General Directions
Everyone crochets a little differently. In a few of the instructions I have mentioned two sizes of hooks. If you crochet tightly, your finished item will be smaller than if you crochet loosely. You can adjust the size by changing the size of your hook. After you have made one item, you can judge the size hook you should use.
Knitting worsted yarn, 4-ply, was used in the projects throughout this book. There are so many colors and styles of 4-ply yarn available that I don't want you to feel limited to using what I have used. Please feel free to pick your own style and colors.
Heads, Hands, Feet
If any of the crochet dolls that you make are to be played with by youngsters, it is better to sew the hands, feet, and head in place. Simply poke 3 or 4 holes into the bases of the plastic parts then sew them to the body, going in and out of the holes. If these parts don't fit tightly, sew a gathering stitch around the body opening and tie tightly after you have inserted the plastic parts. You can glue the body parts in place if they are not going to be played with. Sew or glue hats to the dolls heads in the same way.
There are so many heads and masks to choose from. However the types available differ throughout the country. I always try to stress substitution if you can't find the same style as I have used. Any of the masks that have a drawstring ruffle around their heads (Baby in Bunting, Bag for Baby) can be changed. Simply draw up the ruffle tighter if the head is smaller, or looser if the head is larger. The bottle doll that I used comes with the head and a pair of hands holding a bottle. Another set has the head and thumb sucker hands. If neither of these are available to you, pick a head with a baby face and use a small pair of hands.
Stuffing
Use dacron or polyfil for stuffing. Use the opposite end of the crochet hook to poke the stuffing into the doll. Insert little bits at a time until the form is firm, but still soft.
Sewing Seams & Fastening Off
Use a blunt end needle to finish up seams. To "fasten off" leave a piece of yarn at least 3" long. Pretend you are going to make a single crochet at the end. Draw the yarn straight thru and pull it tightly. If this is the end, pull at least 2" in and out of your work with your hook to hide the yarn and secure your work. This is so important! I have seen many crocheted table cloths and afghans that have started to come apart because the "tail" that was woven thru was not long enough. If you are at a seam that needs to be sewn, thread the 3" (or longer) piece onto the needle. Whipstitch the seam. Then run at least 2" in and out of your work.
Misc. Abbreviations
st = stitch
rnd = round
inc = increase
Pattern © 1981 by Plaid Enterprises, Inc. Reproduced with permission from Plaid. PurpleKittyYarns.com is not endorsed by Plaid.