Knitted Fish Pattern
Thank you for knitting fish for our pantomime. You can use the pattern below but feel free
to knit a design of your own. All colours or patterns are welcome (the brighter the better!)
but please don’t incorporate any hard or scratchy embellishments such as buttons to keep
them safe for children.
Happy knitting!!
Step 1
Yarn and needles. Choose brightly coloured yarn and a pair of 3mm (or larger) knitting
needles.
Step 2
The tail end. Start at the tail end and cast on 12 stitches and knit one row plain and one row
purl. If you want a wider, longer tail, start with a few more stitches (multiple of two). If you
want a very wide tail, but not a longer one, cast on 24 stitches and decrease one stitch at
each end of every row.
Knitting tip: When not increasing or decreasing, slip the first stitch at the beginning of the
row instead of knitting as this makes a much neater row end.
Step 3
Decrease. Knitting in stockinette stitch (one row plain, one row purl – the plain row is the
right side), decrease one stitch at each end of the plain rows only, until six stitches remain
on your needle. (Decrease by knitting two stitches together.) Knit three rows in stockinette
stitch without decreasing.
Step 4
On the increase. Increase one stitch at each end of every other row (the plain knitting rows
only) until you have 24 stitches on your needle. Purl one row. (Increase by knitting twice
into the first and last stitches.) You can vary your colours and knit stripes if you wish.
Step 5
Decrease for the head. Continue in stockinette stitch and decrease one stitch at each end of
every plain row until two stitches remain. Knit these two stitches together and bind off.
Step 6
Same again! Now you have one side of your fish. Knit a second piece exactly the same as the
first.
Step 7
Sew it up! With right sides together (plain knitted side) and starting at the nose, sew the
two pieces of your fish together neatly. Leave the tail end open. Turn right side out and stuff
with something like fibre fill. If you want a fat fish, stuff well! When the fish is stuffed to
your liking, you can neatly sew up the tail part. If you have difficulty turning the fish right
side out, very gently poke the nose through the blunt end of the knitting needle.
Step 8
The fish is complete! Now you have completed the fish, if desired, you can decorate it in
many ways. How about a couple of eyes, a smiley mouth or some chain stitch to define the
head section? To create a fin effect, use a darning needle to stitch straight across the top
and bottom of your fins.
Please send your completed fish to: The Georgian Theatre Royal, Victoria Road, Richmond,
North Yorkshire, DL10 4DW or hand in at the Box Office which is open Monday to
Saturday from 10am until 5pm. Fish are needed by Saturday 26 November.
Thank you!!