Crochet a Spanish dancer doll for a little girl

Ole!

Everybody loves a doll, and Rosa, our little Spanish dancer, is so pretty and quirky, she will dance her way into your heart.

project LIESL KLEU

DIFFICULTY: adventurous beginner/ intermediate TIME: 12-15 hours

YOU WILL NEED ♥ 1 ball African Expressions Harmony in each of the following colours:

A ‒ 2029 (Sand), B ‒ 2281 (Watermelon), C ‒ 2126 (Teal Blue),

D ‒ 2131 (Cherry Red), E ‒ 2132 (Plum),

F ‒ 2011 (Fresh) ♥ Nurturing Fibres Eco Lush in Lime ♥ Fibra Natura Papyrus ‒ 229-26 (Black) ♥ scissors ♥ darning needle for sewing and working yarn ends away ♥ crochet hooks in the following sizes: 3mm, 3,5mm and 4mm ♥ 2 x 9mm safety eyes ♥ polyester toy stuffing ♥ stitch marker ♥ bamboo skewer, about 15cm

TENSION Tension is not important for this project, but the tighter the crochet fabric of Rosaʼs body, the better. So if you tend to crochet loosely, rather drop down a hook size.

ABBREVIATIONS (US crochet terms) beg ‒ begin(ning) bl ‒ back loop ch ‒ chain dc ‒ double crochet hdc ‒ half double crochet MR ‒ magic ring rep ‒ repeat rnd ‒ round RS ‒ right side sc ‒ single crochet sl st ‒ slip stitch st(s) ‒ stitch(es) tog ‒ together

SPECIAL STITCHES STACKED DC When you reach the end of the row, turn and work a sc in the first st. Turn your work slightly, and you will see the strands of yarn on the side of the sc forming a ʻVʼ . Insert the hook under the two strands of yarn that are forming the ʻVʼ to make another sc st.

JOGLESS STRIPES Step 1 Before finishing last st of the rnd, pull new colour through the last 2 loops on your hook instead of the old colour. Step 2 Make a sl st instead of a sc in the first st of the rnd in the new colour, and complete the rnd as normal. Rep steps 1 and 2 whenever you need to change colour.

PICOT ch 2, sl st back into base of first st

CROCHETING IN A SPIRAL Crocheting in a spiral creates a nice, even fabric without a seam where the rnd ends. To keep track of the beg and end of your rnd, position a piece of waste yarn after the end of rnd 2 and pull it forwards or backwards between your sts. Start with your MR, do not join the rnd with a sl st. Do not start the second rnd with a ch, instead insert your hook straight through the first st and work the required number of sts.

2SC TOG Insert hook, yarn over and pull up a loop, insert hook into next st, yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all sts.

3SC TOG Insert hook, yarn over and pull up a loop, insert hook into next st, yarn over and pull up a loop, insert hook into next st, yarn over and pull up a loop (4 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all sts.

4SC TOG Insert hook, yarn over and pull up a loop, insert hook into next st, yarn over and pull up a loop, insert hook into next st, yarn over and pull up a loop, insert hook into next st, yarn over and pull up a loop (5 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all sts.

TO CROCHET HEAD AND BODY Using 3,5mm crochet hook and colour A, beg by making a MR. Work 6sc into MR. Rnd 1: (2sc into next st) 6 times (12sc). Rnd 2: (1sc, 2sc into next st) 6 times (18). Rnd 3: (2sc, 2sc into next st) 6 times (24).

Rnd 4: (3sc, 2sc into next st) 6 times (30). Rnd 5: sc into each st (30). Rnd 6: (4sc, 2sc into next st) 6 times (36). Rnds 7‒9: sc into each st. Rnd 10: (5sc, 2sc into next st) 6 times (42). Rnd 11: 8sc, (3sc into next st) twice, 17sc, (3sc into next st) twice, 13sc (50). Rnd 12: 9sc, (2sc into next st) twice, 23sc, (2sc into next st) twice, 14sc (54). Rnd 13: 9sc, (2sc tog) twice, 23sc, (2sc tog twice, sc14 (50). Rnd 14: 8sc, 4sc tog, 21sc, 4sc tog, sc13 (44). Rnd 15: 18sc, 2sc into next st, 2sc, 2sc into next st, 22sc (46). Rnds 16‒17: sc into each st. Rnd 18: 19sc, (3sc tog) twice, 21sc (42). Rnd 19: sc into each st. Rnd 20: (5sc, 2sc tog) 6 times (36). Rnd 21: (4sc, 2sc tog) 6 times (30). Rnd 22: (3sc, 2sc tog) 6 times (24).

Place eyes and stuff. We placed the eyes between rnds 12 and 13, 5 sts apart. Rnd 23: (2sc, 2sc tog) 6 times (18). Rnd 24: (1sc, 2sc tog) 6 times (12). Change to 3mm hook. Rnds 25 ‒ 28: sc into each st. Rnd 29: (1sc, 2sc into next st) 6 times (18). Change to 3,5mm hook. Rnd 30: 6sc, 2sc into next st, 8sc, 2sc into next st, 2sc (20). Rnd 31: 6sc, (2sc into next st) twice, 8sc, (2sc into next st) twice, 2sc (24). Rnd 32: 8sc, (2sc into next st) twice, 10sc, (2sc into next st) twice, 2sc (28). Rnds 33‒34: sc into each st. Rnd 35: 10sc, 2sc into next st, 12sc, 2sc into next st, 4sc (30).

Change to colour B. Rnd 36: Working into bl, sc into each st. Finish stuffing head and neck. Make sure you stuff the neck as solidly as possible. Insert your skewer so that about half is in the head portion, and the rest in the body. Rosa is very top heavy thanks to her wonderful bun, and needs a little bit of help to stay looking sober. Rnds 37‒38: sc into each st. Rnd 39: (4sc, 2sc into next st) 6 times (36). Rnd 40: (5sc, 2sc into next st) 6 times (42). Rnd 41: sc into each st.

Rnd 42: Working into bl only, sc into each st. Rnd 43: sc into each st. Fasten off colour B, and join in colour C. Rnds 44‒49: sc into each st. Put a st marker into the last st of rnd 49. This is just to secure the st while you work the skirt.

Change to 4mm hook and colour B, find rnd 42 on the body where you did your second rnd of bl sts and hold the doll upside down. It is much easier to work the first rows of the skirt if the body has not yet been stuffed. Row 1: Standing dc into first front loop of rnd 42, 2dc into same st, (3dc into each st) 41 times, turn (126). Row 2: Stacked dc into first st, 1dc into each st, turn (126). Row 3: Stacked dc into first st, 1dc into each st. Break yarn, fasten off colour B and work away ends (126). Row 4: With colour D and RS of skirt facing, work into the bl only, standing dc into first st, 1dc into same st, 2dc into each st to end, turn (252). Row 5: Stacked dc into first st, 1dc into each st to end. Fasten off colour D and work away ends (252). Row 6: With colour E and RS facing, standing sc into first st, (ch2 picot, 2sc) 125 times, ch2 picot, sc into last st. Fasten off and work away ends. Return to row 4, and working in the front loops using colour C, standing sc into first st, (ch2 picot, 2sc) 62 times, 2ch picot, sc into last st. Fasten off and work away ends. Sew ends of skirt together.

Continue with body, removing the st marker holding the last st on rnd 49 in place. Rnd 50: (5sc, 2sc tog) 6 times (36). Rnd 51: (4sc, 2sc tog) 6 times (30). Finish stuffing Rosa, ensuring that the stuffing is even and smooth and the neck still firm, and that the skewer has not moved out of place. Rnd 52: (3sc, 2sc tog) 6 times (24). Rnd 53: (2sc, 2sc tog) 6 times (18). Rnd 54: (1sc, 2sc tog) 6 times (12). Rnd 55: 2sc tog 6 times. Make sure you are happy with the stuffing, weave yarn end through sts and pull tight to close. Weave in ends.

LEGS (Make 2) Using 3,5mm hook and colour A, beg by making a MR. Work 3sc into MR. Rnd 1: (2sc into next st) 3 times (6sc). Rnd 2: (1sc, 2sc into next st) 3 times (9). Join in colour F, and work in jogless stripes. Rnd 3: colour F. Rnd 4: colour F. Rnd 5: colour C. Rnd 6: colour C. Work rnds 3-6 five times. Lightly stuff legs, sew open end closed. Sew legs to the middle of the underside of the body.

ARMS (Make 2) Using 3,5mm hook and colour A, beg by making a MR. Work 3sc into MR. Rnd 1: (2sc into next st) 3 times (6sc). Rnds 2‒25: sc into each st. Sew open end closed, and sew arms to the body at rnd 33.

HAIR Using Papyrus, wrap yarn around a book at least 25cm in height. Cut through one side so you end up with pieces of yarn at least 50cm in length. Beg in rnd 6 of the head, add hair to frame the face, by working one st towards the ear on each row until you have an inverted ʻVʼ , using the method described below. Work around the ear, creating a framework that pleases you. Once you are happy with the shape of the hairline, work a second row of hair on the inside. Turn Rosa upside down occasionally to make sure you are filling in any gaps. Step 1: Insert hook through crochet fabric around a st. Step 2: Yarn over with the middle of a single strand of yarn and pull through. Step 3: Pull ends through the loop and tighten to crochet fabric. Once both rows are completed, trim off excess yarn from the ends to neaten, and twist hair into a bun on the top of the head. Secure with a few sts, if necessary, but you use the roses and leaves to hold the bun in place as you sew them on.

ROSE BUDS Make 2 in each of the following colours: B, D, E. Using 4mm hook, ch7, 5dc into 3rd ch from hook, 5dc into each ch, ch2, sl st into same ch as last dc. Fasten off. Weave in one end, and leave one for sewing.

LEAVES (Make 3) Using 4mm hook and colour F, ch5 and join rnd with sl st into first ch. Ch1, (2sc, 2hdc, 2dc, picot, 2dc, 2hdc, 2sc) into the ch5-sp. Join with a sl st. Fasten off, weave in one end, rolling and securing the base of the rose at the same time. Leave one end for sewing the rose to the hair. Arrange leaves and roses around the base of the bun, and sew to the head and bun to anchor.

SHAWL Using 3mm hook and Eco Lush, make a MR. Into MR work 3ch, 3dc, ch2, 4dc, turn. Row 1: (stacked dc, 3dc) into 1st st, dc into each st to ch2-sp, (2dc, ch2, 2dc) into ch2-sp, dc to last st, 4dc into last st. Rep row 1 five more times. Fasten off and weave in ends. Cut a number of 10cm lengths of the Eco Lush, insert hook into the top of the first st on the last row of the shawl, yarn over with the middle of a single strand of yarn and pull through, pull ends through the loop and tighten to crochet fabric to create a fringe. Trim to desired length. Drape the shawl around Rosaʼs shoulders and fasten the front ends, using the small rose.

SMALL ROSE Using 4mm hook and colour E, ch7, 5sc into 2nd ch from hook, 5hdc into each ch, ch2, sl st into same ch as last hdc. Fasten off and weave in ends, rolling and securing the base of the rose at the same time.