This is Hootie the Blowfish. He's fluffy, colorful, puffy, a helpful pincushion, rocks a mohawk, and the Dolphins make him cry.

You can call him a fool, but he only wants to be with you-ooo!

Step 1: Supplies

Supplies:

To make one Hootie, you'll need...

--- Colorful yarn
-> Typically for a G-6 size hook, yarn with a weight of 2 is your best bet.
---A G-6 size (4.25 mm) crochet hook
---Poly-fill Supreme Fiberfill
---Felt
->Depending on your colors for the face and fins, you may want to use more than one color. I chose white sparkly stiff white felt for the fins and black soft felt for the facial features.
---Scissors
---Silver nylon cording
->A lighter (only if you want to seal the edges of the nylon cording you cut for the fins)
---A hot glue gun with glue sticks
---Your snazziest sewing pins

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Step 2: Getting Started: Crocheting and Filling

Here's the pattern I used for making Hootie, its a simple sphere:

Round 1: Begin by crocheting 6 single crochet in the first chain using your crochet hook and yarn. I did this using the "magic circle" technique indicated in the picture.

Round 2: Work 2 single crochet (sc) in each single crochet completed in round 1. At the end of this round there should be 12 sc.

Round 3: Work 2 sc in the beginning sc and work 1 sc in next sc.
Repeat this pattern (2121...) and at the end of this round there should be 18 sc.

Round 4: Work 2 sc in the beginning sc and work 1 sc in next 2 sc.
Repeat this pattern (211211...) and at the end of this round there should be 24 sc.

Round 5: Work 2 sc in the beginning sc and work 1 sc in next 3 sc.
Repeat this pattern (21112111...) and at the end of this round there should be 30 sc.

Round 6: Work 2 sc in the beginning sc and work 1 sc in next 4 sc.
Repeat this pattern (2111121111...) and at the end of this round there should be 36 sc.

Round 7: Work 2 sc in the beginning sc and work 1 sc in next 5 sc.
Repeat this pattern (211111211111...) and at the end of this round there should be 42 sc.

Round 8: Work 2 sc in the beginning sc and work 1 sc in next 6 sc.
Repeat this pattern (21111112111111...) and at the end of this round there should be 48 sc.

Rounds 9-20: Work 1 sc in each sc in the round.
-> Complete 48 sc for 12 consecutive rounds

Round 21: Decrease over 2 sc and work 1 sc in next 6 sc.
Repeat this pattern (Sc2tog111111Sc2tog111111...) and at the end of this round there should be 42 sc.

Round 22: Decrease over 2 sc and work 1 sc in next 5 sc.
Repeat this pattern (Sc2tog11111Sc2tog11111...) and at the end of this round there should be 36 sc.

Round 23: Decrease over 2 sc and work 1 sc in next 4 sc.
Repeat this pattern (Sc2tog1111Sc2tog1111...) and at the end of this round there should be 30 sc.

Round 24: Decrease over 2 sc and work 1 sc in next 3 sc.
Repeat this pattern (Sc2tog111Sc2tog111...) and at the end of this round there should be 24 sc.

========> At this point, begin stuffing the Hootie shape firmly with Poly-fill stuffing. Continue to fill with more stuffing over the next two rounds and increase the stuffing as necessary without disrupting your crochet work <========

Round 25: Decrease over 2 sc and work 1 sc in next 2 sc.
Repeat this pattern (Sc2tog11Sc2tog11...) and at the end of this round there should be 18 sc.

Round 26: Decrease over 2 sc and work 1 sc in next sc.
Repeat this pattern (Sc2tog1Sc2tog1...) and at the end of this round there should be 12 sc.

Round 27: Decrease over 2 sc throughout the round (Sc2togSc2tog...) and at the end of the round there should be 6 sc left.

Stuff more polyfill if necessary, and fasten off.

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Step 3: Decorations! First Stop: Facial Features

For this portion, you need to first design the face you would like your blowfish to have. I was assisted by my oh-so-awesome bf in coming up with a super kawaii face for Hootie (see sketch below) =)

Using the sketch, I cut out some simple shapes from some soft black felt and modified them until I found a fit I really liked. The good thing about felt is you can play with it on your ami to see how it fits before gluing it on.

Shapes used:
---Two triangles
-> smaller triangles cut out from each of the two to create V shapes
---One small circle

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Step 4: Decorations! Second Stop: Fins

For the three fins, I used a white sparkly stiff felt. I drew some shapes on paper until I decided on one I liked. I then traced it on to the felt using a permanent marker, cut that out and used it as a template for the other two fins.

After that, I used some silver nylon cordage I found and cut it so that for each fin there are two pieces on each side.
--> I sealed the ends of the cordage very quickly with a lighter for cleaner ends but it is purely cosmetic and I don't recommend any children try it.

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Step 5: Decorations! Third Stop: Assembly

To assemble Hootie, I began by gluing the black facial features I cut out onto one side of his body using a hot glue gun.

I then began assembling the fins by gluing the pieces of silver cordage I had cut out to each of the fins.

Next, I glued the back fin on by putting a small line of glue along the edge of the fin facing Hootie's body and attaching it. I held it in place for just a little while because the glue dries very quickly.

I did the same for the other two fins on each side of Hootie's body. I tried to place them symmetrically to one another but above the center of the shape.

The final step is completing Hootie's blowfish persona using your snazziest pins, and voila! You have your very own awesomely personalized ami blowfish, and a new sewing buddy :D