Image courtesy Ro Willcott
This little doll is pretty much just a tube with a head & a hood - looks like a baby in a bunting. Directions are written for circular knitting, but you could work all pieces flat and sew them up. I would rather pick up stitches and work garter stitch in the round than sew things together! :)
It works up quickly - took me 3 hours with interruptions while taking notes.
The bunting (body) is done in garter stitch with a row of eyelets near the top for a drawstring. The head and hood are worked in stockinette stitch. Eyes and mouth are single duplicate stitches and hair is a couple of satin stitches at the top forehead.
I recommend acrylic yarn & polyester stuffing because it is indestructible and non-allergenic.
The bunting looks great in random garter stripes (great use for scrap yarn). Use one of the bunting colors for the hood. Variegated yarn also works well for bunting and hood. Looks strange on the head, though.
For the face (head), try pure white, a pastel color, or appropriate shade of cream/tan/brown.
Be sure to secure all loose ends as best you can so that little fingers can't get them.
To secure the surface decorations I tie knots in the end of the yarn and pop them into the inside of the doll.
Size:
7" tall, 8" around at widest point.
Gauge:
About 5 st and 6.5 rows/inch
Materials:
Couple of oz worsted weight acrylic yarn in colors for bunting, face/head,
and hood. About 1/3 of that should be the head color, 1/6 for hood. - Small
scraps for adding eyes, mouth, and a few strands hair.
Couple of handfuls of polyester stuffing
A set of dpns (size 5 or a size small enough to make a fabric where
the polyester stuffing won't peek through, but not so firm that it hurts
to knit it)
Sewing-up needle
Pattern:
Bunting (garter stitch)
Cast on 30 sts leaving a 6" tail. Distribute over 3 needles. Join and work garter st in the round (K 1 round, P 1 round) until there are 18 ridges.
Eyelet round: (K2tog, YO) 7 times, K 2 (this will be center front), (k2tog, YO) 7 times (to end).
Work 2 ridges garter stitch then K 1 round.
Bind off *loosely* in purl. Use a larger needle if necessary.
Head (stockinette stitch)
Holding the bunting with the eyelets at top, locate the center back (where the beginning of rounds were on bunting). Peek over into the inside of the bunting. With face color on inside of bunting, starting at center back, pick up and knit 30 sts (distribute over 3 needles) from the first ridge below the eyelets.
1st round: K2tog around (15 sts) (be sure the public side of the work is facing you.) K 2 rounds on the 15 sts.
Next round: Inc 9 stitches evenly spaced (work 3 incs per ndl - 24 sts total) Work st st on 24 sts for 14 rounds
Next round: (K2tog, K1) around
Next round: K around
Next round: K2tog around Cut yarn leaving 6" tail, draw tail through remaining sts, pull tightly shut and secure the tail.
Stuff the head (not too firmly), mooshing it around until the shape resembles something vaguely human.
Hood (stockinette stitch, worked flat)
Holding the doll with the head at top, locate the center back again. Peek over into the inside of the bunting and count 10 stitches to the right of the center back.
Using hood color, starting at that 10th stitch on inside of bunting, pick up and knit 10 sts from the first ridge above the eyelets. You will be at the center back after you pick up the 10 stitches. Using a second dpn (continue from center back), pick up & knit 10 more stitches around to the left side of the head. Turn work. (you will be looking at the inside of the hood - this will be the wrong/purl side)
Work stockinette st on these 20 stitches until the hood fits over the head. Check by holding the two dpns together (parallel) at the top of the head. It took me 20 rows - could vary depending on how much you stuff the head.
Fold hood right sides together and bind the top off together using a 3 needle bind off. OR Bind off the 20 sts.
Fold hood in half right sides together and sew.
Pull the hood into position on the head and tack it to the center front forehead.
Stuff the rest of the body (not too firmly).
Close the bottom by threading the cast on tail through every other cast on loop, draw tightly shut and secure tail.
Crochet/braid/twist a cord just long enough to circle the doll at the eyelets (neck). Starting at center front, weave the cord through the eyelets. Pull fairly tightly and tie in a strong double knot.
Duplicate st over one stitch in mouth color (pink) in a likely spot on the face. Using eye color, count up 4 rows from mouth and duplicate st one stitch on either side for eyes. Stitch a couple of strands of hair at center top forehead.
Hide all loose ends!