Mermaid Tail Cocoon FREE Crochet Pattern

Earlier this year I had a request from a good friend for a Mermaid Tail Blanket.  Well I looked at all of the patterns out there and just wasn't "feeling it".  So in my usual fashion I picked up my hook and yarn and set to design the one in my head.  This did not happen quickly as I was working a full time job and other life continued to happen.  But after a few months of trial and error I FINALLY came up with something I was proud of!!!  And I would like to share it here with you all for FREE!!!  I have heard these might be a great thing to stitch up for a little girl who is battling an illness.  A fun blanket to help through a hard time maybe!

Remember....I am a human and sometimes make mistakes!!  If you find an error with my pattern, please let me know in the comment section and I will try to correct it as soon as possible!!!

This is an Original Design by Amy B Stitched. Feel free to make for profit, but remember to give credit to me, and link back to my blog www.amysastitchatatime.blogspot.com  Thank You!!! Amy B

MERMAID TAIL COCOON

SIZE: 42 (44, 46) inches long (excluding fin) x 20 inches across. Childs Small (Medium, Large)

MATERIALS:

•             Size I (5.50mm) crochet hook

•             Worsted Weight yarn, MC “I love this yarn” Grape 16-20 oz, CC “I love this yarn” Pink 4.5 oz

•             Yarn needle

NOTES AND SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:

*All increases are done at the seam in the back.  This will cause the back to measure taller than the front.  This is okay.  Most human bodies are made with a little more fullness in the back side and this will help the cocoon to ride evenly across the back. 

*There are several special stitches used.  The instructions for each stitch are listed below with their abbreviations. 

*Do NOT turn at the end of the row unless specifically told in the instructions.

*There are 3 sizes included.  The only difference is the length of the body.

*[ ] brackets: instructions in the brackets are a sequence of stitches to be repeated.

*( ) parenthesis: instructions in parenthesis are stitches to be placed in one single stitch.

*3 dc BLO and 5 dc BLO are referred to as “shells” in the end of row stitch count.

GAUGE: first two rows of pattern = 3 inches measured across center (see image 1 below)

  

IMAGE 1

STITCHES AND TERMS USED:

·         Ch – chain

·         Dc – double crochet

·         Sl st – slip stitch

·         Beg – beginning

·         St (sts) – stitch (stitches)

·         BLO – back loop only

·         Sc – single crochet

·         Sdc – standing double crochet   

·         Sk – skip

·         Fpdc – front post double crochet: yo, insert hook from the front, around the post, coming out again at the front, yo, draw up a loop, (yo, draw through 2 loops) twice.

·         Bpdc – back post double crochet: yo, insert hook from the back, around the post, coming out again at the back, you draw up a loop, (yo draw through 2 loops) twice.

·         Fp-bp dc dec – front post back post double crochet decrease: yo, insert hook from the front, around the post, coming out again at the front, yo, draw up a loop, yo, draw through 2 loops on hook, yo, insert hook from the back of the next st, around the post, coming out again at the back, yo, draw up a loop, yo, draw through 2 loops, yo, draw through 3 loops .

·         Bp-fp dc dec – back post front post double crochet decrease: Yo, insert hook from the back, around the post, coming out again at the front, yo, draw up a loop, yo, draw through 2 loops on hook, yo,  insert hook from the front of the next st, around the post, coming out again at the back, yo, draw up a loop, yo, draw through 2 loops, yo, draw through 3 loops.

·         Sc cl – single crochet cluster: (insert hook and draw up a loop) 4 times, yo, draw through all loops on hook ]

BODY:  With MC,

Rnd 1: Ch 4, 11 dc in 4th ch from hook. Sl st in top of beg ch 4 to join.

Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in 1st st, 3 dc next st BLO. * [Sc next st, 3 dc BLO next st] repeat from * around. Sl st in 1st sc to join. (6 shells)

Rnd 3: Ch 3, dc in same st as join, * sk next st, sc next st, sk next st **, 3 dc BLO next st. Repeat from * around, end at **. Dc in same st as join.  Sl st in top of beg ch 3 to join. (6 shells)

Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, * sk 1 st, 5 dc BLO next st, sk 1 st, sc next st. Repeat from * around. Sl st in first sc to join. (6 shells)

Rnd 5: Ch 3, 2 dc in same st as join, * sk 2 sts, sc next st, sk 2 sts, ** 5 dc BLO next st. Repeat from * around, end at **. 2 dc in same st as join. Sl st in top of beg ch 3 to join. (6 shells)

Rnd 6 INCREASE ROUND:  Ch 3, 2 dc in same as join, sc next st, sk 1 st, * 5 dc BLO next st, sk 2 sts, sc next st, sk 2 sts. Repeat from * around to last 2 sts. Sk 1 st, sc last st, 2 dc in same st as join. Sl st in top of beg ch 3 to join. (7 shells)

Rnd 7: Repeat Rnd 6 INCREASE ROUND. (8 shells)

Rnd 8: Ch 1, sc same as join. * sk 2 sts, 5 dc BLO next st, sk 2 sts, sc next st. Repeat from * around. Sl st in top of 1st sc to join.  (8 shells)

Rnd 9-28: Repeat Rnds 5 through 8. (18 shells by end of row 28)

Rnd 29-37: Repeat Rnds 5, 6 and 8. (21 shells by end of row 37)
NOTE: at the end of round 37 the piece will NOT measure 20 inches across. But the piece will continue to grow to the correct width even though you will not be doing any more increase rounds after this point....it's sort of like magic!!! lol

Rnd 38: Repeat Rnds 5 and 8 until piece measures 39 (41, 43) inches at the front center, ending with row 8. (21 shells)

WAIST BAND: With CC

Rnd 1: Attach contrast color in last st with a standing dc (sdc), dc next st, hdc next st, sc next st. Work one st in each st of previous rnd, * [hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc] repeat from * around. Sl st in top of sdc to join. (126)

Rnd 2: Ch 2 (does not count as st). * [fpdc next st, bpdc next st] repeat from * around.  St st in top of first st to join.

Repeat Rnd 2 six more times. Finish off.

TAIL FIN:  With CC.  Beg ch 1 does not count as a st for all of tail fin. Have Body face down, with seam centered before beginning tail fin.

Row 1: Using image 2 as a guide, join with a sl st, 12 sc across base of tail.

  

IMAGE 2

Row 2: Ch 3, turn. Dc 1^st st, dc next 4 sts, (2 dc next st) 2 times, dc next 4 sts, 2 dc last st. (16)

Row 3: Ch 1, turn. [fpdc next st, bpdc next st] 4 times, hdc in sp before next st, [fpdc next st, bpdc next st] 4 times.  (17)

Row 4: Ch 1, turn. * [fpdc next st, bpdc next st] 4 times **. (fpdc, bpdc) next st. Repeat from * to ** once.  (18)

Row 5: Ch 1, turn. * [fpdc next st, bpdc next st] 4 times **. (fpdc, bpdc) next st 2 times. Repeat from * to ** once.  (20)

Row 6: Ch 1, turn. * [fpdc next st, bpdc next st] 4 times **. (fpdc, bpdc) next st 4 times. Repeat from * to ** once.  (24)

Row 7: Ch 1, turn. * [fpdc next st, bpdc next st] 5 times **. (fpdc, bpdc) next st 4 times. Repeat from * to ** once.  (28)

Row 8: Ch 1, turn.  [fpdc next st, bpdc next st] 6 times. Fp-bp dc dec over next 2 sts. Leave remaining sts unworked.  (13)

Row 9: Ch 1, turn. Bp-fp dc dec over next 2 sts. [Bpdc next st, fpdc next st] across.  Bpdc last st. (12)

Row 10: Ch 1, turn. [Fpdc next st, bpdc next st] 5 times.  Fp-bp dc dec over next 2 sts.  (11)

Row 11: Repeat row 9.  (10)

Row 12: Ch 1, turn. [Fpdc next st, bpdc next st] 4 times. Fp-bp dc dec over next 2 sts.  (9)

Row 13: Repeat row 9.  (8)

Row 14: Ch 1, turn. Fp-bp dc dec across (4 times).  (4)

Row 15: Ch 1, turn. Sc cl across 4 sts. Finish off. 

For second side of fin attach yarn at end of row with a sl st, using image 3 as a guide.  Work rows 8-15 the same as the first side of fin. 

  

IMAGE 3

STARFISH FRIEND:
For the starfish you will need a small amount of contrasting yarn and a size G (4.00) crochet hook.

Rnd 1: Ch 4, dc in 4th ch from hook.  (ch 1, 2 dc) 4 times in same sp. Ch 1, sl st in top of beg ch 4 to join. (10 dc)

Rnd 2: Sl st to ch 1 sp. * Ch 13, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sc next 2 sts, hdc next 3 sts, dc next 4 sts, trc next 2 sts, sl st in next ch 1 sp. Repeat from * around.  Finish off, leaving a very long tail for sewing to the cocoon.

A lot of hard work goes into writing patterns.  Please feel free to share the link, but do not copy and distribute this pattern by any other means.

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Blessings!!!
Amy B