Crazy Crochet Tail, ideas needed

[Echidna]

So, since it came up a few months ago, I'm currently working on a crochet tail
(about half done by now...welp).
It's for dry use only, but the scales come out really nice looking, especially from a distance.

Now my idea was; how about employing the same technique, but using something waterproof, shimmery,
and sturdier than wool yarn?

Was looking at nylon, but those are either ultra-thin threads or thick ropes.
I'd need a nice yarn-sized material, flexible enough to be crocheted, but waterproof (so no textile fabrics).

There's nothing like a silicone-spun thread on the market by any chance? :lol:

Does anyone have an idea what would be feasible to use in such a project?
(I want that tail to be swimmable.)

[Miyu]

Have you thought about using acrylic yarn? I used to be a yarn snob, but I've recently accepted acrylics back into my life :p And those come in all sizes, are cheap, and I'm sure you can get them on industrial-sized cones...

I've also seen some "jelly yarns" that are pretty neat, but I dunno about how pool-friendly they are... I *have* seen some pretty neat "coral" and "anemones" crocheted from them though...

Also, are you on Ravelry? If not, you should join. If you are, my username is MoonlightSeedling, and I'd love to take a look at your project gallery :P

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Easy. Go into a fishing tackle shop, go to the section where they sell fishing lines. Choose the braid lines as they do not stretch.

Fireline is what people use for beading and jewelry making as it is very strong and has abrasion resistance. There are other brands too, but make sure it is BRAID line.

They come in fine lines that look like thread or thicker ones for big game fishing.

[Echidna]

Cool ideas! Thank you both!

I hadn't thought of acrylic, because I heard it's carcinogenic :$
It's waterproof though and comes in many colours.

Not sure about the properties of fishing line in that regard (they are all artificial nowadays),
or if one could wear that in a chlorinated pool.

But for swimming in a lake or such, both should be fine.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Its like everything else really, if you take good care of it, rinse and dry it properly, it will last a long time.

[PearlieMae]

I have never heard of acrylic yarn being carcinogenic. It would work in any kind of water and if cared for like any sweater - rinsed with cool, clear water and air dried, it should be just fine. Natural fibers could shrink in unexpected ways. Synthetic fibers are generally size stable. But even though they are basically plastic yarns, they can still hold a lot of water!

I can't wait to see it!

[Echidna]

yea, I checked my yarn, and most of it actually is acrylic woven with a bit of wool, so now I have yet another thing to worry about.
On the other hand, about everything nowadays is carcinogenic, so either I hang myself on the spot or stop caring about it :rolleyes:

The dry crochet tail is turning out nice at any rate.

Fishing line wouldn't soak up water, so that'd be a good alternative for a swimmable tail.
Not sure how thick it should be though.
The braided lines mostly are only between 0,1mm and 0,5mm.
Could one crochet with that? :thinks:

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Check to make sure you're not allergic to acrylic wool. Generally can't tell if you're using your hands with it.

Only way to tell if you, tie a piece to your wrist, see if any red and itchy marks appear.

Yes you can crochet with fishing line. There are people who use fishing line to make beautiful bead crochet ropes, and they have worn them to swimming pools and don't have trouble with them.

[XMermaidMarinaX]

Uggggghh.. What ISN'T carcinogenic these days! I swear! I refused to get anymore broccoli and cheese steamers, cuz they had bha in em. :/ JNARJNEA! Well still, hope you get what you want ^_^

[Bobbin]

Oh! Another Ravelry Merperson! I'm BobbinNSprocket on Rav! :)

[Bobbin]

You can concievably crochet with any size thread/yarn/rope so long as you have a crochet hook that the strand fits in.

[Echidna]

As long as the thread is flexible enough/not too thick to be knitted, yes.
If it's too thin, on the other hand, the scales become so small you can hardly see them, so the size of the yarn has to be just right.

Anyways, I've my eyes set on some materials right now.

Planning to do a shimmery white tail with 3D scales, and a diaphanous fluke (if I can get my hands on a transparent yarn thick enough).

Next week I'll start. Wish me luck :)

[Miyu]

I had been thinking some nice fishing line would be nice, but I don't go in many tackle shops so I didn't know if they had nicer lines to work with than what I find at Wal-Mart :P

And acrylic yarn shouldn't be too toxic, as most baby yarns are 100% acrylic for easy care and allergies...
Also, if you think you may be allergic to acrylic yarn, try getting a softer yarn (like an acrylic baby yarn)... I'm pretty sure acrylic yarn is meant to be hypoallergenic to the max (again, most baby/kids knit or crochet wear is made with acrylic).

As for Jelly yarns, I dunno how they are in the pool, but I *did* find some "bulky" weight jelly yarns for you! (Some of them are somewhat transparent :) )

http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/yummy-yarns-jelly-yarn-bulky
http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/yummy-yarns-glow-jelly-yarn-bulky

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Acrylic yarns do soak up water. Its not a waterproof product. It would only be good for dry events, cos it will be very heavy when it is wet.

Fishing lines come in a variety of colors, weights and brands. And they don't soak up water.

[Echidna]

Acrylic yarns do soak up water. Its not a waterproof product. It would only be good for dry events, cos it will be very heavy when it is wet.


yes, that's why I won't use acrylic for a swimmable tail.

Was going for a nylon thread/fishing line combo, but that jelly yarn looks really enticing.
Great find, Miyu!

Never heard of it before, seems to be a fairly new development not spread to Europe yet-
there's not even a word for it here-, but from the looks of it would be perfect
(waterproof, made for crochet and knitting, many colours including glow-in-the-dark and transparent ones).

Can't believe no one has made a tail from that before lol!

I might try out different materials and choose the one that behaves best in water :)

[Miyu]

Yeah unless it's a super-tightly-spun yarn, it'll soak up some water... not so bad, though, my acrylic handmade washcloths don't hold as much water as the cotton ones, and they dry out super-fast.

Jelly yarn is still relatively unknown here as well, I've never actually seen any in person :P But it says you can use it for beach accessories, so... And I totally am trying to hunt down various glow-in-the-dark yarns (because, you know, of my obsession for all things that glow).

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Jelly yarns are the same as scoubidou strings, except its on a big spool. The kind used for making lanyards with plastic laces.

http://www.homecrafts.co.uk/buy-scoubidou-braiding-cord-k088ai

[Echidna]

well, hadn't heard of scoubidou strings either xD

they probably aren't quite as flexible too, you need a special kind of flexible for knitting and crochet.

[Miyu]

Haha I hadn't heard of them either >.< All I've seen for stuff like that is the flat stiff lacing I see all the time at craft stores...

[Echidna]

the first test samples:

19038 19039

It's exactly the look I'm going for, and it feels soft and comfortable, but slick and cool to the touch.
Just how I want my scales.

I'll make some more from other materials and then use whatever takes in less water.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Pretty! Have put them in water yet?

[LittleTreasure]

This'll be so awesome! I just finished a project like this, only it's not swimmable and it used "plarn" - yarn made from plastic bags. :D Hope yours turns out lovely and usable!

[Echidna]

I think it will :)
the test patches don't soak water, and while the tail will be heavy once it's completed, I'm positive it won't be too heavy to swim. Might not need a weight belt anymore then ;)

why would plastic yarn not be swimmable though?
Should work just the same in theory, unless it's the floaty variety.

[Mermiah]

I love the crochet tail!! I personally think that mermaids would just sit on the oven floor all day and hook up beautiful things :3 and I found that hemp and cotton yarn hold up well :) (but I think cotton yarn fades a little so if you chose a vivid one don't count on it staying that way ;)) but that's the extent of what I have to add to the conversation ;)

[PearlieMae]

I love the crochet tail!! I personally think that mermaids would just sit on the oven floor all day and hook up beautiful things :3 ...


Please tell me you meant "ocean" ;)

[Mermiah]

Oh goodness /).- yes I did mean ocean haha :$
by the by, what waterproof yarn/string are you useing? Did you buy jelly yarn? (I have been looking into jellies and scoobies lately)

[PearlieMae]

the first test samples:

19038 19039

It's exactly the look I'm going for, and it feels soft and comfortable, but slick and cool to the touch.
Just how I want my scales.

I'll make some more from other materials and then use whatever takes in less water.

That's so pretty!

Anything you crochet together is going to hold some water. Acrylics will HOLD water, but they won't ABSORB water like wool and cotton. The amount of jelly cord and scoubidoo plastic cords you would need for a tail will end up costing about the same for a silicone tail! :doh:

You do know it will have some serious drag in the water, right?

I can't wait to see it finished!

[Echidna]

The amount of jelly cord and scoubidoo plastic cords you would need for a tail will end up costing about the same for a silicone tail! :doh:


not quite, but it'd cost quite a few hundreds.
which is why I'll use threads for making fishing nets.

They're hell to crochet with, but don't absorb water, are partly buoyant (to make up for the water load) and very resistant to tear and wear.

I am worried about the drag though...I'll definitely need a sturdy lexan monofin to go with it :p

sneak peek of first patches:
19438
the scales don't come out well on the pic sadly. they are very lifelike and shimmery.

The tail will be around 7mm thick in one layer.

For fun, I made another underwater snake wig on the side:
19439

designed to be worn over a bathing cap, so I won't need to expose my real hair to chlorine when performing in a pool.

Once the tails are done, I'll post more pics.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

You could try crochet in a more open stitch, that way it will be a little bit lighter.

[Echidna]

I'm using the scale stitch ;)
There's no way to make it less dense, or the scales won't be looking like scales anymore.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Crocodile stitch? I've not done it before but it looks the same as Scale Stitch.

[Echidna]

ye, croc stitch is another name for scale stitch.

[Echidna]

about half done by now:

19644

was hoping to continue speedily, but I'll have to take a break because my finger joints are overworked and inflammated :(

[BayouMermaid]

I love the texture of the scales. Also, the snake hair hat reminds me of a jellyfish, and I totally want one. These look great :)

[Echidna]

thanks!

Originally I planned to add hairstrands to the wig until the "hair" was really thick and wavey, but after a test swim I decided adding more would just result in a giant tangle lol.
(Even so, I spent some minutes disentangling the stuff after doing a flip)

[Alcyone]

wow! this is the description of creativity,isn' it? i like it, it looks so crochety that makes me want to hug a teddy bear(ok, that was weird)!!! keep us updated!

[PearlieMae]

It looks great! Rest your hands!

[Echidna]

Getting there slowly:

20057

closeup:

20058

I can only do 4 or 5 scale rows at most.
Once it's done, I'll start on my silverwhite dragontail.

After, I'll probably need to purchase a new hand :p

[Mermaid Wesley]

Wow! Killer!


Sent from my shellphone using Tapatalk

[Mermaid Dottie]

That looks amazing Caltuna!

[Mermaid_Kenzee]

do you plan on swimming in it????

[Echidna]

yep, that was the point of the entire thread ;)

will have to finish it first though and wait for warm weather.
(No way I'm putting such costly and pretty material in a chlorine pool.)

maybe I should edit the title a bit, but I don't see an option to do so.

[Mermaid Mhara]

Oh my...this is wonderful and...
you will be so warm in the water Q_Q that's all I could think of whilst looking at it haha ;) and how pretty the scale effect looks! :)

[Echidna]

Update:
since I've finished the 3D Krait (pics & video in the "show your tails" thread, also on my YT channel), I've worked on my white dragon tail.

21739

Still have to do the fluke and the waist.
Matching top is finished.

It's coming with me on my summer mermaid dance tour, so I must finish it within the next few weeks.
wheee~~~~~~~~~~

[Mermaid Galene]

Fabulous!

[darksiren]

was there ever a completion pick?

[Echidna]

yep, I have several on my FB page, and there should also be some on the Nixentanz (merdance) page.