Halibut Crochet Pattern

Hook your own halibut!

NPS/H Burley

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve protects over 950 square miles of ocean habitat. Over 200 species of fish call Glacier Bay home, including the iconic Pacific halibut.

Pattern by Ranger Hailey Burley

Difficulty: Easy – Medium

Size: Keep the size a mystery! Pick out yarn for your halibut and use the recommended hook size.

Material:
1. Crochet hook (use recommended size for your chosen yarn)
2. Yarn (one light and one dark color)
3. Fiber fill
4. Sewing needle
5. Safety eyes

Abbreviations:
ch – chain
R – round or row
sc – single crochet
sl st – slip stitch
Number x sc – the number tells you how many times you make a single crochet in each stitch
dec - crochet two stitches together with a sc
hdc – half double crochet
hdc2tog -- half double crochet two stitches together
dc – double crochet
2dc – crochet two double crochet in one stitch
dc2tog – double crochet two stitches together
tr – treble crochet
2tr – crochet two treble crochet in one stitch
2qtr – crochet two quadruple crochet in one stitch

Row 7.

Body

Create one in each color.

Start with a magic ring.
R1: Ch 1. Work 6 Sc into circle and pull tight. Sl st into ch.
R2: Ch 1. Work 2 sc in each stitch. Join with a sl st in ch.
R3. Ch 1. dc, (2sc, sc) x 4, dc. Turn. You will now transition from stitching in the round to going back and forth on rows.
R4: Ch 2. hdc2tog (sc,sc, 2sc) x 3, hdc2tog. Turn (14 sts)
R5: Ch 2. hdc2tog, sc in each stitch to last 2 sts, hdc2tog. Turn. (12 sts)
R6: Ch 2. (sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc) repeat to end of row. Turn. (15 sts)
R7: Ch 1. (sc in next 3 st, 2sc) repeat to end of row. Turn. (18 sts)
R8: Ch 2. dec, (sc in next 3 st, 2sc) repeat to last two st, dec. Turn. (19sts)
R9: Ch 1. sc in each st across. Turn. (19sts)
R10: Ch 1. sc in next 2 st, 1 sc and 1 hdc in following st, 1 hdc in next 2 st, 2hdc, 1 hdc in each of next 2 st, 1 hdc and 1 dc in next st, (1dc in following 2 st, 2 dc) repeat to last 2 st, dc2tog. (23sts)

R11: Ch 2. hdc in next 10 st, sc in each st to last 2 st, dec. (22 sts)
R12: Ch 1, sc in each st. (22 sts)
R13: Ch 3. dc2tog, 1 dc in next 5 st, 2hdc, hdc, sc in the next 3 st, hdc, 2hdc, dc in next 2 st, 2dc, dcx3, dc2tog. (23 sts)
R14: Ch 3. dc2tog, dc2tog, (1 dc in next 2 st, 2dc) repeat to last 4 sts, dc2tog, dc2tog. (25 sts)
R15- R18: Ch 2. dc in each st. (25 sts)
R19: Ch 2. dc2tog, dc in each st until last 2 sts, dc2tog. (23 sts)
R20: Ch 2. dc2tog, dc in each st until last 2 sts, dc2tog. (21 sts)
R21: Ch 2. dc2tog, dc in each st until last 2 sts, dc2tog. (19 sts)
R22: Ch 2. dc2tog, dc in each st until last 2 sts, dc2tog. (17 sts)
R23: Ch 2. dc2tog, dc in each st until last 2 sts, dc2tog. (15 sts)
R24: Ch 2. dc2tog, dc in each st until last 2 sts, dc2tog. (13 sts)
R25: Ch 2. dc2tog, dc in each st until last 2 sts, dc2tog. (11 sts)
R26: Ch 2. dc2tog, dc in each sts to end. (10 sts)
R27: Ch 2. dc in each st to last 2 st, dc2tog. (9 sts)
R28: Ch 1. sc in each st. ( 9sts)

R29: Ch 2. 1 dc in next 2 st, 1 hdc in each st to last 2 sts, 1 dc in last 2 sts. (9 sts)
R30: Ch 2. 1 dc in next 2 st, 1 hdc in each st to last 2 sts, 1 dc in last 2 sts. (9 sts)
R31: Ch 1. sc in each sts (9 sts)
R32: Ch 2. 2dc, dc in each st til last st, 2dc. (11 sts)
R33: Ch 2. 2dc, dc in each st til last st, 2dc. (13 sts)
R34: Ch 2. 2dc, dc in each st til last st, 2dc. (15 sts)
R35: Ch 2. 2dc, dc in each st til last st, 2dc. (17sts)
R36: Ch 3, 2tr, dc, dc, hdc, hdc, sc til las 5 sts, hdc, hdc, dc, dc, 2 tr, ch 3, sl st in the same st in which th etrebles were crocheted, cut and secure thread.

Dorsal fin (top fin)

Begin by attaching yarn towards the base of the tail. (Use image below as a reference) You will be crocheting the top fin from tail towards the head. Crochet stitches as evenly as possible across the body.

sc in next 11 st, hdc in next 5 st, dc in next 5 st, tr in next 2 st, 2qtr, tr in next 2 st, dc in next 3 st, hdc in next 2 st, sc in next 8 st, fasten off.

Anal fin (bottom fin)

Attach yarn directly across from the start of the top fin, so you will again be crocheting from the tail towards the head.

sc in next 11 st. hdc in next 5 st, dc in next 5 st, tr in next 2 st, 2qtr, tr, dc, hdc, sc, sl st in next 4 st, ch 2, 2qtr, fasten off.

Repeat all previous steps for the second color.

Pacific halibut: An Eye-conic Species

When halibut are about an inch long, an amazing transformation begins: the left eye moves progressively over the head to join the right eye, so that both eyes are on the same side. Virtually all halibut are right-eyed, meaning that their eyes are on the dark upper side of their body. Rarely (about 1 in 20,000) halibut are left-eyed, meaning their eyes and dark pigment are on the left side of their body.

Assembly

Step 1: Add safety eyes to the darker side of the halibut. Keep eyes close together.

Step 2: Pin both sides of the halibut together as you see fit. This will help everything stay in place as you sew the halibut together

Step 3: Cut a long piece of yarn in either color (I stitched my halibut together using the brown yarn). Secure thread at the base of the tail on the top of the halibut (near where the thumb is in the image below) and begin sewing the two sides together using a matress stitch.

Stitch together until you reach the other side of the tail and then begin to stuff the tail slightly.

Step 4: Once the tail has been stuffed slightly, sew across to the other side to ensure more stuffing won't go into the tail. Take care to hide the yarn color on the opposite side. This will help with the overall body shape of the halibut.

Step 5: Continue using the matress stitch along the top of the dorsal (top) fin from the base near the tail to the end of the fin near the eyes (pictured). Once you have the top of the fins stitched together, begin stitching the base of the fins together. This will ensure the fin has no stuffing and stays flat.

Step 6: Attach thread near the base of the bottom fin and repeat the process of step 5 while stitching around the pelvic fin as well. You might find it helpful to slightly stuff the halibut as you stitch. Just leave enough space so that no stuffing will get into the bottom fin.

Step 7: Finish stuffing the fish. Pacific Halibut are a species of flatfish, so don't overfill! Finish stitching the head together and fasten off.