Machine Fish

Are you the proud owner of a knitting machine? Then you can knit up your Fishy's very fast! Charlotte Petry & Karen Lothrop converted the Knitty pattern to knitting machine. You'll need a machine that can handle chunky yarns, like the Singer 155 that was used for this conversion.

NB This conversion is also suitable for the Shark version of the Dead Fish Hat.

  

 

TENSION DIAL

GAUGE

PER INCH

YARN USED

 

 

FISH HAT

0 – Body

1 – Fins

5 sts.

8 rows

ASTRA (sport weight): Blue & White One

 

BERNAT JAGUARD JR.: Multi-coloured One

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHARK HAT

5 – Body

3 - Fins

4 sts.

6 rows

RED HEART SUPER SAVER (Worsted weight):

in white, red & royal blue

 

Make fins first and set aside

 FISH VERSION NOTES *I used a higher tension for the dorsal & pectoral fins because when you leave stitches empty and relatch them, I find it makes the knitting tighter.  If you prefer, you could cast on every stitch at Tension 0, then drop every other stitch down and relatch back to top.  I chose the EON method because I thought it was quicker*

 TOP DORSAL FIN:

 

FISH VERSION – Tension 1

SHARK VERSION – Tension 3

1.   E-wrap CO 15 sts. on EON (Every other needle), in fin colour

2.   Knit 10 rows

3.   Latch up the yarn where the empty stitches are to create rib (Put latch hook, hook side facing down, onto bottom ladder where you are going to latch up stitches, give the latch hook a turn to the right creating a loop on the hook, then continue to latch all the stitches and hang onto the empty needle at top)  30 stitches now in work

4.   Transfer EON to adjacent needle, and move stitches over to fill in empty needles. (Use garter bar or you can cast off onto waste yarn and re-hang the stitches onto 15 needles) *I started transferring stitches on carriage side and worked across

5.   Knit 1 row

6.   Cast off, leaving a long tail to attach to fish later

 
  1. E-wrap CO 15 sts. in fin colour
  2. Knit 1 row
  3. Begin short rows. Put carriage into HOLD.
  4. Pull 1 needle out next to carriage knit 1 row. Continue until you have one stitch.
  5. Now start putting 1 needle next to carriage back in work knit 1 row continue until all needles are back in work.
  6. Take the stitches from the first row and hang on top of needles
  7. knit 1 row and bind off.

 

SIDE PECTORAL FINS: (make 2)

 

FISH VERSION – Tension 1 

SHARK VERSION – Tension 3 

1.   E-wrap CO 11st. on EON, in fin colour

2.   Knit 10 rows

3.   Relatch EON to create Rib (same method as for Top Dorsal Fin step 3)

4.   Transfer EON to adjacent needle, and move stitches over to fill in empty needles. (Use garter bar or you can cast off onto waste yarn and re-hang the stitches onto 20 needles)

5.   Knit 1 row

6.   Cast off, leaving a long tail to attach to fish later

 
  1. E-wrap CO 11 st. in fin colour
  2. knit 1 row
  3. Begin short rows. Put carriage into HOLD.
  4. Pull 1 needle out next to carriage knit 1 row. Continue until you have one stitch. Now start putting 1 needle next to carriage back in work knit 1 row.
  5. Continue until all needles are back in work.
  6. Take the stitches from the first row and hang on top of needles
  7. knit 1 row and bind off.

 

TAIL:

 

Make 2 - FISH VERSION – Tension 0

Make 1 -SHARK VERSION – Tension 5
  1. E-wrap CO 20 stitches in tail colour
  2. K1 row
  3. Inc. 1 st. each side, K 2 rows
  4. Inc. 1 st. each side, K 2 rows
  5. Inc. 1 st. each side, K 2 rows
  6. Inc. 1 st. each side, K 8 rows
  7. Inc. 1 st. each side, K 2 rows
  8. Transfer every 4th stitch to adjacent needle, move stitches over to fill in empty needles. (same method used for fins)
  9. K2 rows
  10. Transfer every 3rd stitch to adjacent needle, fill in empty needles
  11. K2 rows
  12. Transfer every 3rd stitch to adjacent needle, fill in empty needles
  13. K1 row
  14. Cast off remaining 11 stitches onto waste yarn and set aside

 
  1. E-wrap 20 stitches in tail colour
  2. 2.knit 1 row
  3. Begin short rows. Put carriage into HOLD.
  4.  Pull 1 needle out next to carriage knit 1 row. Continue until you have one stitch. Now start putting 1 needle next to carriage back in work.
  5. Knit 1 row, continue until all needles are back in work.
  6. Take the stitches from the first row and hang on top of the needles.
  7. Knit 1 row, and bind off tightly.
  8. This will be the end of the tail,  and you want it to curve, so binding off tightly does the trick.

 

 

 

 

LIPS & BODY: (Same for Both Fish & Shark except for tension setting)

Fish - Tension 1

Shark - Tension 5

 With LIP COLOUR, E-wrap CO 90 stitches (45-0-45)

  1. K 13 rows (end with carriage on Left)
  2. Set carriage to HOLD
  3. Change yarn to BODY COLOUR

 Mouth Shaping Begins: Left Side- Top of fish

  1. Push needles L-18 – R-45 to “D” position (the only needles that are in working position are on left side from 45-19)
  2. Knit 1 row and wrap
  3. In addition to the needles already in “D”, add L-28 – L-45
  4. *The only needles that should be in “B” position are L-19 – L-27, (9 needles in work on left side)
  5. Knit 1 row and wrap

 

Continue pushing back to “B” position, knit row(s) & wrap the following: you might want a pencil to check off rows as you go to keep track

  1. 1 st. on Right (L-28), knit, wrap
  2. 1 st. on Left (L-20), knit, wrap

 

*continue as above (knitting & wrapping) for the following: 

  1. 1 st. on Right
  2. 1 st. on Left
  3. 1 st. on Right 
  4. 2 sts. on Left
  5. 2 st. on Right
  6. 2 sts. on Left
  7. 2 st. on Right
  8. 2 sts. on Left
  9. 2 st. on Right
  10. 2 sts. on Left
  11. 2 st. on Right
  12. 2 sts. on Left

 

  1. 33 sts. on Right (L39-R-45)

 

RC: 030

Cut yarn 

Shape Right Side: Belly of Fish

  1. Push all needles to HOLD “D” position, then push back to “B” position R-18-R26 (9 stitches in work)

**Rethread yarn feeder, bringing yarn tail up & over needles R45-R28. Hold end of yarn below needle bed at R27 & 28**

  1. Knit 1 row
  2. Continue pushing back to “B” position, and knit row for the following: (remember to wrap yarn)
  3. 1 st. on Right (R27) knit, wrap
  4. 1 st. on Left (R19) knit, wrap

 

*continue as above (knitting & wrapping) for the following: 

  1. 1 st. on Right
  2. 1 st. on Left
  3. 1 st. on Right
  4. 2 sts. on Left
  5. 2 st. on Right
  6. 2 sts. on Left
  7. 2 st. on Right
  8. 2 sts. on Left
  9. 2 st. on Right
  10. 2 sts. on Left
  11. 2 st. on Right
  12. 2 sts. on Left

 

  1. 8 st. on Right (R6-45)

 

Take carriage out of HOLD 

Reset RC 000 

Knit 10 rows 

Mark L-14 & L-31 for Placement of Eyes

(I used a piece of scrap yarn & latch tool to wrap contrasting yarn around stitch and tied loosely)

             Knit 20 rows (RC-030)

                        Mark L-43, L-23 & L-4, for starting Placement Of Fins

             Knit 8 rows (RC-038)

             Dec. 1 st. each side, K 4 rows, repeat 4 more times

            Knit 4 rows (RC-058, 80 stitches)

            Dec. 1 st. each side, K 3 rows, repeat 3 more times

Knit 3 rows (RC- 70, 72 stitches)

Dec. 1 st. each side, K3 rows, repeat 1 more time

Dec. 1 st. each side, K2 rows, repeat 1 more time 

Knit 3 rows (RC-82, 62 stitches)

Dec. 1 st. each side, K2 rows, repeat once

Dec. 1 st. each side, K 1 row, repeat once

(RC-88, 54 stitches)

Dec. 1 st. each side, K3 rows, repeat once

Dec. 1 st. each side, K2 rows, repeat 2 more times

Knit 2 rows

(RC-100, 44 stitches)

 

**Changes begin here for fish & shark**

 

COMPLETION OF TAIL:

 

FISH VERSION – Tension 0

SHARK VERSION – Tension 5
  1. Transfer EON to adjacent stitch and move stitches over to fill in empty needles – 22 stitches
  2. 2.       CHANGE TO TAIL COLOUR
  3. Knit 3 rows
  4. Cut yarn leaving a long tail to graft tail onto body
  5. Scrap off onto waste yarn and remove from machine
  6. Turn the piece around and rehang onto machine with right side facing you
  7. Then on same needles, join previously knit tail pieces by rehanging pieces, one tail on left side and one on right side, Right sides together
  8. Graft pieces together to form an invisible join and remove from machine, or you could just loosely knit a row and bind off.

 
  1. Take your 44 stitches off on waste yarn.
  2. Rehang on 22 needles, (2 stitches on each needle.)
  3. knit one row
  4. Take off on a tapestry needle gathering stitches tightly.
  5. Stitch a few times to secure.
  6. Attach tail to body
  7. Take your previously made tail piece, that looks like a triangle.
  8. Take the narrow end and sew to the end of the body either graft or whip stitch all around to secure.
  9. Seam up the side.  I used the mattress stitch.

 

 

TEETH:  For Shark only

 

  1. After the shark has been seamed, hold the fish with the mouth facing you. Find the middle of the top lip. (That would be the contrasting colour that rolls back.)
  2. From the purl side, hang 7 stitches on to the machine, from the 13th row from the beginning. (That would be the last row of your contrasting colour I used red. These are the lips)
  3. Change to white yarn, knit 1 row.
  4. Begin short rows. Put carriage into HOLD.
  5. Pull 1 needle out next to carriage & knit 1 row.
  6. Continue until you have one stitch.
  7. Now start putting 1 needle next to carriage back in work & knit 1 row.
  8. Continue until all needles are back in work.
  9. Take the stitches from the first row you hung and hang on top of needles.
  10. Knit 1 row and bind off.

 

I used the tails of yarn that are left to stitch the edges of teeth down to the gum line.

You can try picking up the last row and binding off to skip that sewing of the edge.

Note: 

I also took a stitch in between the teeth so they were connected and they stood up better.

 

 

FINISHING

 

  1. 1.        Attach Dorsal fin to top of body. Using the marker as a guide, place front of fin at this stitch and continue to attach remainder of fin along this row of stitches.

 

  1. 2.        Attach Pectoral fins to sides of body. Using the markers as a guide, place front of fin at this stitch and continue to attach remainder of fin along this row of stitches.

 

FOR FISH HAT

 

  • Mattress stitch sides of hat together

 

  • Fold each tailpiece in half and sew together along shaped sides.

 

EYES

 

Using large button for eyes, sew them in place using markers as a guide.  Or you could cut eyes from felt and sew on, etc.

I put a smaller button for pupil on top of a larger button and sewed them on together.