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Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Fishy in a Jar

Hey friends!

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I'm back! I took the ENTIRE summer off to rest, hang with the fam and rejuvenate! I've learned something really important over this time away from the blog. Something I leaned from C.S. Lewis- I am free to create for the pure joy of creating. Not for followers, or meeting my self imposed publication deadlines, but for HIM. I seek the fame of the One who called me to create, not the fame of the internet or the world.

This means that from now on you'll see me not trying to keep up with the big blogs, like Whistle and Ivy, Repeat Crafter Me and Moogly- which I was previously killing myself to do (and failed miserably at). Now you'll see me be my true self. And I'm going to publish for the fun of it, whenever I get a new idea. This year, I'm throwing my production and publication schedule out the window. I'm not going to plan ahead and plan for the seasons. I'm not going to plan at all. I'm just going to crochet whatever I want, whenever I can, and publish the new patterns when they are done. That's it.

My hope is that I can give you something new at least once a month. But if my kids need me, or life gets in the way, I'm not going to get bent out of shape about it. This blog was started for fun- not for stress! What joy can I get out of creating when I'm forcing myself to create on a deadline! It's madness.

Maybe I had to go through this, to find out the hard way and burn myself completely out to learn the lesson I needed to learn. That He wanted me to learn. So let's go, let's do this! I'm ready- are you?

Here's the first crochet pattern of our new season together! Will you join me?



Recently on Facebook I've seen pictures of these little fish in a jar. They are so cute! Some photos became viral, and I was tagged in one and asked to make the project on commission. I jumped at the chance to try something new. Usually when clients, friends or relatives want something made, I find the designer and purchase the pattern to fill the order. This time I was able to find the designer, but couldn't access her website. So to fill my orders I had to make up my own version.

As we all know the creative world is full of crisscrossing ideas, remakes and reboots. Before publishing this pattern, I checked Pinterest and I found that crocheted fish and knit aquariums have been done and done again. This is not a new idea that went viral on Facebook but one version of a very cute the idea that has been around for a long time, and since become popular.

It'a amazing when things go viral, I'm happy for the designer and all the traffic the photos generated for their website. Maybe someday one of my designs will go viral as I so often see. For now, as I discussed above, that will remain in the Lord's hands! My job is to make cute stuff and have fun doing so!

Here is my version of the project. My written instructions are an original work and are not copied from anyone else. Similarities will be due to the fact that this pattern is a recreation of a popular viral idea. There are many crochet patterns on the internet for crochet fish and fish aquariums, this is merely one. Enjoy!


If you would like to create the viral fish project, called "The No Fuss Fish" by Eden Reborn you can visit her website! For more fishy inspiration simply search "crochet fish" on Pinterest and you'll see a plethora of wonderful creations and beautiful inspiration to make your own.

Fishy in a Jar 

An ad-free, printer friendly PDF download of this pattern can be yours to own! Simply click the buy now button to be directed to my Ravelry shop!


Hook: G6/4mm

Yarn: 4-Medium/worsted; any color desired for fish, I Love This Yarn Stonewash in Mint Lace photographed; any color desired for plant base, tan, gray or brown, unknown remnant of tan photographed; any green or scrubby yarn desired for plant, Yarn Bee Scrub-ology in green used for plant photographed

Gauge: none

Difficulty: easy

Materials:

  1. quart size mason or other jar
  2. small 1” rock/pebble
  3. large 2” paper clip
  4. short length fishing line or invisible thread
  5. gravel or sand
  6. hot glue gun
  7. tapestry needle
  8. small safety eyes
  9. stitch marker 
  10. needle nose/jewelry pliers
  11. small amount of poly-fill stuffing or cotton balls
  12. optional sea shells or larger decorative stones




Finished Size: fish- 3” long, 2” tall     plant- apx. 3” tall

Special Stitches:

Sc Inc- single crochet increase: make two single crochet in same stitch.
Sc2tog- single crochet two together, a decreasing stitch: make one sc over two stitches.
*sc, sc Inc* - instructions in asterisks are to be repeatedly worked over the round.

Notes:


  1. Fishy is worked in continuous unjoined rounds as is standard practice in amigurumi. Mark the first stitch of each round and work until you come back to the marker. Then begin next round in first st of previous round. 
  2. Rocks required: The 1” rock/pebble is to be glued into the base of the plant as a weight to keep it standing in the jar. 
  3. The gravel needed is for the base of the jar. Standard fish tank gravel may be used, as may play sand or other pea gravel to suit your desired look.
  4. Paper clip is “skeleton” for the plant. Large 2" size is needed, not standard small paper clips. They may be called “jumbo” paper clips as well. I used plastic coated clips, and chose only the green colored clips.
  5. In absence of safety toy eyes, you can embroider or puffy paint eyes on.
  6. Fishing line/invisible thread is used to suspend fish from lid of jar so it appears to be floating or swimming  just above the bottom of the jar.




WARNING: Working with hot glue guns can be dangerous and lead to burns as glue melts at high temperatures. Haute Kippy recommends only adults use hot glue guns with utmost care not to burn oneself. Do not touch liquid glue or glue gun tip. Protect all surfaces and unplug glue gun when use is complete.

Fish:


Round 1: sc 6 into magic ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: make 2 sc into each st. (12 sts)
Round 3: *sc, sc Inc* around six times (18 sts)
Round 4: *sc, sc, sc Inc* around six times (24 sts)
Round 5: sc in each st around (24 sts)
Round 6: sc in each st around (24 sts)




Round 7: *sc, sc, sc2tog* around six times (18 sts)
Round 8: *sc, sc2tog* around six times (12 sts)
Round 9: *sc, sc2tog* around four times (8 sts)
Round 10: sc in each st around (8 sts)
Round 11: sc Inc, sc 3, sc Inc, sc 3. (10 sts)

Pause here. The two sets of increases indicate the top and bottom of the fish. The increases in the rounds to follow will shape the tail.


  1. Align the fish vertically so you can insert the safety eyes. Practice the placement until you are satisfied. The posts of the eyes will fit in between stitches. 
  2. When pleased with eye placement snap safety backs on to the eye posts. This is most easily done by pushing the post out the opening of the fish so you can see it, then snap on the safety back and use your finger to reshape the fish. Repeat for other eye.
  3. You can now begin stuffing the fish. Stuff fish to desired consistency by pushing stuffing in a little at a time. Continue below with round 12.




Round 12: sc In two times, sc 3, sc Inc two times, sc 3. (14 sts)
Round 13: sc Inc four times, sc 3, sc Inc four times, sc 3. (22 sts)
Round 14: sc in each st around. (22 sts)
Round 15: sc in each st around, 22 sts, then continue and sc 5 more sts. (27 sts)

Do not fasten off yet, see finishing instructions below.

Fish Fins:


Make two.
Ch 3, dc 4 into the third loop from hook. Fasten off.

Fish Finishing:



  1. Add a tiny amount stuffing to tail, fold tail vertically in line with eyes. Tail will be closed by slip stitching through both layers. The top two and bottom two stitches will not be worked into.
  2. Be sure stitched are aligned and Slip Stitch along tail working through both layers in back loop and front loop of both sides of the tail. Do not work in the last sc made or the previous one, but begin sl sts in the vertically aligned stitches that follow. Make 9 sl sts down the tail to the end, leaving the bottom two stitches unworked. Fasten off and weave in the end.
  3. Sew fins evenly spaced onto the sides of the fish and weave in the ends. 
  4. Take a length of fishing line or invisible thread and tie it to the top of the fish. One or two rows above the tail should be the balancing point depending on how densely fish is stuffed. Experiment by letting fish hang. Use crochet hook to pull thread up or back a row to properly balance him.
  5. Measure the line by dangling the fish into the jar and cut the line at the top of the jar when satisfied with fish’s hanging depth. Be sure fish is not hanging too low near bottom of jar, account for ½” of gravel filling.
  6. CAREFULLY using hot glue gun, glue the line to the inside of the jar lid - but slightly off center to allow the fish to “swim” next to his plant. Hold line in place until glue is completely cooled. DO NOT TOUCH LIQUID GLUE.



Plant:


Plant Base- tan, brown, gray or color of choice.


Round 1: sc 6 into magic ring. (6 sts)
Round 2: make 2 sc into each st around. (12 sts)
Rounds 3-4: sc in each st around. (12 sts)



Make more rounds of 12 if necessary to ensure your rock is covered completely. Test rock coverage by fitting it into base before fastening off. An apx. 1” diameter pebble or rock should fit snugly into crocheted plant base. Once satisfied, finish off and tuck ends into inside of plant base. Prepare paperclip as follows below.


Plant Skeleton- large paperclip


  1. Using small needle nose or jewelry repair pliers straighten paperclip into “v” shape. 
  2. Make open ended loops on each tip of the v. This is so yarn can catch onto the end and not slip off. You will be crocheting on top of the paperclip once it is assembled into the plant skeleton.
  3. Insert paperclip “v” into bottom of plant base as photographed. 
  4. Carefully line inside of plant base with hot glue and immediately fit rock inside. BE CAREFUL, hot glue will seep out of holes in crocheted work. DO NOT BURN YOURSELF!
  5. Once assembled plant base and skeleton is completely cooled, proceed to crochet on top of skeleton as follows below.







Plant Foliage- scrubby yarn, or green or color of choice.





Join yarn to paperclip and slide yarn into loop at top of one arm of the plant skeleton. Pause and use pliers to close loop, securing yarn in place.



Row 1: Ch 1 and hdc over paperclip down to plant base. Twist and scrunch the row as you work to provide visual interest and fit as many stitches as possible onto plant arm. When base is reached, ch 1.

Row 2: switch over to second plant arm and continue making hdc’s along over the paperclip up to the loop, same way as row 1. When satisfied with look of plant, fasten off and use pliers to close loop over last stitch to secure it as before.

No need to weave in ends, simply pull starting and ending tails tight and trim to ½ cm in length. You may give one of the plant arms a slight bend if desired so it looks like it’s flowing in the sea!





Assembly:




  1. Pour enough decorative gravel into your jar to cover the bottom about ½” deep.
  2. Position plant in bottom of jar where desired, but flushly up against the inside of the jar to accommodate the fish.
  3. Position shells or bigger stones inside jar for decoration.
  4. Gently lower fish into jar and screw on the lid. 
  5. Reposition the plant or other objects to suit final look depending upon where fish settles as it hangs.

Enjoy your Fishy in a Jar!



© Haute Kippy 2018
www.hautekippy.com 





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