Crochet Mermaid Tail

I've made a mermaid tail!

and now I'm going to attempt to write the pattern up so I can remember how I did it! 

The following is a picture of the top of the blanket. I decided to start with a border before I started the shells. I felt like it would give the blanket/tail a starting point. 

The following is a picture of the gathers and at the end of the blanket. The tail is made separately and attached last. 

And, here is a picture of the tail attached. 

Hopefully, that gives you an idea of what you'll be making. 

The Yarn: I used Hobby Lobby's Yarn Bee Soft Secret size 4 medium weight. 6oz, 198 yards per skein. I bought 7 skeins. I recommend a variegated yarn for this pattern so you get lots of color without having to change colors. But, if you want to do a solid feel free! I'd love to see how that would turn out. 

The hook: size H

The Pattern: 

chain 152

ROW 1 : hdc in 3rd chain from hook and each stitch across. Turn.

ROW 2: ch 2, hdc in the first hdc and each across in the back loop only. (This gives the top of the blanket a nice ridged look.) Turn.

ROW 3 and 4: repeat row 2

ROW 5: ch 3, dc in each stitch across, under both loops. Turn.

ROW 6: ch 3 (Starting the shells) 3 dc in 4th dc of previous row, ch 3, in the SAME stitch do 3 more dc, sk 4 stitches, *3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc, repeat from * to end of the row, 1 dc in the top of the turning chain of previous row, turn.

ROW 7: ch 3,  *3dc in the next ch 3 space, ch 3, 3 dc in the same chain space again, repeat from * to end of row, 1 dc in the top of the turning chain, turn.

ROW 8- 37: repeat row 7. (Feel free to estimate how many rows you want to actually do depending on the size of the child or adult you are making this for. The size I made is for about a 3 year old. approximately 36 inches long not including the tail. At row 37 the blanket will be about 22 inches long, so at this point if you want to make it bigger, keep going.)

ROW 38: Don't turn at the end of row 37, join with a slip stitch into the top of the turning ch and start crocheting in the round. (Do the last 1 dc into the top of the turning chain like the previous rows, then find the turning chain when you bring the two ends together to make a circle and slip stitch into that stitch, then crochet the shells like you've been doing. Maybe that helps to understand? I hope so!)

ROW 39 -60: Each time around decrease a row by one shell. The best way I can explain how to do that and the way I did it, so it sort of looked gathered and so I could disguise the decrease is to randomly, one time in each row, do only 1 dc in a chain 3 space, then move along to the next ch 3 space like normally with a 3dc, ch3, 3dc. (But I also want to encourage you to take some artistic license and do your own style of decreasing. if you want it tighter on the bottom or more gathered, wait to decrease, and do a 1 dc every 4 or 5 shells to really gather it up.) 

ROWS 61- until I thought it was gathered enough to my liking, (about 3 or 4 more rows) I decreased 3 or 4 times on one row using the same technique. 

TAIL: 

Again, I'm going to encourage you to use your artistic self and decide how dramatic of a tail you'd like to make. I think the amount of chains you do depends on how long you have made your tail. We will be starting on a long end, then decreasing to the center, then adding back to make the other side of the fin. The long straight edge of the fin will simply be slip stitched to the bottom of the blanket, gathering it up as you go. 

So I chained about 50,

ROW 1: in the 4th chain from the hook dc, and dc in each stitch across, turn.

ROW 2: chain 2, (in the back loop here and throughout) dc2tog, dc in the back loop in the remaining stitches across, turn.

ROW 3: ch 2, dc across to the last 2 stitches and dc2together those two stitches. turn.

Row 4: ch 2, dc2tog, dc across, turn.

Do as many decreases as you wish to the point. I did 18 rows. 

When you decide then: 

Dc2tog twice, then dc in each st, turn.

Ch 2, dc across to the last two stitches and in each of those, 2 dc, (increase) turn.

Ch2, 2 dc into the first stitch then one dc in each stitch across, turn

continue increasing until you match the number of rows you did on the one side. 

Always crochet in the back loop of every dc to achieve a ridge look. 

attach the tail, hide all your ends and you are finished! 

I wish you good luck understanding my instructions, but please let me know if you find a mistake, or if something doesn't make sense. Also feel free to modify and use your own ideas! 

Here's a tip about using the variegated yarn, there are very few ends to sew in, and it makes the tail look so mermaid-ish! I do like this yarn bee brand, but I bet caron simply soft would do a good job and is comparable to the yarn bee. In Red heart, maybe try the "with love" line, but stay away from super saver, I just don't think you'll like the results. It tends to be stiff and scratchy. 

If you find something that works, I'd love to know too! 

I'm on instagram @daisyfarmcrafts so tag me so I can see your tail! I also have a facebook page Daisy Farm Crafts that you can like and leave me messages or a picture! I love to meet my fellow crocheters! 

Love to you all,

Tiffany