Wow! My first pattern post! Hi everyone! I hope you use this pattern well and have a lot of fun while doing it. I made this pattern to celebrate something. More specifically my acceptance into the ORCA program! Pretty sure you can see where this is going...
Basically the ORCA program is a marine biology centered academy at my local community college; what's even cooler is that I'm taking it as a high school junior and senior! I'll graduate high school with an AA degree. And best of all the community is super nice and supportive; so supportive that all the orcas you see pictured here are their commissions! But anyway, enough about me. Let's talk whales!
This baby orca is fairly simple, and though I do dictate where the eyes, color changes, and fins are placed, it’s really totally up to you! Personalize it to make it uniquely yours. I’ve made a couple for my friends with a class number and embroidered on places such as, behind the eye, above the fin, on the belly, and even one with a top hat!
I also feel like it’d be super cool to make different types of whales with this pattern. Take out the eye patches and dorsal fin and replace black with blue and you’ve got a cute little blue whale. Or make it grey and stick a horn to its forehead to make it a narwhal. The possibilities are endless!
This pattern is also available to for purchase as a PDF on my Etsy (Small Packages Crochet) so it would mean a lot to me if you purchased it. Though I do have this pattern here for free, every dollar helps me make more patterns and have them available here on my website!
If you do make this whale, please tag me on Instagram with the username @small.packages_crochet. I’d love to see your work!
And without further ado, on to the pattern!
Skill Level 1.5/5 (the only place that might be a tad difficult is the eye patch; making all the parts and sewing them on is fairly simple)
Size 10 cm long (head to end of fins)
Materials
(Note: The brand does not really matter; though I do list what brand I used, as long as your yarn is worsted weight you’re fine!)
- Worsted weight black yarn (I used Red Heart Supersaver yarn, but it really doesn’t matter as long as it’s worsted weight)
- Worsted weight white yarn (if you want a nice texture contrast, I would use softer acrylic yarn for the black and a hard cotton yarn (ie Lily’s Sugar and Cream) for the white, or the other way around)
- 3.5 mm crochet hook
- Stitch marker (I used a bobby pin; a regular stitch marker, a stray piece of yarn, or a safety pin all work)
- Keyring (optional; only if you want it as a keychain)
- 0.9 mm hard eyes with backings (or black felt if you want)
- Poly-fill stuffing
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle
Crochet Abbreviations Rnd: round
MR: magic ring
Sc: single crochet
Inc: increase (2 single crochet into 1 st)
Dec: invisible decrease
St: stitch
For optional top hat:
BLO: back loops only
FLO: front loops only
Hdc: half double crochet
Note: this pattern is worked in a round, moving the stitch marker up each round
Head/Body:
Rnd 1: in black, make 6 sc into the MR
Rnd 2: (inc)*6 (12 st)
Rnd 3: (sc, inc)*6 (18 st)
Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc)*6 (24 st)
Rnd 5: (3 sc, inc)*6 (30 st)
Rnd 6 through 10: sc into each st around (5 rnds of 30 st)
Attach hard eyes now, between rnds 8-9, approximately 6 to 7 stitches apart
Rnd 11: color change to white, (3 sc, dec)*6 (24 st)
Rnd 12: (2 sc, dec)*6 (18 st)
Stuff
Rnd 13: (sc, dec)*6 (12 st)
Rnd 14: (dec)*6 (6 st)
Fasten off, leaving a tail to close the hole
Eye Patches (make 2, in white): chain 3, sc into the next st, 3 sc into the next st,
turn work (now working in an oval), inc twice
fasten off, sew on 1 st behind where eyes are placed
Side Fins (make 2, in black):
Rnd 1: make 5 sc into MR
Rnd 2: (inc)*5 (10 st)
Rnd 3 through 5: sc in each st around (3 rnds of 10 st)
Rnd 6: (dec)*5 (5 st)
Fasten off, do not stuff
Sew between rnds 10-11, right under white eye patch, slightly above the color change to white
Tail Fins (make 2 in black):
Rnd 1: make 4 sc into MR
Rnd 2: (inc)*4 (8 st)
Rnd 3: sc in each st around (8 st)
Rnd 4: (sc, inc)*4 (12 st)
Rnd 5 and 6: sc in each st around (2 rnds of 12 st)
Rnd 7: (sc, dec)*3 (8 st)
Rnd 8: sc in each st around (8 st)
Fasten off, do not stuff
Sew on to back of the body, slightly splayed out,
You may want to make 1-2 stitches connecting two fins
Dorsal Fin (make 1 in black):
Rnd 1: make 3 sc into MR
Rnd 2: inc in each st around (6 st)
Rnd 3: (sc, inc)*3 (9 st)
Rnd 4 and 5: sc in each st around (9 st)
Fasten off and do not stuff
Sew slightly behind rnd 1 of the body (toward tail fins)
Sew the fin back a little further if you are planning to add a top hat to the orca to give more space
Once it is attached to the body, sew on the keyring loop
Assembly
I have listed the parts in order the way I made and sew them on, but this is just a reference should you ever want to read the process as a whole
1) Sew on eye patches behind eyes with seamless stitch
2) Flatten unstuffed side fins and sew through. Sew on side fins below and slightly behind eye patch with whip stitch
3) Flatten unstuffed tail fins and sew through. Sew on the back, slightly splayed out. Connect the two fins with a stitch or two.
4) Sew on dorsal fin on top toward tail fins
5) Sew on keychain loop on top of dorsal fin
Optional Top Hat:
This cute little top hat is totally optional, but makes for a very dapper little whale.
Mini Top Hat:
Rnd 1: make 5 sc into MR
Rnd 2: inc into each st around (10 st)
Rnd 3: (sc, inc)*5 (15 st)
Rnd 4: BLO, sc in each st around (15 st)
Rnd 5-9: sc in each st around (5 rnds of 15 st)
Rnd 10: FLO inc in each st around (30 st)
Rnd 11: sc in each st around (30 st)
Fasten off and weave the tail into the hat
Ribbon for Top Hat (in any color you want):
chain 21, skip 2 st, hdc 19
fasten off and sew onto the hat
And that’s it! Make any personalization you want to this whale and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see your adorable creation. If you have any problems, questions or criticisms (yes, believe it or not I’m actually not perfect), don’t hesitate to leave a comment or shoot me an email. Till the next pattern!
-Sheamin
This pattern is for personal use. You may sell finished products made from this pattern but please clearly credit me (Sheamin Kim, or Small Packages Crochet). Do NOT reproduce, distribute, sell, translate, publish, alter or repost (on the internet or offline) this pattern; sharing information from this pattern is prohibited. Permission is NOT granted for mass production or factory manufacturing of any kind. Thank you for being considerate and understanding.
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