Marina the Mermicorn Free Crochet Pattern

As if Twilight the Unicorn from Box 3 wasn't cute enough, here's another adorable pattern for you using the King Cole Cottonsoft yarn - this time, a mermicorn!

Techniques used Sl st, Ch, Dc, Increasing, Decreasing, Colour changes

Yarn used King Cole Cottonsoft DK, 1 ball each in white 710 (A) & Lilac 1849 (B)

About the yarn DK; 20m per ball;100 % Cotton

Tension Rnds 1-4 = 4cm in diameter. Exact tension is not as important as achieving a dense enough fabric so that the stuffing doesn’t show through

Hook used 3.25mm

Other supplies Tapestry needle, 2x 10mm safety eyes, wire for tail (optional)

Sizing 20cm tall

Special stitches Inv-dec: [Insert hook in FLO of next st] twice (3 loops on hook), yrh, draw through 2 loops, yrh, draw through both loops on hook.

Step by step

This pattern is made in the amigurumi style, in a spiral without slip stitching or turning chains. Use one of your stitch markers or waste yarn to keep track of the first stitch of each rnd.

Head

Rnd 1: With A and working into a magic ring, 6 dc. 6 sts

Rnd 2: 2 dc in each st around. 12 sts

Rnd 3: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc] 6 times. 18 sts

Rnd 4: [2 dc in next st, 2 dc] 6 times. 24 sts

Rnd 5: [2 dc in next st, 3 dc] 6 times. 30 sts 

Rnd 6: [2 dc in next st, 4 dc] 6 times. 36 sts

Rnds 7-13: Dc around.

Rnd 14: [1 inv-dec, 4 dc] 6 times. 30 sts

Rnd 15: Dc around.

Rnd 16: [1 inv-dec, 3 dc] 6 times. 24 sts

Rnd 17: Dc around.

Rnd 18: [1 inv-dec, 2 dc] 6 times. 18 sts

Rnd 19: Dc around.

Rnd 20: [1 inv-dec, 1 dc] 6 times. 12 sts

Rnds 21-22: Dc around. Fasten off. Insert safety eyes between rnds 15 & 16, eleven sts apart. Add toy stuffing.

Muzzle

Rnd 1: With B and working into a magic ring, 5 dc. 5 sts

Rnd 2: 2 dc in each st around. 10 sts

Rnd 3: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc] 5 times. 15 sts

Rnds 4-6: Dc around. Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.  

Body

Rnd 1: With B and working into a magic ring, 6 dc. 6 sts

Rnd 2: Dc around.

Rnd 3: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc] 3 times. 9 sts

Rnds 4-5: Dc around.

Rnd 6: [2 dc in next st, 2 dc] 3 times. 12 sts

Rnds 7-8: Dc around.

Rnd 9: [2 dc in next st, 3 dc] 3 times. 15 sts

Rnds 10-11: Dc around.

Rnd 12: [2 dc in next st, 4 dc] 3 times. 18 sts

Rnds 13-14: Dc around.

Rnd 15: [2 dc in next st, 5 dc] 3 times. 21 sts

Rnds 16-17: Dc around.

Rnd 18: [2 dc in next st, 6 dc] 3 times. 24 sts

Rnds 19-20: Dc around.

Rnd 21: [2 dc in next st, 7 dc] 3 times. 27 sts

Rnd 22: Dc around.

Rnd 23: [2 dc in next st, 8 dc] 3 times. 30 sts

Rnds 24-28: Dc around. Change to A.

Rnds 29-36: Dc around.

Rnd 37: [1 inv-dec, 8 dc] 3 times. 27 sts

Rnd 38: Dc around.

Rnd 39: [1 inv-dec, 7 dc] 3 times. 24 sts

Rnd 40: Dc around.

Rnd 41: [1 inv-dec, 6 dc] 3 times. 21 sts

Rnd 42: [1 inv-dec, 5 dc] 3 times. 18 sts 

Rnd 43: Dc around.

Rnd 44: Sl st around. Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.  

Arm (make 2)

Rnd 1: With A and working into a magic ring, 5 dc. 5 sts

Rnd 2: Dc around.

Rnd 3: 2 dc in first st, dc to end. 6 sts

Rnds 4-9: Rep rnds 2-3 three times. 9 sts

Rnds 10-11: Dc around. Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.  

Tail Fin (make 2)

Rnd 1: With B and working into a magic ring, 6 dc. 6 sts

Rnd 2: Dc around.

Rnd 3: [2 dc in next st, 2 dc] twice. 8 sts

Rnd 4: [2 dc in next st, 3 dc] twice. 10 sts

Rnd 5: [2 dc in next st, 4 dc] twice. 12 sts

Rnd 6: [2 dc in next st, 5 dc] twice. 14 sts

Rnd 7: Dc around.

Rnd 8: [1 inv-dec, 5 dc] twice. 12 sts

Rnd 9: [1 inv-dec, 4 dc] twice. 10 sts

Rnd 10: [1 inv-dec, 3 dc] twice. 8 sts Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.

Mane

Row 1: With B, [11 ch, starting in 2nd ch from hook, 5 sl st, 5 dc] 6 times, *16 ch, starting in 2nd ch from hook, 5 sl st, 5 dc, 5 hdc; rep from * 8 more times or as many times as you like. Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.  

Ears (make 2)

Rnd 1: With A and working into a magic ring, 6 dc. 6 sts

Rnd 2: [3 dc in next st, 1 dc] 3 times. 12 sts

Rnd 3: [1 dc, 3 dc in next st, 2 dc] 3 times. 18 sts

Rnd 4: [2 dc, 3 dc in next st, 3 dc] 3 times. 24 sts Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.  

Horn

Rnd 1: With B and working into a magic ring, 5 dc. 5 sts

Rnds 2-3: Dc around.

Rnd 4: 2 dc in first st, dc to end. 6 sts

Rnds 5-6: Rep rnds 3-4. 7 sts

Rnds 7-8: Dc around. Fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing.  

Making up

See photos for guidance. Place Muzzle over the last round of Head and sew in place. Add toy stuffing and wire (if using) to tail section of Body and sew to base of Head, stitching through the sl sts of last rnd. Sew each Fin to end of Tail and Arms to front of Body. Sew Ears to top of Head. Lightly stuff Horn and sew between Ears, slightly in front. Sew Mane to back of Head, starting with the short strands near Horn and moving on to longer strands along the back. Weave in ends.