Session 12: Hair stylesSo I love shoes... a lot! But my love for shoes doesn't even come close to how much I love hair. Dreds, sparkly hair, long hair, pixie cuts - The possibilities are as varied as the yarn you can buy! The videos at the bottom will walk you through how to create a long hair style for your doll. I introduce and talk you through fun fur and embroidered styles, but you will likely find the photos more helpful for these methods. First, here are some examples of what you can accompli
Session 11: Footwear and Hoodie PocketIf I had to choose a favourite part of the doll to work on, it would have to be the shoes! Sparkly shoes, tall boots, scalloped edges, runners, ballet flats, pointe shoes.... I love shoes! The shoe/boot pattern is going to look very similar because we have actually seen it before! (It is the same for the most part) as the foot pattern except that we will be using a bigger hook. Notes: - I am using a G hook - if your footwear is too big, go down to an F) - Start with the color
Session 10: How to Assemble your DollYou have worked so hard to create the pieces of your doll, but even the best work can be spoiled by sloppy seams and finishes. When I was learning amigurumi, it was the sewing that drove me crazy. I really don't like being able to see the stitches in a seam, so I scoured the internet for a solution until I found the brilliant Planet June! I have credited Planet June for another technique that I use daily - the "jogless colour change", and I highly recommend her website for fr
Session 9: HoodThese dolls have seriously big heads and even bigger hair! It's part of their charm, but a major downfall when designing a hood pattern! If we were to use a hood big enough to fit properly, it would be massive. As a result, my dolls tend to have a purely decorative hood. Here it is all worked up! Pattern Notes: - stitches: single crochet (sc), half double crochet (hdc) and double crochet (dc). - all decreases (marked sc2tog) will be an invisible decrease. - Worked in rows, wi
Session 8: ArmsIt probably doesn't need to be said, but you will be making 2 arms. Shocking, right? The hands will be mirror images of each other, so be sure to follow the directions for the correct hand (As always, left/right will be based on the toes facing you). Some things look difficult in print that are actually quite simple, so rather than filling the post with photos I have included two short videos that I hope clarify how to form the hand and close up the arm. Special stitches: Hdc
Session 7: Shoulders/HeadAre you feeling proud of yourself yet? You should be - you have a recognizable object in your hands and if there are kids around you they are probably itching to get their paws on it! We finished Session 6 with completing 16rows of 32sc. For this session, it again doesn't matter where exactly you ended your last round as long as it is on the left side (with the dolls toes facing you). Notes: -It will be important to mark the first stitch of each round from here. -the color c
Session 6: Bum/Torso1. Securing your yarn tails If you think back to session 5, we crocheted over the tail from our slip stitches and left it at the left side of the doll ( with toes facing you)and hopefully you haven't cut it yet. This side of your doll will be the start of your rounds from this point on. There are many different ways of hiding a yarn tail: - working over them; - knotting on the outside and pulling the knot though the stitches and out the opposite side of the doll; - weaving in
Session 5: The Makings of a Join!Joining the legs together takes a bit of trial and error and I can't give you exact stitch counts, but it isn't complicated. The key point is that your join should be perpendicular to the front edge of the toes. If your join slants to one side, your toes will veer to the side as well. Setting up your pieces 1. Hold your legs side by side (toes facing you) with the leg still attached to the yarn ball on the left, and the first leg you made on the right. I tried to break down
Session 4: It starts with a flat ovalBy the end of today, you will actually have something recognizable that you can stuff! I have a confession: I am a rogue "bottom up" crocheter. The vast majority of dolls you see are started at the top of the head, but my brain just doesn't work that way! Pattern notes: - Work in a spiral. Unless otherwise marked, do not not join. Do not turn. - use the invisible increase and decrease wherever 2sc or sc2tog/hdc2tog are used. - sc x 'Y' = sc in the next Y stitches. (i.e. sc x
Session 3: ShapingCheck out this cute little bum, created by strategically increasing and decreasing single crochet stitches. There are many ways to manipulate your stitch count, but it is best to make these changes as invisible as possible. The goal is to avoid gaps around the stitch presenting your poor dolls stuffing to the world! The first stitch change that you will come across is the increase. To add a stitch to a row, you will need to place two single crochets (sc) in one stitch. Increa