HOW TO MAKE a VERY THIN HOOK AND CROCHET a TINY BETTA FISH

One day I wanted to crochet a micro amigurumi - a tiny fish. I already knew how to crochet, I had thin threads, but the most important thing was missing - a very thin hook, less than 1 mm in diameter. I decided to try to do it myself (hello to all those who like to do things by himself). I decided to make the hook out of a simple thin hand-sewing needle.

So, in this instructable you will learn how to make a very thin crochet hook from a thin needle quickly and cheaply at home. The diameter of your hook depends on the size of the needle taken (more precisely the size of the eye of the needle). I got a hook with a diameter of about 0.75 mm.

In this instructable you will also learn how to crochet a tiny betta (Siamese fighting fish / Betta splendens) fish (about 2 cm long and 1.5 cm tall).

P.S. I'm tired of fighting with sites that steal my instructables regardless of the license (which is indicated in the upper left corner). Sorry but I decided to add attribution to my photos. I know it looks a little annoying, but it annoys me even more to see my works under someone else's authorship or for sale.

Gathering the Necessary Material

To make a very thin hook you need:

a thin hand-sewing needle,

wire cutters,

a metal nail file,

pliers,

a lighter,

a plastic non-hollow stick with a diameter of not more than 1 cm, a length of about 10 cm (I used a handle from a broken comb),

a saw,

a pen,

an empty pen refill,

an awl,

petroleum jelly,

hot glue.

To crochet a tiny fish you need:

orange thread (# 40 Madeira Classic Rayon-viscose),

black thread (# 40),

a thin needle,

a toothpick,

polyester fiberfill,

scissors,

magnifying glasses / headband magnifier.

Making the Hook

Very carefully cut a piece of the eye of the needle on one side using wire cutters (photo).

Using a metal nail file remove the lower part of the cut eye of the needle, forming a smooth hook (photo).

The hook is ready, but it’s very difficult to crochet using it. You need to make a comfortable handle (see step 3).

Making the Comfortable Handle

If your plastic stick is not narrow at one end, then make it yourself using a file.

Holding the needle with pliers, heat its tip (the opposite side of the hook) using the lighter and carefully insert it into the narrow end of the plastic stick. Repeat this procedure several times until the needle is deep enough and well fixed (photo).

Gently sand irregularities on the plastic stick.

Basically, the hook is ready, and you can start crochet.

But since your hook is very thin, you need to make a durable cap for it (see steps 4 and 5).

Making the Inner Part of the Cap

Heat the awl a bit using the lighter and expand one side of the empty pen refill (photo).

Put the extended end of the pen refill on the hook and cut off the excess using wire cutters, leaving a 1 cm margin above the hook.

Hold the stock left over using pliers and hold it above the flame of the lighter so that it solders.

Sand the edges.

Making the Durable Cap

Saw off a piece of the pen a little more than the inner cap made in the previous step. This will be the outer part of the durable cap.

Now you need to fix the inner part of the cap inside the outer part using hot glue.
So that the hook can be easily removed after the hot glue has hardened, lubricate the hook handle with petroleum jelly (along the length of the outer part of the cap). To make it easy for you to remove excess hot glue, lubricate with petroleum jelly also on the outside of the outer part of the cap (edges). Insert the hook into inner part of the cap. Then squeeze the hot glue into the outer part of the cap on both sides and quickly insert the inner part of the cap with the hook into the outer part.

Wait for the hot glue to harden. Then remove the hook, remove excess glue and sand the edges of the cap. The durable cap for your tiny hook is ready.

Your tiny hook with comfortable handle and very durable cap is ready.
Now you can start crocheting.

The Body of the Tiny Fish

You will need to know how to make:

chain (ch),
single crochet (sc),
double crochet (dc),
increase (inc) (2 sc in 1 stitch),
invisible decrease (dec(s)) (sc 2 stitches together),
finish off crochet.

There are already great instructables about it:

https://www.instructables.com/id/Beginning-crochet...

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Crochet-Am...

Start with chain 4 (3 + 1 lifting loop). Work in rounds, do not turn. If needed, use a stitch marker for the first stitch of each round.

ROUND (RND) 1: 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 5 sc - around the chain. (In total you will get 6 stitches in this row)

RND 2: 6 sc. (6)

RND 3: inc, 2 sc, inc, 2 sc. (8)

RND 4: sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 2 sc. (10)

RND 5: 2 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 2 sc. (12)

RND 6: 3 sc, 3 sc in 1 stitch, 5 sc, 3 sc in 1 stich, 2 sc. (16)

RND 7: 4 sc, 3 sc in 1 stitch, 7 sc, 3 sc in 1 stich, 3 sc. (20)

RND 8: 5 sc, inc, 9 sc, inc, 4 sc. (22)

RND 9-12: 22 sc. (22)

RND 13: 5 sc, dec, 9 sc, dec, 4 sc. (20)

RND 14: 5 sc, dec, 8 sc, dec, 3 sc. (18)

RND 15: 4 sc, dec, 7 sc, dec, 3 sc. (16)

RND 16: 16 sc. (16)

RND 17: 4 sc, dec, 6 sc, dec, 2 sc. (14)

RND 18: 3 sc, dec, 5 sc, dec, 2 sc. (12)

RND 19: 3 sc, dec, 4 sc, dec, 1 sc. (10)

Stuff the fish with polyester fiberfill (push it in using the toothpick).

Twist the tip of mouth inward and fix it (stitching).

RND 19: 2 sc, dec, 3 sc, dec, 1 sc. (8)

RND 20: 4 dec. (4)

RND 21: 2 dec. (2)

RND 22: dec. (1)

Continue crocheting Caudal Fin (see step 7).

Caudal Fin

Crochet turning work.

Caudal fin consists of two parts.

First part:

ROW 23: 3 ch (lifting chain), 7 dc in the one stitch.

ROW 24: 3 ch (lifting ch), 1 dc, 2 dc in every stitch.

ROW 25: 3 ch (lifting ch), 1 dc, 2 dc in every stitch.

ROW 26: 3 ch (lifting ch), 1 dc, 2 dc in one stitch x3 times, *1 sc, 2 dc in one stitch x4 times. Repeat from * 3 times.

Finish off crochet.

Second part:

ROW 1: attach string to row 23 of first part, 3 ch (lifting ch), 1 dc, 2 dc in every stitch of row 23 (photo). Thus, in two parts of caudal fin, row 23 is common (photo).

ROW 2: 3 ch (lifting ch), 1 dc, 2 dc in every stitch (the same like row 24 in first part).

ROW 3: 3 ch (lifting ch), 1 dc, 2 dc in one stitch x3 times, *1 sc, 2 dc in one stitch x4 times. Repeat from * 3 times.

Finish off crochet.