purlJam

## A Note About Your Request

You asked to **see a picture** of your finished shoal of fish. I should be honest with you: I'm a text-based pattern designer, so I **cannot generate, display, or link to images**. I can't show you a photo or illustration of the finished project.

What I *can* do is give you a clear **written visual description** so you know exactly what you're aiming for, followed by a **complete beginner pattern** to make one. Here it is.

### What the finished shoal looks like (in words)
Picture a small school of plump, rounded little fish — each about **9 cm** long (roughly the length of your palm). Each fish has a smooth, egg-shaped body that tapers to a **flat, fan-like tail**. The nose is gently rounded, the belly is full and soft, and two tiny embroidered eyes sit near the front. Make **3–5** in different colours (silvery grey, teal, coral, gold) and cluster them together — nestled in a bowl, strung on a mobile, or grouped on a shelf — to read as a "shoal" swimming in the same direction.

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## SHOAL OF FISH — Knitted Amigurumi

**Difficulty:** Beginner
**Yarn weight:** Worsted (Aran-ish)

### Materials
- **Worsted-weight yarn** in 3–5 colours (approx. 15 g per fish — small scrap/leftover amounts are ideal for a shoal)
- **4.5 mm DPNs** or one long circular needle for Magic Loop (one size down from the usual 5 mm to give a tight fabric)
- **Polyester fibrefill stuffing** — approx. **8–10 g per fish** (a loose handful)
- **Tapestry needle**
- **Embroidery floss** in black (or dark grey) for eyes — recommended over safety eyes, since fish are small and you're making several
- Scissors, stitch marker

### Tension (gauge)
20 sts × 28 rows = 10 cm (4") over stockinette stitch on 4.5 mm needles, worked **tightly**.
> For toys, a **firm, even fabric that won't show stuffing** matters far more than an exact stitch count. If your fabric feels loose or gappy, drop to 4.0 mm.

### Abbreviations (UK knitting)
- **k** – knit
- **kfb** – knit into front and back of stitch (1 st increased)
- **k2tog** – knit two together (1 st decreased)
- **st(s)** – stitch(es)
- **rnd** – round
- MC = your chosen fish colour

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### Construction overview
Each fish is worked **in the round from nose to tail** in stockinette. Increase to shape the belly, decrease again, then **flatten the tail and seam it** to make a fan. Stuff the body before closing the tail. One piece per fish — no separate limbs.

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### PATTERN (make 3–5, one per fish)

Cast on **6 sts**, divide over DPNs (or set up for Magic Loop), place marker, and join to work in the round. Take care not to twist.

**The nose (increases):**
- Rnd 1: k all sts. *(6 sts)*
- Rnd 2: (kfb) 6 times. *(12 sts)* — check: 6 + 6 = 12 ✓
- Rnd 3: k all sts. *(12 sts)*
- Rnd 4: (k1, kfb) 6 times. *(18 sts)* — check: 12 + 6 = 18 ✓

**The body (straight section):**
- Rnds 5–11: k all sts. *(18 sts, worked for 7 rounds)*

> This is the fullest part of the fish — the belly.

**Tapering to the tail (decreases):**
- Rnd 12: (k1, k2tog) 6 times. *(12 sts)* — check: 18 − 6 = 12 ✓
- Rnd 13: k all sts. *(12 sts)*
- Rnd 14: (k2tog) 6 times. *(6 sts)* — check: 12 − 6 = 6 ✓

**Stuff now:** Before closing, firmly stuff the body with fibrefill (about 8–10 g). Push stuffing to the nose end and keep the belly plump but smooth. Add small amounts at a time so it doesn't lump.

**The tail (worked flat as a fan):**
- Rnd 15: k all sts. *(6 sts)*
- Rows 16–19: Stop working in the round. Working **back and forth in stockinette** (k on right side, p on wrong side) across all 6 sts for 4 rows to make a small flat flap. *(6 sts)*
- Cast off knitwise.

> Row count check: nose 4 rnds + body 7 rnds + taper 3 rnds + 1 rnd + 4 tail rows = 19 rows total. Body length ≈ 15 rows ÷ 28 rows per 10 cm ≈ **5.3 cm** of shaped body, plus the tail ≈ **1.5 cm**, giving a finished fish of about **9 cm** including the rounded nose. ✓

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### Finishing & Assembly
1. **Close the nose:** Thread the cast-on tail onto your tapestry needle, run it through the 6 cast-on stitches, and pull tight to close the tip. Secure and weave the end **inside** the body.
2. **Shape the tail:** Flatten the little flap you knitted. With the tail's yarn, seam or run a gathering stitch across the **base** of the flap (where it meets the body) and cinch slightly — this pinches the flap into a fan shape. Leave the outer edge of the flap open and splayed. Optional: work 2–3 small vertical straight stitches on the flap to suggest tail rays.
3. **Eyes:** Using black embroidery floss, work two small **French knots** or a few satin stitches on either side of the head, about 2 cm back from the nose. Keep them symmetrical.
4. **Optional fins:** For a little extra character, use a scrap of yarn to embroider a small curved line on each side of the belly, or add a couple of straight stitches on the back for a dorsal fin.
5. **Weave in all ends** securely **inside** the body so nothing shows and nothing can be pulled loose.

Repeat for each fish, changing colours. Group them facing the same direction for that swimming-shoal look.

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### Beginner tips
- **Magic Loop vs DPNs:** With only 6–18 stitches, Magic Loop or 2 short circulars can be easier than juggling 4 DPNs.
- **Small numbers of stitches** can be fiddly at cast-on — a foam or firm surface helps you keep control.
- **Under-stuff rather than over-stuff:** too much fibrefill will stretch the fabric and show through. A firm-but-smooth belly is the goal.
- Making all fish the **same pattern in different colours** keeps the shoal cohesive while staying beginner-friendly.

Enjoy your shoal! If you'd like, I can also write a **variation** with a larger "parent" fish or a hanging-mobile assembly guide.