This orca took ages to design. I had to retry various parts maybe five or six times. His body colouration is scientifically accurate. He is a little wonky, but aren’t we all?
He is made with a 2.5 mm hook and black, white and grey 8 ply wool. He is 23 cm long. The pattern is written in American crochet notation.
The start of the round is the middle of the back
Head
Round 1: 6sc in a magic ring (6 stitches) (2 black, 3 white, 1 black)
Round 2: increase in every stitch (12 stitches) (2 black, 8 white, 2 black)
Round 3: sc in each stitch (12 stitches) (2 black, 8 white, 2 black)
Round 4: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (18 stitches) (3 black, 12 white, 3 black)
Round 5: sc in each stitch (18 stitches) (3 black, 12 white, 3 black)
Round 6: sc in the first two stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (24 stitches) (4 black, 16 white, 4 black)
Round 7: sc in each stitch (24 stitches) (4 black, 16 white, 4 black)
Round 8: sc in each stitch (24 stitches) (4 black, 16 white, 4 black)
Round 9: sc in each stitch (24 stitches) (1 black, 2 white, 1 black, 16 white, 1 black, 2 white, 1 black)
Round 10: sc in each stitch (24 stitches) (1 black, 2 white, 1 black, 16 white, 1 black, 2 white, 1 black)
Round 11: sc in the first three stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (30 stitches) (1 black, 2 white, 2 black, 19 white, 2 black, 2 white, 2 black)
Round 12: sc in each stitch (30 stitches) (1 black, 2 white, 2 black, 19 white, 2 black, 2 white, 2 black)
Round 13: sc in each stitch (30 stitches) (5 black, 19 white, 6 black)
Round 14: sc in each stitch (30 stitches) (9 black, 11 white, 10 black)
Round 15: sc in each stitch (30 stitches) (11 black, 7 white, 12 black)
Round 16: sc in the first four stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (36 stitches) (15 black, 4 white, 17 black)
Round 17: sc in each stitch (36 stitches) (14 black, 6 white, 16 black)
Round 18: (sc, decrease two stitches together) x 3, (2 sc, increase) x 6, (sc, decrease two stitches together) x 3 (36 stitches) (12 black, 8 white, 16 black)
Round 19: sc in each stitch (36 stitches) (12 black, 8 white, 16 black)
Round 20: (sc, decrease two stitches together) x 3, (2 sc, increase) x 6, (sc, decrease two stitches together) x 3 (36 stitches) (11 black, 10 white, 15 black)
Round 21: sc in the first five stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (42 stitches) (13 black, 12 white, 17 black)
Round 22: sc in each stitch (42 stitches) (14 black, 12 white, 16 black)
Round 23: (2 sc, decrease two stitches together) x 3, (2 sc, increase) x 6, (2 sc, decrease two stitches together) x 3 (42 stitches) (13 black, 16 white, 13 black)
Round 24: sc in each stitch (14 black, 14 white, 14 black)
Round 25: sc in each stitch (15 black, 12 white, 15 black)
Round 26: sc in each stitch (16 black, 10 white, 16 black)
Round 27: sc in each stitch (17 black, 8 white, 17 black)
Round 28: (2 sc, decrease two stitches together) x 3, (2 sc, increase) x 6, (2 sc, decrease two stitches together) x 3 (42 stitches) (17 black, 8 white, 17 black)
Round 29: sc in each stitch (42 stitches) (17 black, 8 white, 17 black)
Round 30: sc in each stitch (42 stitches) (17 black, 8 white, 17 black)
Round 31: sc in each stitch (42 stitches) (17 black, 8 white, 17 black)
Round 32: sc in each stitch (42 stitches) (17 black, 8 white, 17 black)
Round 33: (2 sc, decrease two stitches together) x 3, (2 sc, increase) x 6, (2 sc, decrease two stitches together) x 3 (42 stitches) (17 black, 8 white, 17 black)
Round 34: sc in each stitch (42 stitches) (3 black, 3 grey, 11 black, 8 white, 11 black, 3 grey, 3 black)
Round 35: sc in each stitch (42 stitches) (2 black, 4 grey, 11 black, 8 white, 11 black, 4 grey, 2 black)
Round 36: sc in each stitch (42 stitches) (1 black, 4 grey, 12 black, 8 white, 12 black, 4 grey, 1 black)
Round 37: sc in each stitch (42 stitches) (4 grey, 13 black, 8 white, 13 black, 4 grey)
Round 38: sc in each stitch (42 stitches) (2 grey, 15 black, 8 white, 15 black, 2 grey)
Round 39: sc in the first five stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (36 stitches) (1 grey, 10 black, 15 white, 9 black, 1 grey)
Round 40: sc in each stitch (36 stitches) (11 black, 15 white, 10 black)
Round 41: sc in each stitch (36 stitches) (10 black, 3 white, 2 black, 6 white, 2 black, 3 white, 10 black)
Round 42: (sc, decrease two stitches together) x 3, sc 18, (sc, decrease two stitches together) x 3 (30 stitches) (7 black, 4 white, 1 black, 6 white, 1 black, 4 white, 7 black)
Round 43: sc in each stitch (30 stitches) (7 black, 4 white, 1 black, 6 white, 1 black, 4 white, 7 black)
Round 44: sc in each stitch (30 stitches) (8 black, 2 white, 3 black, 4 white, 3 black, 2 white, 8 black)
Round 45: (sc, decrease two stitches together) x 3, 12 sc, (sc, decrease two stitches together) x 3 (24 stitches) (11 black, 2 white, 11 black)
With just black
Round 46: sc in each stitch (24 stitches)
Round 47: sc in each stitch (24 stitches)
Round 48: sc in each stitch (24 stitches)
Round 49: (decrease two stitches together) x 3, 12 sc, (decrease two stitches together) x 3 (18 stitches)
Round 50: sc in each stitch (18 stitches)
Round 51: sc in each stitch (18 stitches)
Round 52: (decrease two stitches together) x 3, 6 sc, (decrease two stitches together) x 3 (12 stitches)
Round 53: sc in each stitch (12 stitches)
Round 54: decrease around (6 stitches)
Round 55: increase around (12 stitches)
Fasten off, weave in end.
Dorsal fin
With black wool
Round 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6 stitches)
Rounds 2 – 3: sc in each stitch (6 stitches)
Round 4: increase, 2 sc, increase 2 sc (8 stitches)
Rounds 5 – 6: sc in each stitch (8 stitches)
Round 7: increase, 3 sc, increase, 3 sc (10 stitches)
Rounds 8 – 9: sc in each stitch (10 stitches)
Round 10: increase, 4 sc, increase 4 sc (12 stitches)
Rounds 11 – 12: sc in each stitch (12 stitches)
Round 13: increase, 5 sc, increase 5 sc (14 stitches)
Round 14: sc in each stitch (14 stitches)
Round 15: increase, 6 sc, increase, 6 sc (16 stitches)
Round 16: increase, 7 sc, increase, 7 sc (18 stitches)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Pectoral flippers (make two)
With black wool
Round 1: 6 sc in a magic ring (6 stitches)
Round 2: increase in each stitch (12 stitches)
Rounds 3 – 4: sc in each stitch (12 stitches)
Round 5: increase, sc 10, increase (14 stitches)
Round 6: increase, sc 12, increase (16 stitches)
Rounds 7 – 8: sc in each stitch (16 stitches)
Round 9: increase, sc 14, increase (18 stitches)
Rounds 10 – 13: sc in each stitch (18 stitches)
Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.
Tail
With black wool
Chain 20 (one is a turning chain)
Round 1: sc 18 along the chain, increase, sc 17 back along the other side, increase (39 stitches)
Round 2: decrease two stitches together, sc 15, (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 16, decrease two stitches together (35 stitches) (1 black, 15 white, 19 black)
Round 3: decrease two stitches together, sc 13, (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 14, decrease two stitches together (31 stitches) (1 black, 13 white, 17 black)
Round 4: decrease two stitches together, sc 11, (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 12, decrease two stitches together (27 stitches) (1 black, 11 white, 15 black)
Round 5: decrease two stitches together, sc 9, (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 10, decrease two stitches together (23 stitches) (1 black, 9 white, 13 black)
Round 6: decrease two stitches together, sc 7, (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 8, decrease two stitches together (19 stitches) (1 black, 7 white, 11 black)
Round 7: decrease two stitches together, sc 5, (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 6, decrease two stitches together (15 stitches) (1 black, 5 white, 9 black)
Round 8: decrease two stitches together, sc 3, (decrease two stitches together) x 2, sc 4, decrease two stitches together (11 stitches) (1 black, 3 white, 7 black)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Assembly
Sew on the dorsal fin, pectoral flippers, tail and googly eyes.
