Doll Baby (version one)

She’s certainly not a baby doll!

1 skein of dk-weight yarn, such as Elle Pure Gold dk for main body

1 skein of dk-weight skin-tone yarn for head

1 skein of yarn for hair

Stuffing

Embroidery floss

Embroidery stabilizer (optional)

Size 2.75 mm double-pointed needles

Stitch marker

Long doll needle for attaching hair

Yarn needle

Sewing needle and matching-colored thread

Starting with one leg: Using main body color and knitting back and forth, cast on one stitch.

Row 1: Triple increase in this stitch by k1, p1, k1 in the same stitch

Row 2: Increase in each by knitting into the front and back (6)

Row 3: Increase in each again (12)

Divide by knitting four stitches onto each of the three, double-pointed needles. Place your stitch marker at the beginning of the round.

Round 1: Increase in each (8)

Rounds 2-11: Knit

Round 12: increase, k1, inc. k1, inc., k1, inc, k1 (12)

Rounds 13-27: Knit

Round 28: Cut yarn, leaving a tail and knit another just like it. Do not cut the yarn from the second leg. You will need this yarn to join the legs and continue knitting the body.

Now, to join the legs, knit across the leg with the yarn still attached, then add three more stitches using the backward loop method. Now, pick up the other leg and, using the same needle, knit this leg (removing its needle as you go). Continue knitting around onto the next needle. (This is the side of the doll.) Now you are in the back again. Knit the back of the leg stitches (12), then add three with the backward-loop method, then continue with the knitting across the stitches from the other leg, removing that needle as you go. Now, knit the other side. You will have four needles now. Needle 1 has 27 stitches (12 + 3 + 12); Needle 2 has 12 stitches. Needle 3 has 27 (12 + 3 + 12) and, finally, Needle 4 has 12 stitches. Place your stitch marker in front of Needle 1 (just after Needle 4’s stitches).

Knit all the way around, then divide the stitches onto just 3 double-pointed needles. You’ll have 26 on each.

Rounds 29-34: Knit.

Round 35: Increase to 30 stitches on each needle by k5, inc. k5, inc., k5, inc., k5, inc., k2.

Rounds 36-60: Knit these 25 rounds for the body.

Round 61: Now, we need to save some stitches for the arms. So, let’s look at what we have. We’ve got 90 stitches altogether. We could easily take 12 from each side and let them be worked as the arms later. In order to get the arms to hang properly, we’ll divide all our stitches between just two needles, which means we’ll have 45 stitches on each of these two needles. Now, take up a couple of stitch holders or extra needles and slide 12 stitches from each side onto them. (You can make sure it’s even by taking 6 stitches from the front needle and six from the back needle for each side). Now, you’ve got 12 stitches on each side, just hanging. Let them hang. The remaining two needles we’ll be using will have 33 stitches on each. Let’s concentrate on these for now to finish the body and the head.

Rounds 62-63: Knit

Round 64: k2tog all the way, knitting the last one by itself. (17)

Round 65: Knit

Round 66: Increase to 24 stitches on each by: K2, inc., k2, inc., k1, inc., k1, inc., k1, inc., k1, inc., k2, inc.)

Round 67: Knit

Round 68: Divide onto three double-pointed needles by knitting 16 onto each.

Round 69: Knit

Round 70: Join skin color for head and cut body color. Knit this round.

Round 71: Increase to 24 stitches by k1, inc., k1, inc., k1 … all the way on each needle

Round 72: Knit

Round 73: Increase to 30 on each by knitting three, then increasing on next all the way.

Rounds 74-98: Knit these 25 rounds.

Round 99: k2tog all the way (15)

Round 100: Knit

Round 101: k2tog to last stitch, then knit the last one (8)

Round 102: Knit

Round 103: k2tog all the way (4)

Round 104: Knit

Round 105: k2tog (2)

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread a yarn needle with the tail and gather remaining stitches. Pull tightly to close. Knot off and weave in tail.

Take up 2 more needles (or three, if you’ve let your stitches hang on a stitch holder). Examine the shoulder areas. You’ll need to choose three stitches on each shoulder and simply place them on a needle. Then, slide three stitches from your stitch holder (or needle) onto this needle. You will end up with three needles, each with 6 stitches. You will not use any working yarn to pick up these stitches. Grab your yarn, choose where you want to start and begin knitting.

Knit for 20 rounds.

On the next round, k2tog all the way. Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread this tail through a yarn needle and gather the remaining stitches onto it. Pull tightly to close and knot off, weaving in the loose end.

You will notice that your doll has a HUGE head!!! Using the hole that has been left where you joined the legs, stuff the body, the legs, the arms and the head. It will take a lot of work to fill out that giant head! The head’s size will actually help her hair to look like a very full, poofy 1920’s bob. (Well, that’s the idea, anyhow!)

Once your doll has been stuffed, take a look at the head. It’s huge, but the face actually will be quite small. I took a piece of embroidery stabilizer (I used the kind that needs boiling water to go away, but you may choose any kind you like!) and I drew the features onto the stabilizer. I pinned this piece to her face area. I embroidered right over the stabilizer, using a back stitch first to outline each shape. Then, I went back and filled in with satin stitches. Then, I took a pot of boiling water and carefully holding my doll’s head over the sink, I poured the water over her face. It only took an instant and the stabilizer dissolved, leaving my embroidered features completely intact.

For the hair: I had some lovely Berroco Peruvia in a brown colorway. It really looks like hair because of the wonderful browns and reds mixed throughout and it’s incredibly soft. Taking a large doll needle, I backstitched an outline of hair framing her face. Starting at the top of her head, I went down and around, ending in a curl that would be on her face. Then, I cut the yarn and starting a new piece, started at the top again and went down that side, ending in a curl. I only outlined this area around her face, the rest would be completely filled in with long, satin stitches. Starting either at the top of the head or the bottom , just above where the skin-colored yarn begins, take long satin stitches all the way from the top to bottom (or bottom to top). Take them right next to each other, all the way around the head. If you have any small gaps in the top of her head, be sure you take your stitches over top of the gaps and close them up with the yarn for the hair. The doll’s head will squish in a bit as you go, so don’t pull the strands too tightly, but pack them in very close to each other.

Although this Doll Baby started out as a doll for a baby, she didn’t end up that way! She took on a life of her own as I went along. I hope to one day soon knit another, with a narrower body and much smaller head to accommodate a sewn-on bonnet. But if you decide to knit this sassy doll baby, please let me know! I do hope you’ll enjoy her! As always, if you run into any problems or questions, please email me.