The Knit Guru

When Ash Bentley made a reverse mermaid cosplay, I knew I needed to knit one. Now if you have the same feelings, you too can knit a reverse mermaid.

You will need:
– DK yarn in fish grey, flesh tone, blue yarn for the skirt, white for the eyes, black for details
– 3.5mm knitting needles
– 3.5mm crochet hook for eyes (optional)
– safety eyes
– stuffing
– darning needle and scissors
– beads for the skirt (but these are optional really)

You will want extra needles – or at least 1 – as the skirt sections are knit separately and then knitted into the main body.

There is a video documenting my process here:

Legs – these are knit 1 at a time, then joined together on the same needle.

Cast on 25
1. Stockinette stitch 6 rows
2. K8, K3tog x 3, K8
3. purl row
4. K8, CDD (centre double decrease, or slip 1 k2tog psso, or k3tog) K8
5. Stockinette stitch 40 rows

Cut yarn, and slide the work to the end of the needle. Repeat these rows on the same knitting needles. You should now have 2 legs on the same needle. Slide these together – we will be knitting them as one from now on.

Change to blue yarn.
6. Knit across both legs. Stockinette stitch 10 rows.
7. k1, (k3, kfb) repeat brackets to the last stitch, k1 (42 stitches)

On a separate 3.5mm knitting needle – in blue – form this skirt piece
8. Cast on 42 stitches
9. P1, (p1, k3) repeat brackets to the last stitch, p1
10. K1, (k3, p1) repeat brackets to the last stitch, k1
11. Repeat the 2 rows above over 16 rows total.

Hold the blue section and the leg section in the same hand – the blue should be in front. You are going to knit one stitch from each needle together.
12. Knit 2 together across the row – one stitch from the skirt and one from the legs. You will now have a skirt attached into the knitting of the legs.
13. Change to fish grey yarn. Purl the row.

On a separate 3.5mm knitting needle – in grey – form this body piece
14. Cast on 42 stitches
15. Stockinette stitch 2 rows
16. k2 tog, yarn over – repeat to the end of the row.
17. Purl row
18. Knit row
19. Fold the bottom of the grey up to the needle, purl across the row picking up the cast on stitch as a hung hem. (Alternatively you can leave this step, and stitch the hem up at the end as this creates the wavey picot edge).

Hold the leg section and the grey section in the same hand. The grey should be in front. You are going to knit one stitch from each needle together.
20. Knit 2 together across the row – one stitch from the grey and one from the legs. You will now have all your work in together in one piece.

21. Stockinette 21 rows
22. k11, (knit, yarn over, knit into the same stitch increasing 2 stitches), k2, (knit, yarn over, knit into the same stitch increasing 2 stitches), k3, (knit, yarn over, knit into the same stitch increasing 2 stitches), k2, (knit, yarn over, knit into the same stitch increasing 2 stitches), knit to the end
23. purl
24. stockinette 20 rows
25. k11, CDD, k2, CDD, k3, CDD, k2, CDD, knit to end
26. stockinette 3 rows
27. k4, k2 tog – repeat over row
28. purl
29. k3, k2tog – repeat over row
30. purl
31. k2, k2tog – repeat over row
32. purl
33. k1, k2tog – repeat over row
34. purl
35. K2tog – repeat over row
36. Cut yarn with 30cm tail. Thread on a yarn needle, and through all the remaining stitches. Pull tight.

To sew up the body, use the yarn tail from the top of the head and stitch down to the bottom of the grey. Using the leg yarn tails, stitch up the sides of the legs. Stuff.
Use the blue yarn to stitch up the rest.

Top fin

Cast on 21 stitches
1. knit 9, CDD, knit 9 (19)
2. purl
3. knit 8, CDD, knit 8 (17)
4. purl
5. knit 7, CDD, knit 7 (15)
6. purl
7. knit 6, CDD, knit 6 (13)
8. purl
9. knit 5, CDD, knit 5 (11)
10. purl
11. knit 4, CDD, knit 4 (9)
12. purl
13. knit 3, CDD, knit 3 (7)
14. purl
15. knit 2, CDD, knit 2 (5)
16. purl
17. knit 1, CDD, knit 1 (3)
18. purl
19. CDD (1). Cut yarn with 15cm tail. Thread through remaining stitch. Fold down the centre line, stitch up the side. Stitch to top of head.

Arm fins

Cast on 18 stitches.
1. Stockinette stitch 16 rows
2. K1, SSK, k3, k2 tog, k2, SSK, k3, k2tog, k1
3. Purl whole row
4. K1, SSK, k1, k2 together, k2, SSK, k1, k2 together, k1
5. Purl
6. K1, CDD, k2, CDD, k1 (6)
7. Purl
8. CDD, CDD. Cut yarn with 10cm tail remaining. Thread through remaining 2 stitches and pull tight. Fold the fin in half and stitch up the side. Attach to the side of the face.

Eyes

These are optional – you can just use safety eyes
1. 6sc in a magic ring
2. Inc – 12 stitches total
3. 12sc
4. 12sc – ss to close. Cut yarn, leaving a tail for stitching to the face

Slip the safety eyes into the centre of the magic ring. Add a little stuffing to the eyes and stitch them to the face.

Add black eyebrow and frown details to the face.
Thread beads together and attach to the points of the grey skirt.