Crochet mermaid doll pattern: ten parts, 99 rounds, an oversized head
This free crochet mermaid doll pattern makes a doll ~20 cm tall from the crown to the tail fins, with a head about 7.5 cm across, worked on a 3.5 mm hook in six colours over about seven hours. The head is deliberately too big for the torso — 42 stitches around against the torso's 24 — and that proportion is the whole look. The tail then picks up the torso's last 18 stitches and tapers over sixteen rounds down to 9, with gold and cream carried stitch by stitch across rounds 6, 8 and 12 for the three scale bands. All 99 rounds are written out below across ten parts, each one carrying the stitch count it ends on.
Maths verified, not yet made. Every one of the 99 rounds was checked against the round before it by machine — the counts, the increases and the decreases all add up. What nobody can promise you yet is how it sits in the hand.How we check
6 of 8 checks ran on 2026-09-04
- 1 format and stitch chainscripts/validate.py — 113 patterns, all counts chain.
- 2 catalogue auditscripts/audit-patterns.py — 113 audited, 0 errors, 66 warnings.
- 3 geometrygeometry-check.py — 113 checked, 0 errors, 4 warnings.
- 5 not a duplicate113 distinct display names across 113 patterns
- 6c target on the recordseo.headKeyword, confidence and demand present and cross-checked by scripts/validate.py
- 8 page readinessscripts/check-completeness.py --gate — 0 required fields missing, 114 editorial flags, 0 unearned claims.
Not yet checked
- 4 render matches the pattern — no image has been compared against its own prompt, so a render showing a piece the rounds do not make would not be caught here. Nothing has counted how many do.
- 6a recognisability — provenance.recognisability is empty in every pattern, so there is no feature list to check the parts against.
Why it is rated High
High for the tail: three of its rounds carry a second colour stitch by stitch while the round is also decreasing, and the eyes have to go in on head round 13 before the crown closes over them.
Sell what you make. Anything you crochet from this pattern is yours to sell — any quantity, no fee, no credit required.
00
00What you need before you start
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What you need before you start
Yarn — six colours, all weight 3
1 skein (about 50 g)DK cotton, 8 ply
half a skein (about 25 g)DK cotton, 8 ply
1 skein (about 40 g, most of it in the strands)DK cotton, 8 ply
scrapsDK cotton, 8 ply
scraps, carried along the roundDK cotton, 8 ply
scraps, carried along the roundDK cotton, 8 ply
Tools
6 you probably own, 3 to buyYou likely have
Tapestry needle
Scissors
Stitch markers
Pins
Measuring tape
A chopstick or similar for pushing stuffing into the tail
You need to buy
10 mm black safety eyes x2
Polyester stuffing (~40 g)
Black embroidery floss for the mouth
Optional
A latch hook for pulling the hair strands through the cap
Blush or powder for the cheeks
Row counter
Gauge and finished size
the last check before you cast onTension
Gauge is not critical, but work tightly enough that the stuffing cannot show between stitches. A looser hand gives a taller doll and eats more yarn.
Finished size
~20 cm tall from the crown to the tail fins, with a head about 7.5 cm across
DK cotton on the 3.5 mm hook is what keeps the stuffing hidden. Worsted on a 4.0 mm hook gives a taller doll at the same proportions, but the scale bands come out bulkier and the arms are harder to stuff.
How to make the mermaid pocket doll, piece by piece
Switching rewrites every round:US6 sc in mrUK6 dc in mrWork a US sc as a UK single crochet and the fabric comes out looser and taller.
1
01The head
A big sphere with a pause at 36 stitches to round out the crown, then…21 RNDS
starts in peach· magic ring· Piece 1 of 10
First six rounds[6] [12] [18] [24] [30] [36]
Opening out to 42
RND 1–81[6]
2[12]
3[18]
4[24]
5[30]
6[36]
7[36]
8[42]
Straight sides
RND 9–159[42]
10[42]
11[42]
12[42]
13[42]
14[42]
15[42]
Closing the crown
RND 16–2116[35]
17[28]
18[21]
19[14]
20[7]
21[4]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneStuff it firmly and evenly. A soft spot on one side shows for the life of the doll.
2
02The torso
A short tube, narrow on purpose. It opens from the neck end and…13 RNDS
starts in peach· magic ring· Piece 2 of 10
First six rounds[6] [12] [18] [24] [24] [24]
Out to 24 at the shoulders
RND 1–41[6]
2[12]
3[18]
4[24]
Straight down the body
RND 5–125[24]
6[24]
7[24]
8[24]
9[24]
10[24]
11[24]
12[24]
One round in to the waist
RND 13–1313[18]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneLeave it on the hook. The tail carries straight on from these 18 stitches.
3
03The tail
Sixteen rounds from 18 down to 9, with the decreases spread out so…16 RNDS
starts in seafoam· picked up· Piece 3 of 10
First six rounds[18] [18] [17] [17] [16] [16]
Wide at the hip
RND 1–51[18]
2[18]
3[17]
4[17]
5[16]
The scale bands
RND 6–126[16]
7[15]
8[15]
9[14]
10[13]
11[13]
12[12]
Down to the fin end
RND 13–1613[11]
14[11]
15[10]
16[9]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneStuff as you go. Once the round drops below about 12 stitches you cannot get much in there.
4
04The tail fins
Two flat ovals on a foundation ring of 16, widened once. They stay…2 RNDS
starts in seafoam· picked up· Piece 4 of 10
First two rounds[16] [18]
1[16]
2[18]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is donePress each fin flat and leave the round-2 edge open. Nothing goes inside them: an unstuffed fin lies against the tail end the way a fin should, and a stuffed one reads as a second, smaller tail.
5
05Right tail fin
— the same 2 rounds again, worked from piece 042 RNDS
starts in seafoam· picked up· Piece 5 of 10· mirrors the tail fins
First two rounds[16] [18]
1[16]
2[18]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
6
06The arms
Two short stubs, 6 out to 9 and back to 6. Small enough that a…5 RNDS
starts in peach· magic ring· Piece 6 of 10
First five rounds[6] [9] [9] [9] [6]
1[6]
2[9]
3[9]
4[9]
5[6]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneDraw the last six stitches together and leave a long tail for sewing. Whatever stuffing goes in has to go in before that — round 5 is the only opening an arm has, and it is six stitches wide.
7
07Right arm
— the same 5 rounds again, worked from piece 065 RNDS
starts in peach· magic ring· Piece 7 of 10· mirrors the arms
First five rounds[6] [9] [9] [9] [6]
1[6]
2[9]
3[9]
4[9]
5[6]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
8
08The hair cap
A flat disc out to 42 stitches, the same width as the head at its…7 RNDS
starts in lavender· magic ring· Piece 8 of 10
First six rounds[6] [12] [18] [24] [30] [36]
1[6]
2[12]
3[18]
4[24]
5[30]
6[36]
7[42]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is donePin it over the crown before sewing and check the front edge sits above the eyes, not on them.
9
09The hair strands
Long single-stitch columns knotted through the cap. Twenty of them…26 RNDS
starts in lavender· picked up· Piece 9 of 10· make 20
First six rounds[1] [1] [1] [1] [1] [1]
1[1]
2[1]
3[1]
4[1]
5[1]
6[1]
7[1]
8[1]
9[1]
10[1]
11[1]
12[1]
13[1]
14[1]
15[1]
16[1]
17[1]
18[1]
19[1]
20[1]
21[1]
22[1]
23[1]
24[1]
25[1]
26[1]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneTrim the ends level once every strand is in. Cutting as you go leaves steps you will not see until the end.
10
10The shell top
Two tiny discs, six stitches then twelve. Nothing more to them.2 RNDS
starts in coral· magic ring· Piece 10 of 10· make 2
First two rounds[6] [12]
1[6]
2[12]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneFasten off on round 2 and leave a long tail. Neither disc is stuffed; twelve stitches is too few to hold anything, and a padded shell stands away from the chest instead of sitting on it.
You are here
30 pieces from eight lists. Two lists — the tail fins and the arms — are written once and worked twice, identical round for round; the grey bars are piece length, all drawn to the same scale.99 ROUNDS IN ALL
Seven notes on the mermaid pocket doll
Read themClose
01An original Crochet Genie design.
02The fabric is smooth single crochet everywhere, worked in a continuous spiral with nothing joined and nothing turned. The scale bands on the tail are colour carried stitch by stitch across a plain round — they read as flecks of gold and cream, not as raised scales, and there is no ribbing, shell edging or openwork anywhere in the doll.
03The oversized head against the narrow torso is the whole look. Sew the head squarely onto the closed neck end of the torso, and set the eyes on head round 13, ten stitches apart, before you start decreasing — once the crown closes you cannot reach the backs of them.
04The hair strands are written as single-stitch columns so the app can count them, which is a simulation. In the hand, cut 26 cm lengths of lavender, fold each in half and knot it through the hair cap the way you would a fringe. Work them as written only if you want a crocheted fringe instead.
05The tail fins are flat and unstuffed, worked on a foundation ring rather than a magic ring, so they begin on stitches that are already there. A pointed fin needs shaping this format cannot write, so pinch each tip flat and hold it with a stitch or two when you sew it on.
06The tail begins on the 18 stitches left at the torso waist, so the body and tail come out as one piece. Stuff the torso before the tail narrows past about 12 stitches.
07For a child under three, embroider the eyes in black floss instead of using safety eyes, and skip the loose hair strands.
Four questions this pattern answers
Not questions anybody asked. Each one is written from this pattern's own record, and every answer is read off the fields it names.
How is the colour worked into the mermaid pocket doll?
How much yarn will the mermaid pocket doll take?
What hook will the mermaid pocket doll need, and what is the finished size?
How long will the mermaid pocket doll take to crochet?
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