More Than a Fish, More Than a Man
by wingedkamui, 2008

Empty eyes never blinking
Armored scales but never sinking
Puddle jumper, the Coastal Runner
Call me the Tide Hunter
Raise your flippers to the sky!

--Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftan

Materials:
Body color- Noro Kureyon #199 or any worsted weight yarn
Contrast color- Noro Kureyon #95 or any worsted weight yarn.
Mouth color- Cut out the first pink section from the Kureyon #95 and set it aside for the mouth. If you are using a yarn other than Kureyon #95, you will need a small amount of pink or red yarn.
Polyfill or other stuffing material
Optional - A couple yards of white yarn for teeth, wire or pipe cleaners for stiffening arms and legs.
US #3 double pointed (or size preferred)
1 yarn needle
2 buttons or Googly eyes

Gauge:
Irrelevant. Make it tight enough so that the stuffing material does not show through the fabric.

Techniques:
Picot Edge Bind Off: CO2 using cable cast on, BO 4, slip single st from right needle to left. Repeat to end of row.
I-cord: CO required number of stitches. Slide the stitches to the other end of the needle pull the yarn across the back of the stitches. Knit across. Repeat for required length.

Directions:

Body (Tail):
Using body color, CO 3 and join.
Round 1: k1, m1, k1, m1, k1, m1
Round 2: k6
Round 3: (k1, m1, k1) 3 times
Round 4: k9
Round 5: k2, m1, k2, m1, k1, m1, k2, m1, k2
Round 6: k13
Round 7: k3, m1, k7, m1, k3
Round 8: k15
Round 9: k4, m1, k2, m1, k3, m1, k2, m1, k4
Round 10: k19
Round 11: k5, m1, k9, m1, k5
Round 12: k21
Round 13: k6, m1, k2, m1, k5, m1, k2, m1, k6
Round 14: k25
Round 15: k7, m1, K11, m1, K7
Round 16: k27
Round 17: k27
Round 18: k8, m1, k11, m1, k8
Round 19: k29
Round 20: k29
Round 21: k9, m1, k2, m1, k9, m1, k2, m1, k9
Round 22: k33
Round 23: k33
Round 24: k10, m1, k11, m1, k10
Round 25: k35
Round 26: k35

Body (Short Row Shaping):
Row 1: k10, wrap & turn.
Row 2: p20. wrap & turn.
Row 3: k18, wrap & turn.
Row 4: p16, wrap & turn.
Row 5: k14, wrap & turn.
Row 6: p12, wrap & turn.
Row 7: k10, wrap & turn.
Row 8: p8, wrap & turn.
Row 9: k6, wrap & turn
Row10: p4, wrap & turn
Row 11: p2, wrap & turn
Row 12: K35, picking up wraps

Body (Head):
Rounds 1-5: k35
Round 6: k2, ssk, k27, k2tog, k2
Round 7: k33
Round 8: k2, ssk, k25, k2tog, K2
Round 9: k31
Round 10: k2, ssk, k11, k2tog, k11, k2tog, k2
Round 11: k28
Round 12: k2, ssk, k20, k2tog, k2
Round 13: k2, ssk, k4, ssk, k6, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k2
Round 14: k2, ssk, k3, ssk, k4, k2tog, k3, k2tog, k2
Round 15: k2, ssk, k2, ssk, k2, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k2
Round 16: K2, SSK

Place st on 2 needles, graft using kitchener stitch.

TAILFIN:
Using contrast color, CO13, leaving a tail of about 8"
Row 1: p1, *k1, p1* to end
Row 2: k2 in first st, *p1, k2 in next st* to end
Row 3: p2, *k1, p2*
Row 4: k2, *p2 in next st, k2* to end
Row 5: p2, *k2, p2* to end

Bind off using Picot Edge Bind Off. Cut yarn, leaving a 12" tail
Use tail from CO to gather the bottom edge, so you get a shape like a spikey pac man.
Use tail from BO to sew inner edges of the tailfin (Pacman's mouth) around the pointed end of the body.

Dorsal spines:
Spine 1: Using contrast color, CO 3, Knit in i-cord for 1", k2 in each st, BO leaving long tail.
Sew BO edge to head between eyes.
Spine 2: Using contrast color, CO 4, Knit in i-cord for 1.5", k 2 in each st, BO leaving long tail.
Sew BO edge to head just before the short-row shaping.
Spine 3: Using contrast color, CO 5, Knit in i-cord for 2", k2 in each st, BO leaving long tail.
Stitch BO edge to body, midway between nose & tail
Spine 4: Using contrast color, CO 4, Knit in i-cord for 2", k2 in each st, BO leaving long tail.
Stitch BO edge to body behind the 3rd spine

Arms (make 2):
Using body color, C09, join.
Rounds 1-10: knit
Round 11: k6, turn, s1, p5, turn, s1, k4, turn, s1, p3, turn, s1, k2, turn, s1, p1, turn, s1, k6
Rounds 12-22: knit
Round 23: k2tog, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k2tog. Move all stitches to one needle.and begin to knit flat.
Row 24: p5
Row 25: k5
Row 26: p1, m1, k1, m1, p2, m1, k1
Row 27:(p2, k2) across
Row 28: (p2, k2) across

BO all using Picot Edge Bind Off.
Weave BO end. If there is a hole at the wrist where you changed from round to flat knitting, sew it closed.
Insert wires or pipe cleaners for stiff, poseable arms (Optional- not reccomended if you're giving this to a child!)
Sew on arms using CO tail. The front edge should be at the short-row shaping, the back edge at the forwardmost tail increase.

Legs: (make 2)
Rows 1-11: Knit as for arm, ending with short row shaping.
Row 12: k7, k2 in next st, k1 (Increase should be located at back of the knee.)
Row 13-16: knit
Row 14: m1, k6, m1, k4
Row 15-20: knit
Row 21: M1, k8, M1, K4
Row 22-27: knit 5 rounds even. Lightly stuff leg.
Row 28: k3 on first needle, then re-arrange stitches onto two needles, 7 on each.

The next part is like making the heel of a sock. Work heel flap above the increases below the knee.
Row 1: s1, p6, turn
Row 2: s1, k6, turn
Row 3: repeat row 1
Row 4: repeat row 2

Turning the heel:
Row 1: k7, turn
Row 2: s1, p6, turn
Row 3: s1, k5, turn
Row 4: s1, p4, turn
Row 5: s1, k3, turn
Row 6: s1, p2, turn
Row 7: s1, k1, turn
Row 8: s1

Instep decreases (Begin working in the round again):
Round 1: k3, pick up 3st from left side of heel flap, k7, pick up 3st from right side of heel flap, k4
Round 2: k4, k2tog, k7, ssk, k5
Round 3: k3, k2TOG, k7, ssk, k4
Round 4: k2, k2tog, k7, ssk, k3

Stuff heel area. Insert optional wires or pipe cleaners to stiffen the legs.

Feet:
Round 1-3: knit. Round 4: k3 onto first needle. Divide stitches evenly between 2 needles. Begin working back & forth.
Row 5: (Knit first st from front needle and back needle together) three times. K1 from back needle, k1 from front needle, (Knit st from front needle and back needle together) three times.
Row 6-9: k2, p2

BO using Picot Edge Bind Off.
Weave in BO end. Using CO tail, Sew legs to body along the line of tail-shaping increases, just forward of the tailfin.

Mouth:
Using Mouth Color, CO 13 leaving a long tail.
Row 1: knit
Row 2: purl
Row 3: knit
Row 4: SSK twice, K5, K2tog twice
Row 5: SSK, K5, K2tog
BO all st

Center mouth on face, just underneath the graft. Sew it in place using CO tail.
Use Blanket stitch to emboider on some teeth, if you wish.

Please do not use this pattern or the resulting toy for profit in any way whatsoever, or it's a 50 DKP minus and Blizzard will gank me IRL.