A Birthday doll

I think I have probably spent most of my time this last month working on this project and with time ‘of the essence’, as they say, I have had to give up being a perfectionist and just do the best I could in the time.

Originally I had just wanted to buy a boy (not baby) doll and make clothes for it. But not finding anything suitable in the shops, I resorted to making the doll myself.

Previously I have only made knitted dolls with integral clothes and I had no pattern, nor could I find one easily on the internet, so I decided to work up my own pattern. In the end I got quite ambitious.

I used these patterns that I had in my store to help with approximate number of stitches and shaping

but I had to modify all of them to get what I wanted.

I also found this chart on-line

which I used to give me an idea of the correct proportions for a three year old.

So you start with a naked boy doll.

Yes! I know he is two-tone. This is because I had a limited quantity of flesh coloured yarn, and plenty of the cream. So I decided to keep the flesh colour for the head and hands (& arms) which would show most. The cream is actually very poor quality in my opinion but I didn’t really realise that till later.

I decided to give him thumbs

and  stitched rows of small stitches to indicate fingers

and toes.

I am sure most of you could do a lot better with the stitching, which is a weak point of mine, but I wasn’t being a perfectionist; was I?

I decided not to try and make his legs and arms bend but as you can see I did indicate wrists and ankles.

I also gave him ears and nose as well as the essential eyes and mouth.

No! he’s not very pretty but then he doesn’t look girly either.

To finish: a modified version of Jean Greenhowe’s hair. The most important modification was wrapping the stitches when I turned mid row. That got rid of the holes. Yay!

So now he needs clothes.

Some underwear.

That’s better!

And a blue jumper and red trousers will be cheerful.

Let’s put them on!

And what about when he goes out?

He needs a coat and hat and shoes.

That’s cosy!

And to finish: a blanket for nap-time.

Most of the doll and his clothes were knitted but, as well as crochetting a blanket, I did use crochet for the irises of his eyes

and the red angry bird hat and blue and white trainers.

The patterns for these were modified versions of ones I found for free on-line.

Here are a couple of extras that I decided to include in the present.

My first version of the vest/T-shirt made in cotton, later embelished with a crochet edging and my first try at a pair of pants which are on the small side and with a folded over waistband that is maybe a bit too thick.

Well they will do as spares!

I wanted a doll that not only could be companion and object of nurturing (maybe) but would also have buttons and laces to give an opportunity to practise the necessary skills needed to cope with such things.

Both my grandsons are very fond of  ‘angy birds’ and have red angry bird hats so I had to give the doll one. Hope my grandson likes it.