Curly girlie doll

Flower & Garden Magazine, March-April, 1998 by Kay Melchisedech Olson

Soft and cuddly, this bright and cheerful doll will make

a perfect gift for little girls from teething to teens.

This doll is knit from the top of

her head to the soles of her shoes in

one piece. When she's finished she

will look like a deflated balloon until

you bring her to life by stuffing her

with fiber filling. Her face is sewn on

and there are no wires, buttons or

other objects that will make her

unsuitable for even the youngest of

children. Still, her grown-up charm

makes her appealing for little girls of

all ages.

Don't be overwhelmed with the

many double point needles used

while making the doll's sweater and

skirt. Take your time, working carefully

on one needle after the other. At

first it may seem more difficult to knit

a soft toy in this manner, but you will

find it's worth it when you're finished

and don't have arms and legs and

head to attach.

Materials: Number 5 double

pointed knitting needles (6 needles

minimum, up to 12 needles recommended);

number 10 knitting needles;

one skein each of Wintuk or Wintuk

Brights yam (a 100% acrylic worsted

weight yarn in 3-1/2 oz. skeins) in the

following colors: color A -- Bone

(#3003), color B -- Tropic Pink

(#3220), color C -- Deep Sea Blue

(#3214), color D -- Aztec Gold

(#3208), color E -- Island Green

(#3206), color F -- Crimson (#3204),

color G -- Magenta (#3210), color H

-- Fisherman (#3078), color I -- Sunset

Orange (#3218); small

amounts of sport weight yarn or six

strands of embroidery floss in the

following colors: white, black, green,

red, light brown; polyester fiber filling;

tapestry and embroidery needles;

and acrochet hook.

Gauge: On number 5 needles in

stockinette stitch, 5 stitches and 8

rows equal one inch.

TO SAVE TIME, TAKE TIME

TO CHECK GAUGE.

Finished Measurements: 16 inches

from head to toe.

Hair. With number 10 needles and

color I, cast on 50 sts. Work in garter

stitch (knit every row) until only

enough yarn remains to bind off. Bind

off but do not work in loose ends (this

work will be unraveled later to form

the "curly hair"). Wash this knitted

piece in the machine with warm water

and dry in the dryer. Set aside.

Head: (Starting at Top) With A,

cast on 10 sts. Divide on 5 needles,

join, being careful not to twist.

RND 1 K. RND 2 *Inc 1, K1,

repeat from * -- 15 sts. RND 3 *Inc 1,

K2, repeat from * -- 20 sts. RND

4 *Inc 1, K3, repeat from * -- 25 sts.

RND 5 *Inc 1, K4, repeat from * -- 30

sts. RND 6 *Inc 1, K5, repeat from * -- 35

sts. RND 7 Inc 1, K6, repeat

from * -- 40 sts. RND 8 *Inc 1, K 7,

repeat from * -- 45 sts. RND 9 *Inc 1,

K8, repeat from * -- 50 sts. RND 10 *Inc

1, K9, repeat from * -- 55 sts.

RND 11 *Inc 1, K10, repeat from * -- 60

sts. RNDS 12-30 K. RND 31

(Form Nose) K29, inc 1, K30 --61 sts.

RND 32 K30, in next st inc 6 (knit in

front, back of stitch three times), K 30

-- 66 sts. RNDS 33-35 K. RND 36

K29, K6 tog, K 30 -- 60 sts. RNDS

37-39 K. (After Rnd 39, thread small

amount of yam through tapestry needle

and patch any "holes" resulting from

increasing and decreasing stitches around

nose.) RND 40 K5, K2 tog, K10, K2 tog,

K22, K2 tog, K10, K2 tog, K5 -- 56 sts.

RND 41 K4, K2 tog, K9, K2 tog, K21,

K2 tog, K9, K2 tog, K5 52 sts. RND 42

K3, K2 tog, K8, K2 tog, K20, K2 tog, K8,

K2 tog, K5 -- 48 sts. RND 43 K2, K2 tog,

K7, K2 tog, K19, K2 tog, K7, K2 tog, K5 -- 44

sts. RND 44 K1, K2 tog, K6, K2 tog,

K18, K2 tog, K6, K2 tog, K5 40 sts. RND

45 K2 tog, K5, K2 tog, K17, K2 tog, K5,

K2 tog, K5 -- 36 sts. RND 46 (Adjust

stitches onto three needles at this point.) *K2

tog, K1, repeat from * -- 24 sts. RND

47 K2 tog across -12 sts. RND 48 K.

Sweater: Drop A, join B. RND 1 Inc I

in each st -- 24 sts. RND 2 *K1, yo, repeat

from *. RND 3 K. RND 4 Repeat Rnd 2.

Bind off. Turn work upward, pick up 18

sts on md before increases, evenly spacing

sts on 3 needles. RND 5 K. RND 6 *K2,

inc 1 in next st, repeat from * -- 24 sts.

RND 7 K11, inc 1 in next st, K12 25 sts.

Divide sts onto additional dp needles if

necessary. RND 8 Inc 1 in each st -- 50

sts. RND 9 K. RND 10 Repeat Rnd 8 -- 100

sts. RND 11 K, dividing sts on four

dp needles with 25 sts centered under

nose, and 25 sts on each of other three dp

needles. RND 12 Repeat Rnd 8 -- 200

sts. RND 13 K. RND 14 (Form

Arms) K around to sts on needle to

the right of the nose bobble (these sts will

form doll's right arm), K10 sts. With

additional dp needle, K next 30 sts.

Leaving other portions of doll for the time

being, work only on these 30 sts to form

doll's arm. RND 15 Dividing sts onto 3 dp

needles and joining work, *inc one, K1, repeat

from * -- 45 sts. RNDS 16-26 K. RNd

27 *K2 tog, repeat from * -- 30

sts. RND 28 *K2 tog. K3, repeat

from * -- 24 sts. RND 29 *K2 tog, K2,

repeat from * -- 18 sts. RNDS 30-39

K. RND 40 Inc 1 in each st -- 36 sts.

RND 41 K1, *yo, K1, repeat from * -- 71

sts. RND 42 K. RND 43 Repeat

Rnd 40 (142 sts). Bind off. RND 44

(Form Hand.) Drop B, join A and

pick up (as at collar edge) 15 sts

evenly divided on 3 dp needles, K.

RNDS 45-49 K. RND 50 *K2 tog, K1,

repeat from * -- 10

sts. Cut yarn,

leaving enough

length to thread

tapestry needle

and draw up the

remaining sts.

Tighten sts and

secure, bringing

remaining tail of