Part 1: Have a Whale of a Time: Knitting Patterns Inspired by Finding Dory and Finding Nemo

Dive into these delightful Finding Dory and Finding Nemo-related knitting patterns, featuring clown fish, blue tangs, octopi, and more

Recently I became the last person in the U.S. to watch Finding Dory. (Okay, maybe not. It just felt that way!) I loved it, and it made me want to find all kinds of knitting patterns for sea creatures.

Since not all of us have children in our lives, I tried not to make this knitting pattern collection all about stuffed toys (though I did find several cute ones). Here you’ll find a variety of patterns, including hats, socks, washcloths, mittens, and more.

Amazingly enough, I found well over 22 free knitting patterns, and another few patterns for sale that were too adorable to ignore. So this post will contain patterns with blue tangs, clown fish, manta rays, sea turtles, and octopi; part 2 will include starfish and whales (as well as a whale shark!).

Free Knitting Patterns Inspired by Finding Dory and Finding Nemo – Fish

Blue Tang Fish Wristband: Let’s start with the fish of the hour, Dory. This is an adorable wristband emblazoned with the sweetly smiling face of everyone’s favorite blue tang. This would make a great stocking stuffer for a Dory-lover. (Click on the link below the photo to access the pattern.)

Nemo Mittens: These precious mittens really do look just like our favorite clown fish family. I love how each mitten has a thumb on one side and a “lucky fin” on the other.

Finding Nemo Blanket: A very simple garter stitch blanket knitted in the colors of orange, white, and black. A lovely, subtle way to revel in your love of Nemo.

Clown Fish & Friends: This is a small collection of free knitting patterns to create a clown fish (Marlin! Nemo!), a blue tang (Dory!) and an anemone (their home!). This is a lovely collection for those who enjoy marine fish and don’t need the Pixar style with big eyes.

Manta Ray: This is a charted project for an afghan block; if you use cotton yarn, it could also be used to create a washcloth or dishcloth with a cute little manta ray design on it.

Free Knitting Patterns Inspired by Finding Dory and Finding Nemo – Sea Turtles & Octopi

Duuuuuude the Sea Turtle: This is a ridiculously cute amigrumi knitting pattern. I freely confessed to my mom and husband (and now, to you) that I’m knitting one of these for myself. I might keep one in my car. “You’re ridin’ it, dude!” (Apologies if you don’t get that quote.)

Sea Turtle Charts 1 & 2: Two charts, one designer. Number 2 (linked separately from number 1) is basically the same chart as number 1, just redesigned a bit. This is a chart only, not a pattern. But you can easily incorporate the chart into a scarf, a washcloth, or an afghan square.

I [Heart] Sea Turtles Hat: I was going to suggest that you could use the aforementioned chart for a hat, but honestly, it would be much easier to knit this hat instead! This is an actual pattern, not just a chart, with versions for both a slouchy hat in worsted weight and a trimmer hat in fingering weight.

Octopus: I think there just might be more octopi patterns available online than patterns for any other sea creature! I chose this one because I love its curly tentacles. If it’s not your style, go ahead and check this link – you’ll very likely find the perfect octopus for you.

Baby Octopus Hat: This sweet little hat features a “camoflaged” octopus design on the front (just like a real octopus might do) and beads for eyes. If you’d like to see the octopus, you can try using duplicate stitch to make the octopus stand out. Check out the “projects” tab on the pattern page for examples by knitters who did just that.

Octopus Dishcloth: If you know a marine animal lover, this cloth — or any of the several others also linked on this page — would make a great, quick-knitting gift.

Inspired to knit up some sea life? Stay tuned for knitting patterns for starfish and whales, plus some simply adorable Finding Dory & Finding Nemo-related for-sale patterns, coming up in part 2!