Ichthyosaur Crochet Pattern

Copyright Laura’s Pixie Patch

lauraspixiepatch@gmail.com
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/lauraspixiepatch

https://www.ravelry.com/designers/laura-gillard
 © Laura’s Pixie Patch 1

Overview
This is a crochet pattern for an ichthyosaur, written in US crochet terms. This is an
advanced beginner/intermediate level pattern. It can be made in any yarn type but the
examples have been made using DK weight yarn and a 3.25mm hook. You will need two
shades of the same colour, one light the other dark, a scrap of black yarn for the mouth
and safety eyes (I used 10mm diameter eyes). I used about 30g of the lighter colour and
10g of the darker colour. You can use whatever colour you like though as it is very hard to
tell what colour ichthyosaurs were. Made using DK weight yarn your finished ichthyosaur
will measure approximately 32cm.

Abbreviations
● Sc (single crochet)
● Dec (decrease. For best results use the invisible decrease. For this, put the front
loops only of the next two stitches on the hook, yarn over, pull through these two
loops, yarn over and pull through all remaining loops.)
● Inc (increase by making two sc in the next stitch)
● Hdc (half double crochet)
● Sl st (slip stitch)
● M.r. (magic ring)

Eyes (make 2)
Make chain 2 and 12 hdc in m.r. Slip
stitch in next stitch. Fasten off leaving
long yarn tail. Pull loop tight, but leaving
enough of a gap for the shaft of the
safety eye (see photo). Set aside.

Head, Body and Tail

Made as a continuous spiral, stuffing as
you go. With the colour changes, remember
to pull the new colour through the last two
loops of the previous stitch. It is best to
read ahead to make sure you get the colour
changes in the right places. L is for the
lighter shade and D for the darker shade.
Round 1: ​Using L, make 6sc in m.r. (6 stitches)
Round 2: ​sc around (6 stitches)
 © Laura’s Pixie Patch 2
Round 3: ​inc, 5sc (7 stitches)
Round 4: ​sc around (7 stitches)
Round 5: ​inc, 6sc (8 stitches)
Round 6: ​sc around (8 stitches)
Round 7: ​inc, 7sc (9 stitches)
Round 8: ​sc around (9 stitches)
Round 9: ​inc, 8sc (10 stitches)
Round 10: ​sc around (10 stitches)
Round 11: ​inc, 9sc (11 stitches)
Round 12: ​sc around (11 stitches)
Round 13: ​inc, 10sc (12 stitches)
Round 14: ​sc around (12 stitches)
Round 15: ​(inc, 3sc) three times (15 stitches)
Round 16: ​sc around (15 stitches)
Round 17: ​(inc, 4sc) three times (18 stitches)
Round 18: ​3sc, (inc, sc) three times, 9sc (21 stitches)
Round 19: ​sc around (21 stitches)
Round 20: ​4sc, (inc, 2sc) three times, 8sc (24 stitches)
Place marker in the 5th and 14th stitch of round 20 for eye placement
Round 21: ​sc around (24 stitches)
Round 22: ​5sc, (inc, 3sc) three times, 7sc (27 stitches)
Rounds 23-27: ​sc around (27 stitches)
Insert safety eyes now, first putting the shaft of the eyes made earlier and then through the work
between rows 20 and 21 level with the marked stitches.
Round 28: ​13sc, dec, 12sc (26 stitches)
Round 29: ​sc around (26 stitches)
Round 30: ​13sc, inc, 12 sc (27 stitches)
Round 31: ​(inc, 8sc) three times (30 stitches)
Round 32: ​8sc in L, 16sc in D, 6sc in L (30 stitches)
Round 33: ​[inc, 3sc, inc, 2sc] in L, [9sc, inc, 9sc] in D, [4sc] in L (33 stitches)
Round 34: ​9sc in L, 20sc in D, 4sc in L (33 stitches)
 © Laura’s Pixie Patch 3
Round 35: ​[inc, 4sc, inc, 5sc] in L, [8sc, inc, 8sc] in D, [5sc] in L (36 stitches)
Rounds 36-37: ​sc around in L (36 stitches per round)
Round 38: ​[3sc, inc, 3sc, inc, 5sc] in L, 20sc in D, 3sc in L (38 stitches)
Round 39: ​14sc in L, 23sc in D, sc in L (38 stitches)
Round 40: ​15sc in L, 22sc in D, sc in L (38 stitches)
Round 41: ​[7sc, inc, 8sc] in L, 20sc in D, 2sc in L (39 stitches)
Rounds 42-43: ​sc around in L (39 stitches per round)
Round 44: ​18sc in L, 21sc in D (39 stitches)
Round 45: ​sc in D, 16sc in L, 22sc in D (39 stitches)
Rounds 46: 3
​ sc in D, 14sc in L, 22sc in D (39 stitches)
Round 47: ​2sc in D, 17sc in L, 20sc in D (39 stitches)
Round 48: ​dec in D, [11sc, dec, 11sc, dec, 11sc] in L (36 stitches)
Round 49: ​sc around in L (36 stitches)
Round 50: ​[dec, 10sc, dec, 3sc] in L, [7sc, dec, 10sc] in D (33 stitches)
Round 51: ​sc in D, 13sc in L, 19sc in D (33 stitches)
Round 52: ​[dec, sc] in D, [8sc, dec] in L, [9sc, dec, 9s] in D (30 stitches)
Round 53: ​2sc in D, 10sc in L, 18sc in D (30 stitches)
Round 54: ​(dec, 8sc) three times in L (27 stitches)
Round 55: ​sc around in L (27 stitches)
Round 56: ​[dec, 7sc, dec] in L, [7sc, dec, 7sc] in D (24 stitches)
Round 57: ​2sc in D, 7sc in L, 15sc in D (24 stitches)
Round 58: ​[dec, sc] in D, [5sc, dec] in L, [6sc, dec, 6sc] in D (21 stitches)
Round 59: ​2sc in D, 8sc in L, 11sc in D (21 stitches)
Round 60: ​(dec, 5sc) three times in L (18 stitches)
Round 61: ​sc around in L (18 stitches)
Round 62: ​[dec, 4sc] in L, [dec, 4sc, dec, 4sc] in D (15 stitches)
Round 63: ​2sc in D, 3sc in L, 10sc in D (15 stitches)
Round 64: ​2sc in D, 4sc in L, 9sc in D (15 stitches)
Round 65: ​2sc in D, 5sc in L, 8sc in D (15 stitches)
Round 66: ​sc in D, 14sc in L (15 stitches)
Round 67: ​sc around in L (15 stitches)
 © Laura’s Pixie Patch 4
Round 68: ​7sc in L, 8sc in D (15 stitches)
Round 69: ​3sc in D, 4sc in L, 8sc in D (15 stitches)
Round 70: ​4sc in D, 3sc in L, 8sc in D (15 stitches)
Round 71: ​3sc in D, 6sc in L, 6sc in D (15 stitches)
Round 72: ​[inc, sc] in D, 13sc in L (16 stitches)
Finish stuffing. The rest of the tail is
unstuffed. Continue in L only from this
point.
Round 73: ​inc, inc, 6sc, inc, inc, 6sc (20
stitches)
Round 74: ​sc, inc, inc, 8sc, inc, inc, 7sc (24
stitches)
Round 75: ​2sc, inc, inc, 10sc, inc, inc, 8sc
(28 stitches)
Round 76: ​3sc, inc, inc, 12sc, inc, inc, 9sc
(32 stitches)
Round 77: ​4sc, inc, inc, 14sc, inc, inc, 10sc
(36 stitches)
Round 78: ​5sc, inc, inc, 16sc, inc, inc, 11
sc (40 stitches)
Round 79: ​6sc, inc, inc, 18sc, inc, inc, 12sc
(44 stitches)
Round 80: ​sc around (44 stitches)
Next is the points at the ends of the tail
fins, do not fasten off. The points are worked in a continuous spiral, but are not worked in
rounds so you do not need your stitch marker. Please see the video tutorial for help on this
part of the pattern ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH0DAUkjXJo​ .
Sc in the next 16 stitches, skip the next 30 stitches.
Sc in the next 12 stitches, dec twice
Sc in the next 9 stitches, dec twice
Sc in the next 7 stitches, dec twice
Sc in the next 5 stitches, dec twice
Sc in the next 3 stitches, dec twice
Make another sc through both sides of the fabric, fasten off.
 © Laura’s Pixie Patch 5
Rejoin the yarn through the next unworked stitches through both sides of the work next to
the tail point you have just made. Slip stitch 8 times through both sides
Sc in the next 14 stitches
Dec, 10sc, dec
Dec, 8sc, dec
Dec, 6sc, dec
Dec, 4sc, dec
Dec, make an sc through both sides, fasten off, weave in ends.

Dorsal Fin
The dorsal fin is not stuffed. I like to use the darker
colour for the fin.
Round 1: ​make 6sc in m.r. (6 stitches)
Round 2: ​inc, inc, 4sc (8 stitches)
Round 3: ​sc, inc, inc, 5sc (10 stitches)
Round 4: ​2sc, inc, inc, 6sc (12 stitches)
Round 5: ​3sc, inc, inc, 7sc (14 stitches)
Round 6: ​4sc, inc, inc, 8sc (16 stitches)
Round 7: ​5sc, inc, inc, 9sc (18 stitches)
Round 8: ​6sc, inc, inc, 10sc (20 stitches)
Slip stitch in next stitch, fasten off leaving log yarn tail. Fold in half and whip stitch both sides of
open end together. Sew on to the back of the ichthyosaur with the sloping end to the front level
with the start of the second dark stripe and the back level with the end of the third dark stipe.

Front Paddles (make 2)

Use the lighter shade. The paddles are not stuffed.
Round 1: ​make 4sc in m.r. (4 stitches)
Round 2: ​(inc, sc) twice (6 stitches)
Round 3: ​(inc, 2sc) twice (8 stitches)
Round 4: ​(inc, 3sc) twice (10 stitches)
Round 5: ​(inc, 4sc) twice (12 stitches)
Round 6: ​(inc, 5sc) twice (14 stitches)
Rounds 7-9: s​ c around (14 stitches per round)
 © Laura’s Pixie Patch 6
Round 10: ​sc, dec, 11sc (13 stitches)
Round 11: ​sc, dec, 10sc (12 stitches)
Round 12: ​dec, 10sc (11 stitches)
Round 13: ​dec, 9sc (10 stitches)
Round 14: ​(dec, 3sc) twice (8 stitches)
Slip stitch in next stitch, fasten off leaving long tail for sewing. Sew open ends together and sew
paddles to body, with the more curved side at the front. The front edges of the paddles are level
with row 30 on the body.

Back Paddles (make 2)

Round 1: ​make 4sc in m.r. (4 stitches)
Round 2: ​(inc, sc) twice (6 stitches)
Round 3: ​(inc, 2sc) twice (8 stitches)
Round 4: ​(inc, 3sc) twice (10 stitches)
Round 5: ​(inc, 4sc) twice (12 stitches)
 © Laura’s Pixie Patch 7
Rounds 6-8: s​ c around (12 stitches per round)
Round 9: ​sc, dec, 9sc (11 stitches)
Round 10: ​dec, 9sc (10 stitches)
Round 11: ​(dec, 3sc) twice (8 stitches)
Slip stitch in next stitch, fasten off leaving long tail for sewing. Sew open ends together and sew
paddles to body, with the more curved side at the front. The front edges of the paddles are level
with row 51 on the body.

Finishing Touches
Sew eyes if you have not done so already. Embroider mouth, see video tutorial for help if
needed ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agEwNEp5MGc​.

Copyright Notice
Congratulations on finishing your ichthyosaur. You are welcome to give away or sell any
ichthyosaurs made from my pattern, though please credit me, Laura Gillard or Laura’s PIxie
Patch as the designer and a link to my Ravelry or Etsy stores would be appreciated. You
may not copy or share my pattern or use my photos as your own.