Love me, love my fish hat.

I made this hat out of bits and pieces in my stash. It took about 1/2 a skein of Red Heart acrylic (the green) to do the main part of the hat and the fins. The other colors I used were a brick red for the tail and back spine, white and black for the eyeballs and off-white for the teeth.

Main Hat

Rd 1 starting with the main colour, make a magic ring; 5 dc in ring; pull ring tight; ss to join; ch 2

Rd 2 dc inc in each st around; ss to join; ch 2

Rd 3 *(dc in 1 st; dc inc in next st) repeat around from *; ss to join; ch 2

Rd 4 *(2 dc; dc inc in next st) repeat around from *; ss to join; ch 2

Rd 5 *(3 dc; dc inc in next st) repeat around from *; ss to join; ch 2

Rd 6 *(4 dc; dc inc in next st) repeat around from *; ss to join; ch 2

Rd 7 *(5 dc; dc inc in next st) repeat around from *; ss to join; ch 2

Rd 8 *(6 dc; dc inc in next st) repeat around from *; ss to join; ch 2

Rounds 9-25: continue pattern, increasing number of dc by one each time. (by row 25 you should be making 22 dc then one dc inc)

(continue rounds until the hat fits the diameter of your head. If it’s too big, make fewer rounds. On the last round, skip the final ch 2 and FO.)

Tail Piece (make 2)

Using your contrasting colour:

Rd 1 Ch 16; sc in second ch from hook; sc in next 2 ch; 2 hdc ; 2 dc ; trc in next ch; 2 dc; 2 hdc; sc in next ch; 3sc in final ch (to create point) and continue around other side of foundation chain sc in next ch; 2 hdc; 2 dc; trc in next ch; 2 dc; 2 hdc; sc in final 4 ch; ch 1, turn

Rd 2 4 sc; 2 hdc; 2 dc; trc in next st; 2 dc; 2 hdc; 2 sc; 3sc in next st; 2 sc; 2 hdc; 2 dc; trc in next st; 2 dc; 2 hdc; 5 sc; FO, leaving an 8” long tail for stitching to hat

Fin (make 2)

Using your main colour, follow Rd 1 of Tail pieces. Do not make the final ch 1, just FO, leaving an 8” long tail for stitching in place

Back Spine

This is a tricky bit. Starting at the point of the hat, slide your hook into the center of the point, then under one horizontal stitch of the first round of dcs. YO your hook with your contrasting colour and pull up a loop. Anchor your CC in place with a sc. Now slide your hook under the dc in the round below your first stitch and make another sc. Continue doing this down to 4” from the brim of the hat. Ch 1, turn.

In the line of single crochets you just made:

*(sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc) in first sc. Repeat from * until you reach the point of the hat. FO.

Eyes (make 2)

Using white yarn, make a magic ring; sc 6 in ring; pull ring tight; ss to join; ch 1

Rd 1 sc inc in each st around; ss to join; ch 1

Rd 2 *(sc in st, sc inc in next st); repeat from * around; ss to join, ch 1

Rd 3 *(2 sc, sc inc in next st); repeat from * around; ss to join, ch 1

Rd 4 *(3 sc, sc inc in next st); repeat from * around; ss to join, FO

stuff eye lightly with fiberfill

Using black yarn, make a magic ring; sc 6 in ring; pull ring tight; ss to join, FO leaving a tail to use for sewing.

Sew the iris to the eyeball wherever it makes you happy. I made “crazy eyes” for my fish.

Teeth

Around the brim edge of the hat, attach your off-white or white yarn into one dc stitch. In the same st, hdc, sc.

* (sc, hdc, sc in next st); repeat from * around brim of hat until you meet back at your first tooth. FO.

Assembling the Fish

Position your eyes on either side of the fish’s spine about 2” from the brim of the hat. Sew in place. About half-way up the hat, sew your fins in place on either side of the spine, slightly further out than the eyeballs. (See picture above for positioning.) Sew your two tail fins firmly to the point of the hat. Weave in all yarn ends. Put fish on someone’s head. Giggle madly and run away.