Session 7: Shoulders/Head

Are 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 change at the end of Round 1 is slightly different than we have done in previous sessions. There are no slip stitches.

Shoulders

1. *[sc in next 2, sc2tog]* repeat from *[...]* around, EXCEPT for the last two stitches of the round. When you have two stitches remaining, you are going to change colors and decrease in the same stitch as follows:

insert hook under front loop of stitch 1;

insert hook under front loop of stitch 2;

yarn over and pull up a loop (2 loops on your hook)

drop color A (hoodie color);

yarn over with color B (skin color) and pull through both loops on your hook. continue with the next row, working over your tails for a few stitches. (end with 24sc)

2. Using skin color now,[ Sc2tog x 12]. (12sc)

3. Sc in every stitch around (12sc)

4. 2sc in every stitch around (24sc)

5. *[Sc in next 2 stitches, 2sc]*, repeat from *[...]* around (32sc)

6. *[Sc in next 3 stitches, 2sc]*, repeat from *[...]* around (40sc)

7. *[Sc in next 7 stitches, 2sc]*, repeat from *[...]* around (45sc)

8 - 14. work 7 rounds of 45 sc.

15. *[Sc in next 7 stitches, sc2tog]*, repeat from *[...]* around (40sc)

16. *[Sc in next 3 stitches, 2sc]*, repeat from *[...]* around (32sc)

.... do not cut, do not fasten off.

BAD NEWS:

We have gone as far on the head as we can without installing the eyes. I have mailed them out to you and hopefully Canada Post is super speedy and we can finish off this head, but you need to put the eyes in after row 16 before continuing to close up.

...When your eyes arrive...

How to plan your face

This step is where your doll's personality really comes alive! placing your eyes higher, lower, closer or further apart, and where you put your nose will completely change your doll's expression. I will walk you through where I put my features, but you have complete artistic license!

1. First, locate the first row of 45 sc you that. (You should have placed a stitch marker at the beginning of this row). I like my eyes in the LINE between the 4th and 5th row of 45 sc.

2. Don't put the eyes in yet, but follow the line across and in the line below, locate the two stitches that are centered above the midline of your dolls body. These will be the stitches that we sew the nose on LATER. But we need to centre our eyes, based on where your nose WILL BE. Clear as mud? hopefully the photo below clears this up.

3. Once you decide where the nose will be, you can centre your eyes. I count 4 spaces from the red dot, putting my eye in the fourth space. I end up with 7 spaces between my eyes.

Note: None of this is set in stone. I just like to have a system. I prefer my eyes lower on the face, some people like them higher.

4. When you are happy with your face, we need to install the washers:

To simplify, on the left is the "female" side of the washer. On the right, this is the "male" side of the washer.

1. Place the female side of the washer on the post of the eye that is inside your doll head (make sure the eye is in your dolls face before your install the washer!)

2. Making sure that you are pressing evenly, you don't want it to be crooked, hold the eye firmly in place and press the eye and the washer together - sandwiching the crocheted fabric between the eye and the washer. Be sure that the washer is installed completely with no gaps between the fabric and the washer.

You can see that the prongs of the male side of the washer dig into the post as you press it on and lock it in place. You will not be able to remove this without destroying the eye (and possibly the doll) so be sure you are ready before putting the washers on.

Repeat for the second eye.

Once your eyes are installed, you can continue to close up the head.

17. Before proceeding, be sure your neck is firmly stuffed so that your head isn't going to flop. *[Sc in next 2 stitches, 2sc]*, repeat from *[...]* around (24sc).

***Begin to stuff your head. Just as with the other parts of the doll, if you push clumps of stuffing in without distributing it evenly, you will not get a smooth, round head. Work in layers, fluffing as you go and paying close attention to the jawline and where your chin would be - stuff these areas well! Stuff as far as you can, and when doing the next rounds hold the stuffing away from the stitches you are working with. We will add more stuffing after each of the following rounds.

18. *[Sc in next stitch, 2sc]*, repeat from *[...]* around (16sc). Add more stuffing, pushing stuffing in at the sides of the head with the handle of your hook, your fingers or a stuffing tool.

19. [Sc2tog x 8]. (8sc). Stuff stuff stuff. Your opening won't be overly large but just work your stuffing in. I like to stuff my head until it doesn't dent when I press on it.

20. Close up your opening. I have a trick for this -- See the video for closing up the head and detailing the face below. We will use the long tail from closing up to sew on the nose.

Closing up the head & detailing the face:

EARS (make 2)

The ear pattern is very simple, and I actually prefer the long haired dolls without them, but they do make a big difference for the short haired dolls.

* Chain 2, make 4 sc's in the second chain from the hook. Fasten off.* Make 2.

Sew your ears to your head.

- I like the ears centred over the arms with the top of the ear in line with the eyes. Sew down in the Ch 2 side of the ear, not the sc's that will make up the ear lobe. I do like to stitch one loop on the back side of the the top edge of the ear lobe down just to prevent them from sticking out too far and looking like dumbo ears.