Created by Rita Reed and Craig Cartwright
Designed and Crocheted by Alex
Dogfish is a wonderful character created by children’s author, Rita Reed, for her book series Dogfish Tales.
For Care: This model is Handwash only; lay out flat to dry.
My name is Alex, I design crochet patterns for my family’s yarn shop Babes in the Wool, and I’ve had the pleasure of bringing Dogfish to life in the form of this crochet moel.
Dogfish is made of 100% recycled materials, from plastic bottles to polyester fibres, to keep in line with Dogfish’s goal of cleaning plastic out of the ocean.
Sustainability has been at the heart of this project, and after finishing the first batch of Dogfish I’m happy to say Babes in the Wool hit our goal of making a completely planet-friendly toy.
Dogfish is made using amigurumi, a Japanese style of crochet that is popular in toy making.
Each Dogfish model has been made by hand, meaning they are all one of a kind. Each face is hand sewn, as are the spots you see on his back. I hope you love your Dogfish toy as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.
Keep scrolling to learn more about the recycled materials I chose to complete this project!
Re-Up Recycled Yarn
100% Recycled Yarn
From trusted American yarn company Lion, Re-up is 100% recycled from plastic bottles. With its gorgeous orange colour and high value sustainability factor, this was perfect for crocheting Dogfish’s body.
I used Lion Brand’s Re-Up yarn in Orange and Red to crochet Dogfish’s body and heart, respectively.
Eco-Fi Plus Premium Felt
Made from Plastic Bottles
A premium polyester synthetic felt that is thicker and heavier than standard craft felt.
Uses natural Silver and Copper Cleansing Ions to resist mold, mildew and odor.
I used this 100% recycled felt for Dogfish’s eyes, nose, and the spots on his back.
Gutermann 100% rPET Thread
An Efficient use for Plastic
One regular plastic bottle breaks down into several spools of this high quality sew-all thread. Highly rated from industry leading German brand Gutermann.
I used Gutermann’s 100% recyled sew-all thread to attach the felt spots/eyes, as well as create Dogfish’s whiskers.
And to finish our friend, I sewed the same thread for his eyebrows and mouth.
The outside of Dogfish is 100% recycled, and so is the inside! My go-to toy filling is already made of 100% recycled polyester; deciding on his guts was the easiest part of the whole project.
100% Recyled Polyester Filling
The Number One Toy Stuffing on the Market
This special blend of 100% recycled polyester fibers creating an extraordinary resilience that maintains its integrity through countless launderings. Non-allergenic and will not bunch.
Support the Author
Rita Reed recently published her second installment of the Dogfish Tales series, Dogfish stands up to Bullying, available now on Amazon.
Learn more about me
I publish a biweekly newsletter called In the Wool, where you can read a much more in-depth review of my Dogfish design process and browse tonnes of general craft interest pieces. Click here to check out In the Wool and subscribe free with just your email address.