2026 VVCAL
Published on May 22, 2026

2026 VVCAL: Fangtooth Motif

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Hello, and a huge welcome to this week of the 2026 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here! I love spending this time with the VVCAL community. We are going to have so much fun relaxingly working through these motifs each week.

Attention!

If you have not yet seen the Week 8 Instruction post, please head there first and see the instructions for the version that you are working. Below, you will find the Motif pattern, in US, and UK Terms, Chart, Video, and Step by step photos.

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

PDF Version

2026 VVCAL PDF COMING SOON! – My Online Shop // Etsy // Ravelry

  • 36 hexies to mix and match
  • 3 Joining methods
  • Wide Lace Border
  • US and UK Terms included

Of course I have also created a value bundle for you COMING SOON! – 2022, 2024, and 2026 VVCALs US and UK Terms (5 PDFs) – Available on Etsy and Ravelry.

Fangtooth Motif

Find the Ravelry Page for this motif here and add your project!

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Enjoy a small reflection on one of this week’s featured sea creatures.

Fangtooth - Wikipedia

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Fangtooth • MBARI

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Fangtooth - AMAZING ADAPTATIONS

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Five Fun Facts

The fangtooth is a small but fearsome-looking deep-sea fish that holds the record for the largest teeth in the ocean proportional to its body size. Despite its intimidating “ogrefish” appearance and massive fangs, it only grows to about 6 to 7 inches in length and is completely harmless to humans.

Adult fangtooth fish dwell primarily in the twilight zone, but juveniles hang out near the surface, where they feed on zooplankton until they develop their signature chompers. Despite an adults’ fearsome appearance, however, it’s actually somewhat defenseless: its small, milky-blue eyes aren’t very powerful, so it relies on its lateral line—a sensitive organ that runs down the side of its body—to pick up movement and temperature changes.

When it comes to food, the fangtooth is an opportunistic hunter, using special chemical receptors to “smell” the water around it for prey. When an unfortunate animal swims within gulping distance, those prominent fangs work like a trap, letting the fangtooth catch fish bigger than itself. Luckily, special sockets on the roof of its mouth prevent it from skewering its own brain with its swordlike teeth.

At the moment, there are only two known species of the fish: the common fangtooth, which is found in temperate waters and measures up to 16 cm; and the shorthorn fangtooth, which is about half the size and lives in tropical zones from the western Pacific to the western Atlantic. 

In order to avoid predators, the fish has also evolved special “ultra-black” skin with concentrated pigment that’s able to absorb 99.5% of light, effectively letting it hide in plain sight.

Fangtooth Motif Pattern

Reference

Scroll for chart and video instruction.

Stitch Guide (US Terms)

Note: Scroll down for UK Terms.

  • 2trcl 2tr cluster: * yoh twice, insert hook in st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, (yoh, draw yarn through 2 lps) twice, rep from * once, yoh, draw yarn through 3 lps
  • beg beginning
  • beg 2trcl (beg tr, 1tr) in st/sp – Counts as 1 2trcl
  • beg dc (1sc, ch1) – counts as 1 dc
  • beg dc4tog beg dc, (yoh insert hook into next st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, yoh, draw yarn through 2 lps) 3 times, yoh, draw yarn through 4 lps on hook – join in full decrease to finish round
  • beg pc beginning popcorn: (beg dc, 3dc) in st/sp, release lp from hook, insert hook front to back through beg dc, grab lp, pull through to front of work to close popcorn
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • dc4tog (yoh insert hook into next st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, yoh, draw yarn through 2 lps) 4 times, yoh, draw yarn through 5 lps on hook
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • pc popcorn 4dc in st/sp, release lp from hook, insert hook front to back through first dc, grab lp, pull through to front of work to close popcorn
  • sc single crochet
  • sp space (ch-sp = chain space)
  • ss slip stitch
  • st stitch
  • tr treble crochet
  • yoh yarn over hook

Written Instructions & Step-by-step Photos (US Terms)

Rnd 1 MR, beg 2trcl, [ch3, 2trcl] 5 times, ch3, ss in beg 2trcl. [6 2trcl, 6 sp]

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Rnd 2 Beg pc in ch-sp, [ch3, pc in same sp, ch3, pc in next sp] 6 times omitting final pc on sixth rep, ss in beg pc. [12 pc, 12 sp]

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Rnd 3 Beg dc in first ch-sp, [3dc in same sp, ch1, 1dc in next ch-sp] 12 times omitting final dc on twelfth rep, ss in beg dc. [48 dc, 12 sp]

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Rnd 4 Beg dc4tog over first 4 sts, [ch3, 1sc in next ch-sp, ch3, dc4tog] 12 times omitting final dc4tog on twelfth rep, ss in beg dc4tog. [12 dc4tog, 12 sc, 24 sp]

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Rnd 5 [1sc in next ch-sp, ch2] 24 times, ss in first sc. [24 sc, 24 sp]

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Rnd 6 [3sc in next ch-sp, 5sc in next ch-sp, 3sc in next 2 ch-sps] 6 times, ss in first sc, cut yarn. [84 sc]

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Stitch Guide (UK Terms)

  • 2dtrcl 2dtr cluster: * yoh twice, insert hook in st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, (yoh, draw yarn through 2 lps) twice, rep from * once, yoh, draw yarn through 3 lps
  • beg beginning
  • beg 2dtrcl (beg dtr, 1dtr) in st/sp – Counts as 1 2dtrcl
  • beg tr (1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • beg tr4tog beg tr, (yoh insert hook into next st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, yoh, draw yarn through 2 lps) 3 times, yoh, draw yarn through 4 lps on hook – join in full decrease to finish round
  • beg pc beginning popcorn: (beg tr, 3tr) in st/sp, release lp from hook, insert hook front to back through beg tr, grab lp, pull through to front of work to close popcorn
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • tr4tog (yoh insert hook into next st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, yoh, draw yarn through 2 lps) 4 times, yoh, draw yarn through 5 lps on hook
  • dtr double treble crochet
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • pc popcorn 4tr in st/sp, release lp from hook, insert hook front to back through first tr, grab lp, pull through to front of work to close popcorn
  • sp space (ch-sp = chain space)
  • ss slip stitch
  • st stitch
  • tr treble crochet
  • yoh yarn over hook

Written Instructions & Step-by-step Photos (UK Terms)

Rnd 1 MR, beg 2dtrcl, [ch3, 2dtrcl] 5 times, ch3, ss in beg 2dtrcl. [6 2dtrcl, 6 sp]

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Rnd 2 Beg pc in ch-sp, [ch3, pc in same sp, ch3, pc in next sp] 6 times omitting final pc on sixth rep, ss in beg pc. [12 pc, 12 sp]

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Rnd 3 Beg tr in first ch-sp, [3tr in same sp, ch1, 1tr in next ch-sp] 12 times omitting final tr on twelfth rep, ss in beg tr. [48 tr, 12 sp]

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Rnd 4 Beg tr4tog over first 4 sts, [ch3, 1dc in next ch-sp, ch3, tr4tog] 12 times omitting final tr4tog on twelfth rep, ss in beg tr4tog. [12 tr4tog, 12 dc, 24 sp]

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Rnd 5 [1dc in next ch-sp, ch2] 24 times, ss in first dc. [24 dc, 24 sp]

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Rnd 6 [3dc in next ch-sp, 5dc in next ch-sp, 3dc in next 2 ch-sps] 6 times, ss in first dc, cut yarn. [84 dc]

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Chart

Note: Chart is meant as a visual guide to the written instruction and might not be able to stand alone due to special stitches.

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Video

Coming shortly!

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Note: Video is spoken in US Terms.

Subscribe on YouTube for more videos like this one!

Links to Weekly Instruction Posts

Quick Links to Each Week: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20

Pin the Motif!

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Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2026 VVCAL!

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

Happy crafting,

Rachele C.

The Art of Crochet Blankets

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