One Piece Knitted Doll
Use 4mm needles and 8 ply wool. Doll worked in stocking stitch throughout.
Legs
Make two alike. Start at the bottom of legs. Cast on 22 stitches.
Use a shade of brown, work 26 rows finishing with a wrong side row.
Break off yarn and leave stiches on another needle or stitch holder.
Work another leg in the same manner but do not break off yarn.
(If you wish to make shorts, work 20 rows of brown and then 6 rows of colour for each leg. Continue in this colour for body instructions changing yarn where stated for a T-shirt.)
Body
With right side facing knit across 22 stiches of this leg and then 22 stitches of first leg from stitch holder.(44 st.)
Work 9 rows in stocking stitch.
You can change colour here for a T-shirt or continue in brown.
Work a further 18 rows of stocking stitch ending with a purl row.
Next row – K 7, K 2 tog., K 4, K 2 tog., K 14, K 2 tog., K 4, K 2 tog., K 7.
(40 st.) (This is for shoulders)
Work 3 rows.
Next row – K 2 tog. Repeat all across row. (20 st.)
*Change back to brown here if you changed colour for a T-shirt.
Neck
Purl 1 row in brown.
Head
Begin head with a row of increasing as follows, continuing in brown.Knit, increasing 1 stitch in each of the stiches all the way across. ( 40 st.)
Work 23 rows in stocking stitch.
Next row – * K 2, K 2 tog. Repeat from * all way across. (30 st.)
Purl 1 row.
Next row - * K 2 tog. Repeat from * all way across row. (15 st.)
Break off a reasonable length of yarn and thread end through a darning needle.
Thread yarn through all 15 stitches before taking off the needle. These will be gathered up tightly when sewing up the head.
Arms
Make two alike. Start at shoulder. Use colour of T-shirt (or brown if desired) cast on 20 st.Work 8 rows of stocking stitch. Change to brown.
Work 16 rows of stocking stitch.
Do not cast off but break off yarn. Thread a wool needle to pull yarn through stitches before taking them off needle.
MAKING UP
Body and legs.
Fold head and body with right sides together. Start at top of head and using yarn threaded through stitches of head pull up tightly and oversew securely continue sewing back seam of head to about halfway down head. Leave an opening.
Fold legs with right sides together. Run a thread through cast on stitches at bottom of one leg. Pull up tightly and oversew securely. Carry on closing leg seam until dividing point for legs is reached. Repeat for other leg.
Sew up back of the body from top of legs to about half way up the back of the body. Leave an opening.
Turn the legs and body, and head to the right side. Stuff the legs and body. Stuff the head. When happy with the shape close the back seam of body and continue up the neck but still leave the back of the head open.
Features of the face can be embroidered taking the ends through the stuffing and tying off where the back seam of head is open. Eyes can be worked by making a long knot in a piece of wool. As if making a simple knot, make a loop but pass the end of the wool over and over about 8 times before pulling the knot closed. The two ends are taken separately through from the front of the face to the back of the head through the stuffing where the ends can be securely knotted at the back. A little highlight of white can be made with small fly stitches either side of the eye.
When finished place a little stuffing over any ends used for embroidery and close back seam of head.
Run a gathering double thread through the stitches for the neck and pull up lightly to define the neck, tie off and bury the ends into the body.
Arms
With right sides facing start at the hand end of the arm. Pull up the thread that was run through the stitches and over sew securely. Carry on closing the arm seam finishing with the coloured side seam of the sleeves of T-shirt. Do not close the cast on end.
Turn to the right side and stuff the arm. Complete the other arm. Sew them securely to the body at the decreasing for the shoulders, by oversewing around the cast on edge.