Crochet Mermaid Tail Afghan / Blanket Pattern & Finished Tail

One day as I was browsing online, I came across a lovely mermaid tail afghan created by another crochet designer.  I thought, "What a clever idea!"  Then I said to myself (as do many other experienced crocheters or crafters...), "I can make my own version of that!"  After all, I have the perfect, little whimsical lover of all things fantasy in my daughter.  She makes an ideal test subject!

So from that Friday evening until the wee hours of that Sunday morning, I crocheted my heart out to make my girl her very own mermaid tail.  I made the mistake of telling her what it was while in the middle of it.  So of course every other row I worked, she would ask excitedly, "Is it done yet?"  On Sunday morning, she awoke to her new finished mermaid tail.  Oh, to witness the excitement on her dreamy little girl face--it was a privilege!

The CHILD-size pattern can be found here, and the ADULT-size pattern can be found here.

To order a custom-made mermaid tail for CHILDREN OR ADULTS, please go to my Etsy shop listing here.

      

Update (April 6, 2015)
Since creating my daughter's mermaid tail, I have created another child-size afghan for a customer, to give her 8-year-old daughter as a birthday gift.  As I was taking photos of it for my Etsy shop, my 4-year-old son wanted to model it for me. He said, "Boys can be mermaids too!" Well... I happen to think he's the cutest little merman I've ever seen!

About the Design

As with most experimental crochet design ideas, I like to create something new (and quite frankly something I'm not so sure will work out) using my existing yarn rather than purchasing new.  It just happened that in my bountiful yarn stash, there were just the right colors and quantity.  I had plenty of sage green, pale green and just enough light blue.  Because these are all shades that also reminded me of ocean hues, I went with it.

For a texture that resembles a scaly appearance, I decided to create my own version of a scale stitch. Others have inquired if I use a modified version of the crocodile stitch.  Although my stitch may resemble the crocodile stitch from a distance, it really is not.  My goal was to create a stitch that is much less bulky than the crocodile.  Don't get me wrong--I like the crocodile stitch just fine--but I simply wanted to achieve more of a smooth-laying, fine scaly-textured appearance for the Mermaid Tail Afghan.  Below is a close-up photo of the texture:

As for sizing of this afghan, I make my version a bit wider than others because I like to provide enough room for comfort for the wearer.  I also make mine a bit longer than average and have custom-made them even longer for especially tall people.  My rational for sizing this afghan the way I do is so that a person can pull it up to his/her chest or snuggle down inside it while laying down.

Since my first attempt at the Mermaid Tail Afghan turned out so well (and judging by my girl's reaction), I decided to list it as custom-made item in my Etsy shop.  Right away, I received four orders. The response was unbelievable!  Then I began receiving requests for the pattern, so I decided to write it out and offer that in my Etsy shop as well.

The original child size afghan fits ages 4 to 8 comfortably.  However, it can be made to fit a taller child or "tween".  The pattern includes instructions for lengthening the afghan.

I had a great deal of fun creating these Mermaid Tail Afghans and patterns!  I worked very hard to make them available and love seeing others enjoy them just as much as my daughter and me. In fact, the most rewarding part about sharing them is hearing my customers' stories of who they're making them for and why.  Most make them as gifts for their daughters, grandchildren, nieces and friends. And then there are adults, who want to make themselves a little something to tickle their whimsy. It makes me smile just imagining all those little (and big) mermaids at heart out in the world...  I love it!

I need to give a big shout out to one of my crochet buddies, who is also quite experienced in toying with her own crochet designs from time to time.  Thank you, Jill, for agreeing to lend your expertise in providing constructive criticism and an extremely useful critique of my pattern writing skills! Without your eagle eye, I would have missed a very important typo in my pattern.  I can't wait to see your finished afghans and to hear about your nieces' reactions when they receive their very own mermaid tails!  :)

As you can tell, I'm excited to share my Mermaid Tail Afghan design!  It's a great feeling!  Enjoy and feel free to visit my blog again any time!