Purple Tang fish- free crochet pattern

Check out my Youtube video tutorial for this pattern: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y3bm7f5T0g

When made with the stated yarn weight and hook size, the fish is approx 10cm long and 7.5cm wide. The body is worked in continuous spiral rounds with a stitch marker, I didn't use any stuffing because these fish are fairly thin and flat in real life so it's just like a flattened double layer, you could use some stuffing if you'd like but it will change the shape.

Materials needed:

• DK yarn in purple, yellow and black

• 3mm crochet hook

• Stitch marker

• Sewing needle (appropriate size for the yarn)

• Scissors

• Pins to help with sewing

• Clear monofilament nylon thread 0.3mm (to hang the fish up with)

Abbreviations (US crochet terms):

st- stitch

mr- magic ring

ch- chain

sl st- slip stitch

sc- single crochet

hdc- half double crochet

dc- double crochet

tr- treble crochet

dtr- double treble crochet (wrap yarn around hook 3 times, pull through 2 loops at a time like with a treble)

inc- increase

invdec- invisible decrease

Body, starting with the mouth end:

In purple:

Rnd 1: 4 sc in mr (4)

Rnd 2: sc in every st (4)

Rnd 3: (sc in nxt st, inc) x2 (6)

Rnd 4: (sc in nxt st, inc) x3 (9)

Rnd 5: (sc in nxt 2 st, inc) x3 (12)

Rnd 6: (sc in nxt 3 st, inc) x3 (15)

Rnd 7: (sc in nxt 4 st, inc) x3 (18)

Rnd 8: (sc in nxt 5 st, inc) x3 (21)

Rnd 9: (sc in nxt 6 st, inc) x3 (24)

Rnds 10- 15 (6 rnds): sc in every st (24)

Rnd 16: (sc in nxt 6 st, invdec) x3 (21)

Rnd 17: (sc in nxt 5 st, invdec) x3 (18)

Rnd 18: (sc in nxt 4 st, invdec) x3 (15)

Rnd 19: (sc in nxt 3 st, invdec) x3 (12)

Rnd 20: (sc in nxt 2 st, invdec) x3 (9)

Rnd 21: (sc in nxt st, invdec) x3 (6)

Fasten off leaving tail. Flatten piece.

Tail fin:

In yellow:

Leave a longer tail at the start of the slip knot to use for sewing.

Row 1: ch 4, starting in 2nd st from hook: sc in nxt 3 st (3)

Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc in nxt st, inc, sc in nxt st (4)

Row 3: ch 1, turn, sc in nxt st, inc, inc, sc in nxt st (6)

Row 4: ch 1, turn, sc in nxt st, inc, sc in nxt 2 st, inc, sc in nxt st (8)

Row 5: ch 1, turn, sc in nxt 2 st, inc, sc in nxt 2 st, inc, sc in nxt 2 st (10)

Fasten off and weave tail into back of stitches, trim excess.

Pull up a loop of yellow at the corner of the narrow end, ch 1, sl st in same space, sl st in the spaces between the ends of the rows up this edge, then sl st in the 10 sc stitches on the top, then sl st down the other side. Fasten off leaving short tail. Use the tail from the slip knot to sew to the end of the body by going through both layers of purple stitches to close the opening and through the yellow loops from row 1. Fasten off and weave all ends inside the body, trim excess and use needle to push inside.

Top fin:

In purple:

ch 16, starting in 2nd st from hook, work along the chain: sl st, sc, hdc, dc, tr, dtr, dtr, tr, tr, dc, dc, hdc, hdc, sc, sl st. Fasten off leaving tail for sewing.

With the right side of the stitches facing you and the fish's mouth pointing to the right, line up the end of the fin with the bit where the tail fin starts, pin in place along the side edge of the body and sew it down by picking up loops from the surface of the stitches and going through the chain loops on the fin. To fasten off: find a loop nearby, go through it but not all the way- leave a loop and go through it from behind, pull tight to make a knot. Weave tail through the body and cut yarn close to the edge, use the end of your needle to push end inside. Weave the tail from the slip knot inside the body, trim excess.

Bottom fin:

In purple:

ch 13, starting in 2nd st from hook, work along the chain: sl st, sc, hdc, dc, tr, dtr, dtr, tr, tr, sc, sc, sl st. Fasten off leaving tail for sewing.

Line up the bottom fin in the same way as the top fin- with the right side facing you and with the end where the yellow tail fin starts. Sew to the bottom edge, fasten off and weave in ends.

Eyes:

The eyes are made using french knots. Cut a 30cm piece of black yarn, tie a double knot in the end, thread onto needle and weave through to the inside near the mouth area, so that the knot is stopped on the inside, use the end of your needle to push any excess inside. Come out near the top of the face just in front of where the top fin ends, hold the needle horizontally, wrap the yarn around the needle twice, hold onto yarn at all times, turn needle so it's pointing down and go back in where you came out of, pull through keeping hold of the yarn, come out on the other side where you want the other eye to be and repeat. Weave end inside body and trim excess.

Side fins- make 2:

In purple, leave a longer tail at the start of the slip knot for sewing:

Row 1: ch 3, starting in 2nd st from the hook: sc in nxt 2 st (2)

Row 2: ch 1, turn, inc in nxt 2 st (4) Change to yellow as you finish the last sc of the last inc, don't cut the purple yarn.

Row 3: ch 1, turn, sc in nxt st, dc in nxt st, tr in nxt st, dtr in nxt st (4)

Fasten off leaving tail long enough to weave in. Cut the purple yarn so that it's approx 30cm long. Weave the short yellow tail into the back of the purple stitches making sure it'll be at the back (one fin will have the right side of the stitches facing outwards and the other fin will have the wrong side outwards). Weave the yellow tail from where you fastened off down the side of the dtr stitch and then across the back of the purple stitches, trim excess.

Use the long purple tail to make lines in between the yellow stitches: weave through the purple loops to get to where you need to be and then go through the front loops only of the top yellow Vs, then back down the next front loop and back to the purple. Repeat until you have 5 lines. Then weave down the side of the dtr st and then across. Trim excess. On the other fin with the wrong side facing outwards you will have to weave it through to the right side before you make the lines.

Use the tail from the slip knot to sew the purple end of each fin to the sides of the body, a couple of rnds behind the eyes, in the middle. Fasten off and weave in ends.

To hang up the fish:

Cut a 30cm long piece of 0.3mm invisible nylon thread, thread onto needle and go through a loop from the surface of a stitch on the top edge, right behind the back side of the top fin, bring the ends together so they meet. Tie a knot but bring one side under the other one twice instead of once (see my Youtube video), then make another tie above it in the same way- wrapping under twice, pull tight to bring the two bits together to make a knot which won't come undone. Thread the short tails onto needle and weave through the same space you came out of.

The Purple Tang fish is finished! I'd love to see a photo of yours, you can share it with me by tagging me on instagram @laura_wilson01

Check out my Etsy shop for more patterns: https://laurawilsondesigns.etsy.com

This pattern was designed by Laura Wilson of Laura Wilson Designs. This pattern is strictly for personal, non-commercial use. Copy, distribution or commercial use of this pattern or any of its parts is not allowed. Please give credit if posting photos or selling finished item. © Laura Wilson 2025- All rights reserved.