Noro Goldfish Toy Knitting Pattern

Noro Goldfish Knitted Toy

What Is Being Made

The Noro Goldfish is a small knitted toy designed for experienced knitters. This finished project measures approximately 5 inches (12.5 centimeters) long and 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) tall, including the fins. The goldfish is a charming accessory piece suitable for display or play, crafted using traditional knitting techniques to create a three-dimensional stuffed form.

Techniques Used

This project employs several intermediate to advanced knitting techniques to achieve its finished form. The goldfish is worked in the round, allowing for seamless construction of the body. Lace techniques are incorporated into the design, adding delicate textural details to the piece. The project also uses seaming methods to join sections where necessary, particularly for attaching fins and other components. Additional techniques referenced in the pattern include picking up and knitting stitches along edges, working with stitch markers to track pattern repeats, and strategic increases and decreases to shape the three-dimensional form.

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with shaping techniques. Stockinette stitch forms the primary fabric base, providing a smooth, classic knit surface. The pattern incorporates knit and purl stitches as foundational elements. Shaping is achieved through various increase and decrease methods, including make one increases (both knitwise and purlwise variations) and slip, slip, knit decreases to reduce stitches where needed. The pattern also references no stitch spaces on charts, indicating areas where stitches have been decreased or not yet made, requiring knitters to skip over shaded spaces while working the remaining chart stitches. Selvage stitches are used at edges to facilitate clean seaming.

Materials

The Noro Goldfish pattern calls for specific materials to complete the project. The primary yarn is Noro Silk Garden in colorway #417, requiring one 50-gram ball. This is supplemented with ½ yard (0.5 meter) of DK-weight yarn in black for additional details. Needles include one pair of size US 4 (3.5 millimeter) straight needles and one set of four size US 4 (3.5 millimeter) double-pointed needles, sized to obtain the specified gauge of 20 stitches and 32 rounds equaling 4 inches (10 centimeters) over stockinette stitch. Additional notions include a stitch marker, two 12-millimeter black beads (plastic or glass) for eyes, black thread with a sewing needle for assembly, and fiberfill stuffing to fill the completed toy form.