Amigurumi style mermaid doll with realistically shaped upper body and scaly textured tail. Specific instructions given for a 12-inch tall doll (not including the fins, which are about 4 inches long and 7 inches wide), but the doll is easy to customize to any size. Pattern is a little advanced. If you’re familiar with making amigurumi dolls, this pattern will be fairly simple. But for a beginner it can be complex.

I used much less than a skein of Red Heart brand yarn for my doll, but if you’re making a much larger doll or using a smaller skein, you may need more yarn. I used: “Cafe Latte” for the upper body; “Panther Pink” for the tail foundation rows and for the scales; and “Orchid” for the fins. If using a thinner yarn for scales, use a thicker yarn in a similar color for the foundation rows. Thinner yarns I’ve used that work swimmingly for the tail are Paton’s brand metallic yarns. These yarns make a gorgeous doll, but they are notoriously hard to work with, so be cautious. Also variegated yarns give a cool multicolored effect when making the scales.

Use any color Aran weight yarn. Worsted weight may be used, but to maintain proper tension for the upper body of the doll, you might need a smaller hook (like a B hook). Tension for the tail and fins is more forgiving.

Free video tutorial is available on my Youtube channel at https://youtube.com/c/faerierings