Keep it! Gift it! Sell it! Go crazy! Hope you enjoy it!