Knitted Doll (Grade 4)

It's very cold and snowy here today, so I finally finished up my knitted doll!

In my Handwork Teacher Training, this was suggested as a third grade project, but I think it works really well in grade 4 as part of the Zoology block (to go with chapter 1 of Kovacs). A doll + wardrobe are the final patterns in A First Book of Knitting for Children, but I particularly like this one because it encourages children to make their dolls unique.

It also goes spectacularly well with the Kovacs chapter, and I really noticed the children looking at human proportions to see how big to make the head and how long to make the arms.

Thank you to Nicole for this "pattern" and the lovely wording!

you will need worsted weight yarn in a variety of colors (shoe color, clothing colors, skin color, hair color, accessory colors) and corresponding knitting needles

"I can't give you a pattern for this because people are different sizes"

"we come in all different colors and so do our dolls”

"we come in all different sizes and so do our dolls”

you will begin at one of the doll’s feet

cast on 12 stitches

knit until the leg is as long as you would like, then cast on for a second

knit second leg, then join them by knitting across all rows

knit torso as long as you want it to be

knit the head smaller — fewer stitches, fewer rows — than you did the torso

k2tog across the entire row, then use the gathering stitch to complete the head

now you will make two arms

cast on 10 stitches for arms in shirt color

knit until the arm is as long as you would like, switch to hand color at end of arm and then use the gathering stitch to complete the arm

notes:

for a smaller doll, cast on 10 instead of 12 stitches for the legs (in which case use 8 stitches instead of 10 stitches for the arms)

for a variety of textures, you could use garter stitch for skin but use stockinette stitch (knit a row, purl a row) for the shoes and clothing

the doll can be made so that he/she is completely clothed already (for slower knitters) OR made with skin and undergarments like tights/undies and then you can have fun inventing and knitting separate clothing and accessories

do NOT make the doll all in skin color such that he/she is naked

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