This is a free crochet pattern of a low-sew sunfish keychain.

Difficulty: Beginner. Since this is a low-sew pattern, you only need to sew on the top/bottom fins and the keychain strap.

Finished plush size: Approx. 8cm tall (excluding the keychain strap and ring)

Disclaimer: You can sell, or use the finished item as a gift, but please don’t sell, distribute or claim the pattern as your own. Also, I don’t recommend giving this item to a child under 3 years of age, due to a choking hazard.

Once you've finished, be sure to post it on social media, as long as you credit me (Instagram: @laurascraftedcollectibles)! Good luck!

To view more of my patterns, click here!

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Abbreviations

Note: This pattern is done with the U.K. abbreviations. Please carefully check the list below.

U.K. Abbreviations	US/Canada Abbreviations
ss (slip stitch)	sl st (slip stitch)
dc (double crochet)	sc (single crochet)
htr (half treble)	hdc (half double crochet)
tr (treble)	dc (double crochet)

Other abbreviations

st, sts (stitches)

ch (chain)

inc (increase (make 2 stitches in one stitch))

dec (decrease)

yo (yarn over)

mr (magic ring)

FO (fasten off)

( ) (amount of rounds/rows, notes)

[ ] (go from [... to ...])

Materials

Crochet hook size: 2.50mm

Yarn colours:

• Stylecraft Special DK: Blue Sky (100g) x1
• Stylecraft Special DK: Cornish Blue (100g) x1
• Stylecraft Special DK: Black (100g) x1 (for embroidery only)

About The Yarn

Stylecraft Special DK is a 100% premium acrylic yarn that is bright, colourful and easy to get your hands on. It's also anti-piling, surprisingly tough, and is even machine-washable. There are many different colours to select, therefore the possibilities are endless. I recommend checking out their brand, by clicking here!

Stylecraft Special come in the following ranges: Baby, DK, Aran, Chunky, XL.

Other materials required:

• Stitch marker
• Fiberfill stuffing
• Tapestry Needle (for sewing/embroidery)
• Keychain Ring

Tension

It may not be as crucial as crocheting clothes, but it’s still important that you get the tension right for amigurumi accessories. If you use a yarn hook that’s too big for a specific yarn type, the stuffing is more likely to show through. Therefore, you should check if the hook size matches the yarn type (e.g. 2.50mm-3.00mm hook + DK yarn).

The way I crochet the item is yu (yarn under), yo (yarn over). I recommend you follow that step, otherwise the plushie might be distorted from loose stitches.

Let's get started!

Note: Unless instructed otherwise, this pattern is mostly done in continuous rounds. I recommend you use a stitch marker to keep track of where you start each round.

Body/Back Fin

Start on the body with blue sky

Round 1: 6dc in mr (6 sts)

Round 2: [2dc, 3dc in next st] x2 (10 sts)

Round 3 (BLO): [3dc, [inc] x2] x2 (14 sts)

Round 4: 5dc, 3dc in next st, 6dc, 3dc in next st, dc (18 sts)

Round 5: 6dc, [inc] x2, 7dc, [inc] x2, dc (22 sts)

Round 6: 8dc, 3dc in next st, 10dc, 3dc in next st, 2dc (26 sts)

Rounds 7-8 (2 rounds): 26dc (26 sts)

Round 9: 2dc, 2dc in BL, 12dc (those stitches will be at the top side of the body), 2dc in BL, 8dc (26 sts)

Round 10: 9dc, dec, 11dc, dec, 2dc (24 sts)

Rounds 11-13 (3 rounds): 24dc (24 sts)

Changing yarn colours: Always make sure you insert your hook into the final st of the current colour. For example, on your last st before the colour change, pull through the last 2 loops with your new yarn colour. You end that st with one loop of the new colour on the hook, but it should still appear to the old colour.

Round 14: 9dc, dec, 10dc, dec, change to Cornish blue, ss (22 sts)

Stuff firmly

Work on the tail fin in rows. That means you go back and forth.

Row 15: ch, press opening together, [4dc, dec, 5dc] along the aligning sts, ch, turn (10 sts (The ch st at the start does not count--it's just to make it easier to close the piece))

Row 16: skip 1st ch from the hook, [[dc, htr] in next st, [htr, dc] in next st] x5 (20 sts)

FO, weave in tail

Mouth

Start at the bottom of the mouth

With blue sky, make a slipknot and crochet in the unworked FL of round 2 of the body

Round 1 (FLO): dc in the 1st st of round 2, 9dc (10 sts)

Ss in next st

FO, weave in tail

Side Fins (crochet 1 on each side of the body)

With Cornish blue, crochet in the FL of round 8 of either side of the body

Row 1: make a slipknot, [dc, tr] in 1st st, [tr, dc] in next st (4 sts)

FO, weave in tail

Top/Bottom Fins (Make 2)

Start with Cornish blue

Round 1: 4dc in mr (4 sts)

Round 2: 4dc (4 sts)

Round 3: dc, [inc] x2, dc (6 sts)

Round 4: 6dc (6 sts)

FO, leave a long tail for sewing

Do not stuff

Sew onto the top and bottom of the body on rounds 11-13

Eyes

With black, embroider a dot on each side of round 7 the body, 8 sts apart.

I recommend you embroider the eyes ONLY, instead of using safety eyes. This is because 1. Safety eyes cause a potential choking hazard 2. They could affect the softness of the item, as the ends might touch each other.

Keychain Strap

Note: This piece is done in rows. That means you go back and forth.

2ch with Cornish blue

Rows 1-3 (3 rows): skip 1st ch from the hook, dc, ch, turn (1 st)

Row 4: skip 1st ch from the hook, dc (1 st)

FO, leave a long tail for sewing

Insert through the loop of the keychain ring

Sew both ends of the strap onto round 1 of the top fin, creating a loop that the keychain ring is attached to

Congratulations! You’ve finished crocheting your low-sew sunfish keychain. Enjoy your new accessory!

If you have any questions about this pattern, please don't hesitate to contact me. You can find my details, by clicking here.