My Crochet Doll by Isabelle Kessedjian

This book by Isabelle Kessedjian is one that has been on my wish list for several months; last Thursday it finally arrived!  I love the simplicity and sweetness of this crochet doll :-)

The book is full of marvelous pictures and patterns for this delightful doll; she reminds me so much of the illustrations of Joan Walsh Anglund:

Illustrations of Joan Walsh Anglund, from the book  

The Golden Treasury of Poetry

I started and finished my first doll on Friday, then made her several wardrobe items over the weekend and into Monday.  

A back-to-school ensemble:

And a rainy day ensemble:

The sweet bunny pattern is from Fuzzy Mittens Wee Wuzzies pattern

If you wish to make this sweet girl for yourself (or some lucky child you know) here is some information that you may find helpful:

1.  The book is written using UK crochet terminology.  A 'double crochet' in this book refers to a 'single crochet' in US crochet terminology.  Isabelle provides a stitch glossary in the book, so read this before proceeding with any of the patterns.  The stitches are all very simple.

2.  The yarns used in the book are of French manufacture.  I googled the names to determine the weight/yardage of the yarns used, so that locally available substitutes could be found.  Here are the results:

    -For the doll, Bergere de France Ideal yarn is 1.75oz/137yds.  A DK/Sport weight yarn with several possible substitutions.  Patons Astra and Knit Picks Brava Sport are two.  I used Red Heart 3ply Sport since it was in my stash.  A doll made from Astra will be a bit smaller, but there are several lovely flesh tones available.

   -For many clothing articles, Bergere de France Coton 50 is 1.75oz/153yds.  Size 3 cotton thread and Lustersheen were very good substitutes for this.

   -Bergere de France Barisienne 1.75oz/153 yds, but this looks more like a wool/acrylic yarn than a cotton yarn, so fingering weight or light DK would work.

   -Bergere de France Lima 1.75oz/120 yds, light Worsted weight

   -Bergere de France Ecotan 1.75oz/130 yds, DK/Sport weight

   -Bergere de France Caline 1.75oz/196yds, Fingering weight

   -Bergere de France Toison 1.75oz/77yds, Chunky weight

3.  I crocheted the head all in one piece, changing to the hair color yarn and then working the 'scalp' backward.  If you want more hair color coverage at the back of the head, just work several straight stitches in your hair color at the back, like this:

4.  I took three rows out of the torso, and seven rows out of the arms.  I didn't want the arms quite as long as called for, but I think for my next doll I will shorten them by five rows instead.

5.  My doll has a move-able head, which is very easy to do with this pattern as the head is crocheted seperate from the body.  To make the head moveable, simply work the torso as written to the last row, then work one more decrease row to 12 stitches.  Work five or six more rows evenly on 12 stitches, and stuff this neck stub firmly.  Crochet is much firmer than knit, so you won't need to re-inforce the neck.  Finish the neck stub by decreasing around.  When working the head, begin with chain 13, work a single crochet in the second ch from the hook and each chain across (12 sc total), join, work two sc in each sc and then proceed with the pattern as written from round three.  This creates an opening at the bottom of the head for the neck stub to be inserted into.

 Joint the head to the neck as above with four strands of craft or buttonhole thread and a dollmaking needle.  There is a picture tutorial for this technique on  the blog under Tutorials.  Now you have a move-able head!

As with any doll and clothing, check the fit of your work to your doll, and change hooks or tension as needed.

I purchased my copy of the book from Amazon; you may also be able to check it out at your local library.  

 Enjoy the crochet!