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Knitted boy and girl dolls

Destined to be favourite toys, these colourful knitted dolls make an ideal gift for a new baby or a child’s birthday.

METHOD

MATERIALS

Patons Tasman 8ply (100g balls):

C1 (navy for girl or red for boy): 1 ball

C2 (flesh for both): 1 ball

C3 (royal blue for both): 1 ball

C4 (white for both): 1 ball

C5 (red for girl or navy for boy): 1 ball

C6 (orange for both): 1 ball

One pair 3.75mm knitting needles

One 3.00mm crochet hook

Polyester fibre filling

50cm royal blue satin ribbon (for girl doll)

Pink and brown felt-tipped pens

MEASUREMENTS

Height (approx): 22cm.

ABBREVIATIONS

Beg: beginning; cm: centimetres;K: knit; P: purl; rem: remaining; rep: repeat; st/s: stitch/es; stocking st: 1 row knit, 1 row purl; tog: together.

TENSION

23.5 sts and 32 rows to 10cm over stocking st, using 3.75mm needles. Note: These toys have been designed to be worked on smaller needles at tighter tension than normally recommended. Correct tension is essential. If less sts, use smaller needles. If more sts, use bigger needles.

METHOD

GIRL DOLL

Body (beg at feet)

Using 3.75mm needles and C1, cast on 30 sts, marking centre of cast-on edge with a coloured thread.

1st row (wrong side). Purl.

2nd row. Inc knitways in each st to end … 60 sts.

Work 3 rows stocking st, beg with a purl row. Break off C1.

Using C2, work 4 rows stocking st.

Shape feet. Next row. K7, (K3tog) 6 times, K10 (K3tog) 6 times, K7 … 36 sts.

Work 13 rows stocking st, beg with a purl row, marking centre of last row with a coloured thread. Break off C2.

Work 20 rows stocking st in stripes of 2 rows each C3 and C4.

Shape shoulders. Next row. Using C3, K7, (K2tog) 3 times, K10, (K2tog) 3 times, K7 … 30 sts.

Work 1 row.

Break off C3 and C4.

Using C2, work 2 rows stocking st.

Shape head. Next row. K9, inc knitways in each of next 12 sts, K9 … 42 sts.

Work 21 rows stocking st, beg with a purl row.

Next row. K2tog to end … 21 sts.

Break off yarn leaving a long end, thread end through rem sts, do not draw up sts or fasten off, until required.

ARMS

Using 3.75mm needles and C2, cast on 8 sts.

1st row (wrong side). Purl.

2nd row. Inc knitways in each st to end … 16 sts.

Work 10 rows stocking st, beg with a purl row. Break off C2.

Next row. Using C3. Purl.

Next row. K5, inc knitways in each of next 6 sts, K5 … 22 sts.

Work 7 tows stocking st, beg with a purl row, in stripes of 2 rows each C4 and C3.

Next row. Using C3. (K2tog) 11 times … 11 sts.

Cast off purlways.

SKIRT

Using 3.75mm needles and C5, cast on 82 sts.

Work 15 rows stocking st.

16th row. P1, P2tog, P3tog, rep from to last st, P1 … 34 sts.

Cast off loosely.

COLLAR

Using 3.75mm needles and C4, cast on 33 sts.

Knit 3 rows garter st (1st row is wrong side).

Cast off knitways.

POCKETS (make 2)

Using 3.75mm needles and C3, cast on 6 sts.

1st row (wrong side). Knit.

Knit 8 rows garter st in stripes of 2 rows each C4 and C3.

Using C3, cast off knitways.

HAT

Using 3.75mm needles and C3, cast on 114 sts.

1st row (wrong side). Knit.

Work 4 rows stocking st, beg with a knit row.

6th row. K2tog all across … 57 sts.

7th row. Knit.

Work 8 rows stocking st, beg with a knit row.

Shape crown. 1st row. K1, K2tog, K5, rep from to end … 49 sts.

2nd and alt rows. Purl.

3rd row. K1, K2tog, K4, rep from to end … 41 sts.

5th row. K1, K2tog, K3, rep from to end … 33sts.

7th row. K1 K2tog, K2, rep from to end … 25 sts.

9th row. K1, K2tog, K1, rep from to end … 17sts.

0

11th row. K1, K2tog, rep from to end … 9sts.

Break off yarn, run end through rem sts, draw up tightly and fasten off.

TO MAKE UP

Using back-stitch, join body seam. Turn body through onto right side. Using a flat seam, sew cast-on edge of feet together, placing centre back seam to coloured thread at centre front. Sew inside leg seam, beg and ending at coloured threads and working through back and front tog, to form two legs.

Fill feet, legs, body and head firmly with polyester filling. Draw up length of yarn at top of head tightly and fasten off securely.

Using C1 double, sew straps to shoes as illustrated. Using back-stitch, join arm seams. Turn through to right side and fill lightly. Oversew top of sleeves and sew to body just below shoulder decreases.

With right side facing, using 3.00mm hook and C5, work 1 row double crochet evenly along cast-on edge of skirt. Sew pockets in position. Join centre back seam of skirt, then sew in position on body as illustrated.

Sew cast-on edge of collar to neck, leaving 2 sts free at centre front and centring collar at centre back neck.

1

Cut C6 into 26cm lengths. Using 3.00mm hook and 2 strands of C6 tog, fold yarn in half and draw loop through a stitch in 15th row of head, draw ends through this loop and pull tightly to form knot.

Rep in each stitch all along 15th row. Trim lengths to form fringe. Divide rem lengths in half and make two plaits, tying ribbon at ends.

Using back-stitch, join hat seam and sew hat in position. Using satin stitch and navy yarn, embroider eyes. Using straight stitch and red yarn, embroider mouth. Using pink felt-tipped pen, draw cheeks on face.

BOY DOLL

Work as for Girl Doll to **.

Work 7 rows stocking st, beg with a purl row.

Shape feet. Next row. K7 (K3tog) 6 times, K10 (K3tog) 6 times, K7 … 36 sts.

Work 3 rows stocking st, beg with a purl row. Break off C1.

2

Using C2, work 10 rows stocking st, marking centre of last row with a coloured thread. Break off C2.

Work 20 rows stocking st in stripes of 2 rows each C3 and C4.

Shape shoulders. Complete as for body of Girl Doll.

ARMS

Work as Arms of Girl Doll.

PANTS

Using 3.75mm needles and C5, cast on 60 sts.

1st row (wrong side). Knit.

3

Work 25 rows stocking st, beg with a knit row.

Next row. (P2tog) 6 times, P4, (P2tog) 14 times, P4, (P2tog) 6 times … 34 sts.

Cast off loosely knitways.

COLLARS AND POCKETS

Work as Collar and Pockets of Girl Doll.

HAT

Using 3.75mm needles and C5, cast on 57 sts.

1st row (wrong side). Knit.

4

Work 8 rows stocking st.

Shape crown. Complete as for hat of Girl Doll.

HAT PEAK

Using 3.00mm needles and C5, cast on 18 sts.

Knit 5 rows garter st (1st row is wrong side).

Next row. K2, K2tog, knit to last 4 sts, K2tog, K2.

Next row. Knit.

Rep last 2 rows twice more … 12 sts.

5

Cast off knitways.

TO MAKE UP

Make up as for Girl Doll, sewing pants in position instead of skirt and noting to stitch through centre of pants to form legs, as illustrated.

Using a flat seam, sew peak to hat before sewing hat in position.

For hair using 12cm lengths instead of 26cm and trim as illustrated.

Draw on freckles using brown felt-tipped pen.

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