My 21-year-old, handknit-hat-addicted son saw a crocheted Magikarp hat on Reddit. He texted it to me, and just knew I could make it for him. Hah! I decided to go with a knitted version instead. It took a little bit of improvisation, and a LOT of ripping and re-knitting, to get it done. This was a perfect “challenge” project for the Ravellenic Games. I’ve had a wonderful time working on it and watching the Olympics.

Of course, it still isn’t right. I’d really like to re-work the tail and all the fins one more time and get it perfect, now that I have it figured out…but enough is enough!! I emailed the pics to my son and he LOVES it the way it is!! So I’m putting it in the mail tomorrow.

Yarn held doubled throughout. Did the pectoral fins in CTH Supersock Select DK, held double.

I did the dorsal fin in the round as if I were knitting a glove, but eliminated the thumb gusset and divided the stitches into only three fingers and no thumb, then decreased to make points.

The side fins I knit flat. I made the white part first, using increases/decreases and a couple of short rows for shaping. Then I used applied I-cord to outline them in orange.

The tail was a real struggle. I decreased the body down to 12 sts, then increased as if I were making the body of a stuffed animal--basically a round ball--and then did short rows on the ends to make the points longer. I carried the orange behind the white because I hate intarsia--but I would NOT do that again; just do the intarsia!! Note upon later reflection: no intarsia or carrying; just knit the tail flat, in white, perhaps with bulky yarn at a tight gauge to help it hold its shape, then work applied i-cord in orange around it. I made the tail pretty fat so I could stuff it (so it would hold its shape and not collapse), but ended up with so much material there that it was quite squishy and full without any stuffing.

The ventral fin is a simple triangular edging, knitted flat in garter stitch in a single layer to minimize bulk at the back of the wearer’s head. CO 2 sts, yo at the beginning of each row, stop and break yarn when desired size is reached but leave it on the needle, then do another three the same way (don’t break yarn on the last one), then knit across all of them to join them together.

I didn’t keep track of my stitch counts for any of it, so these notes are all I have to offer if you are interested in reproducing this hat.