Pattern: share some more dolly love!

Here's a lovely simple project for you clever people who can knit! It's the African AIDS Orphans Comfort Doll Pattern. This pattern was most kindly sent by Jessie Sutton, Lynne's mum, along with the gorgeous example pictured here. Look at that happy face! The Bug saw him and promptly put him in his mouth, which is (in case you wondered) a great endorsement.

Dolls can be sorted into three groups: decorative, comfort and expressive play, each with its value. While the Uthando Project, blogged here last week, focuses on dolls for expressive play, the African AIDS Project has found that the African orphans get enormous comfort from having a small doll of their very own.

Could you knit a small, simple doll with a happy, brown face? This doll can be made from odd bits of wool, is about 18cm high and is knitted all in one. Hey, I think even I could do that! If you are in Melbourne you can send your finished dolls to:

African AIDS Project Comfort Dolls
c/o U3A Nunawading Inc.
16-20 Silver Grove
Nunawading VIC 3131

A link to local drop-off points will follow shortly, and they can also be sent to: P O Box 157, Pietermaritzburg 3200, South Africa, marked "Knitted dolls - no commercial value".

Materials
8 ply acrylic wool, various colours in small amounts. Brown for the face please, so that the children will relate to it. For stuffing we recommend polyester fibre toy stuffing.

Pattern
Cast on 32 stitches on 4m.m. needles. Knit 4 rows in stocking stitch leaving a 15 cm length to gather for feet when completing doll.

Change colour for trousers. Knit 16 rows. Change colour for belt. Knit 2 rows garter stitch.

Change colour for sweater. Knit 14 rows, decreasing 4 stitches across last row.Leave 15cm length to gather neck. Change colour for face (use brown so that the children will relate to it), also change to 3.25mm needles. Knit 10 rows. Change back to 4mm needles. Change colour for cap. Knit two rows in garter stitch for border.( Pink face for other countries.)

Decrease as follows –

Row 1(knit 4 knit 2 tog)x 4. Knit 4(24 sts.). Alternate rows purl.

Row 3(knit 3, knit 2 tog) x 4, knit 4 (20 sts.).

Row 5 (knit 2, knit2 tog) x 4 knit 4 (16 sts.)

Row 7(knit 1, knit 2 tog ) x 4 knit 4 (12 sts.)

Row 8 (purl 2 tog) across row

Thread remaining sts. onto large sewing needle & sew up cap. Sew up face. Run the gathering thread through the last row of sweater sts. &, after stuffing head, pull up tightly for neck. Finish securely.

Sew up centre back. Run the gathering thread through last row of feet. Stuff body and pull up gathering thread tightly. Finishing off securely.Complete feet by sewing up centre seam through both thicknesses of knitting i.e. dividing feet, which are stuffed individually. Join foot across cast on edge and sew up. Finish off other foot in the same way. Define legs by sewing through all thicknesses from feet towards belt. Finishing off 2 rows from belt.

Define arms in the same way starting 2 rows from neck. Finished doll will appear to have his hands in his pockets.

Embroider a face as desired to give your doll character. Happy face please!

Congratulations. You have just woven some magic into a child’s life. Thank you on behalf of the tiny orphans of Africa.

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