Sunny the Puffer Fish | Free Crochet Pattern

Watch out! He’s sharp!

Okay, he’s fluffy….not even a little sharp.

Sunny the Puffer Fish plushie is not a prickly plushy at all. He’s a cuddle bug. Sunny’s crochet pattern is easy, fast, and fun. It makes a great summer project and is a wonderful finished item to add to a craft fair table.

This pattern is part of the 2022 Softie Crochet-A-Long!

We’ve partnered with GlassEyesOnline, Gurumi Supply, and Hooked for Life to bring you some great prizes in our end-of-CAL giveaway. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway in this post on Underground Crafter by Sunday, June 26, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.

How To Join the 2022 Softie CAL

• You can join in by crocheting the patterns as you have time.
• Share your progress and post pictures of your finished projects. Tag your projects and posts #CALCentralCrochet on all social media. 
• If you’d like to chat with other crocheters, join the CAL Central Facebook group or visit this thread in the CAL Central Ravelry group.
• By the end of the CAL, you’ll have up to 12 awesome softies to cuddle with!

Visit Underground Crafter to learn more about the prizes, enter the end-of-CAL giveaway, and to get links to each Softie CAL post as it is released.

Construction

Sunny’s easy crochet pattern is very straightforward. He is a ball with lips, fins, and spines. The pieces are all separate and you assemble them at the end.

You can put his spines on any way you like, but I like them a little more symmetrical. You decide what you want your spiky friend to look like.

And, as with all the new HbK patterns, the Premium version is in the new 2.0 format, meaning you get color coded check boxes and more tutorial photos than ever!

Sunny the Puffer Fish

All patterns are written in English, in US terms using Craft Yarn Council abbreviations.

Pattern is written in English, in US terms, using Craft Yarn Council abbreviations.

You Need to Know: chains (ch), single crochet (sc), increases and decreases, mattress stitch sewing. Be eager to learn and ready to have fun!

For a quick refresher of these basic skills, go to www.hookedbykati.com/basics

You Will Practice Easy Techniques:

• How to make a 3-dimensional object in crochet
• How to use pins to perfectly place and attach amigurumi parts
• How to shape an amigurumi part after attachment.
• How to shape using increases and decreases

Supplies

• Red Heart With Love yarn, 100% acrylic, worsted weight, 370 yds/7 oz/198 g, Tangerine (TANG), Cornsilk (CORN), Egg Shell (EGG).
• G (4.00 mm) Furls hook
• Two 15mm solid black safety eyes
• Polyfil stuffing
• Tapestry needle
• Straight pins

Measurements

6” x 6”

Gauge

8 sts x 8 rows in sc = 2” x 2”

Pattern Notes

• Work in continuous rounds. Do not slip stitch unless otherwise specified by the pattern.
• For best results, assemble parts in order as directed.
• Weave in attachment ends at very end of project in case pieces require repositioning.

(Link “brush up on basics” link to corresponding page)

Instructions

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Body

With TANG, ch 2.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in second ch from hook. (6)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st round. (12)

Rnd 3: [Sc, inc] 6 times. (18)

Rnd 4: [2 sc, inc] 6 times. (24)

Rnd 5: [3 sc, inc] 6 times. (30)

Rnd 6: [4 sc, inc] 6 times. (36)

Rnd 7: [5 sc, inc] 6 times. (42)

Rnd 8: [6 sc, inc] 6 times. (48)

Rnd 9: [7 sc, inc] 6 times. (54)

Rnd 10: [8 sc, inc] 6 times. (60)

Rnds 11-16: Sc evenly around.

Insert safety eyes between Rnds 13  and 14, 6 sts apart.

Change to EGG.

Rnds 17-20: Sc evenly around.

Rnd 21: [8 sc, dec] 6 times. (54)

Rnds 22: [7 sc, dec] 6 times. (48)

Rnd 23: [6 sc, dec] 6 times. (42)

Rnd 24: [5 sc, dec] 6 times. (36)

Rnd 25: [4 sc, dec] 6 times. (30)

Rnd 26: [3 sc, dec] 6 times. (24)

Stuff.

Rnd 27: [2 sc, dec] 6 times. (18)

Rnd 28: [Sc, dec] 6 times. (12)

Rnd 29: Dec 6 times. (6)

Cut yarn. Thread needle through front loops of remaining 6 stitches. Pull tight to close. Leave long tail for sewing.

Fins

(Make 2)

With TANG, ch 2.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in second ch from hook. (6)

Rnd 2: 2 sc, inc, inc, 2 sc. (8)

Rnd 3: 3 sc, inc, inc, 3 sc. (10)

Rnd 4: 4 sc, inc, inc, 4 sc. (12)

Rnd 5: 5 sc, inc, inc, 5 sc. (14)

Rnd 6: Sc evenly around.

Rnd 7: 5 sc, dec, dec, 5 sc. (12)

Rnd 8: 4 sc, dec, dec, 4 sc. (10)

Rnd 9: Sc evenly around.

Bind off leaving long tail for sewing.

Lips

With TANG, ch 2.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in second ch from hook. (6)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)

Rnd 3: [Sc, inc] 6 times. (18)

Rnds 4-5: Sc evenly around.

Rnd 6: [Sc, dec] 6 times. (12)

Stuff loosely.

Rnd 7: Dec 6 times. (6)

Cut yarn. Thread needle through front loops of remaining 6 stitches. Pull tight to close.

Insert your needle through the ball from Rnd 7 to Rnd 1. Sew back and forth through the ball around Rnd 1 (6 sts), pinching the center into a “pucker.”

Leave long tail for sewing.

Spines

(Make 8)

With CORN, ch 2.

Rnd 1: 4 sc in second ch from hook. (4)

Rnd 2: [Sc, inc] twice. (6)

Rnd 3: [2 sc, inc] twice. (8)

Rnd 4: [3 sc, inc] twice. (10)

Rnd 5: [4 sc, inc] twice. (12)

Rnd 6: [5 sc, inc] twice. (14)

Rnd 7: [6 sc, inc] twice. (16)

Bind off leaving long tail for sewing.

Attachments

Lips

Using pins, mark a 2 x 3 rectangle that straddles the color change line.

Mark the same rectangle on the back of the lips.

Using the pins as a guide, sew lips to body.

Fins

Count 1 stitch down and 4 sts back from the bottom of each eye and place a pin. Place the second pin 4 sts below the first.

Sewing through both layers of the last round of the fins, pointy side down, sew the fins along the line created by the pins.

Spines

Pin several 2 x 2 squares around the body. The spacing is not exact. Move your pinned squares around the body until they are where you like them. I liked mine more symmetrical, you may like it more random.

Using pins as a guide, sew each spine to a rectangle, stopping before closing the last side to stuff the spine.

Weave in all attachment ends when parts are positioned as desired.

Here are a few more free crochet patterns you might like:

SUMMER MANATEE

NOT SO GIANT SQUID

BETTA FISH

MURDOCK THE KELPIE

Yarn on, 

Kati