Comfort dolls-knitting for African Aids Orphans

All photos were taken by William Willabond - ICross Canada Vancouver Island - and are used with generous permission. It has become necessary to ask this - if you wish to use any of these in your own blog to promote Comfort Dolls, please do, but please make sure to include credit to the photographer. There are some people out there 'stealing' these photos for promoting their own business ventures, unfortunately, and thats not what this is all about. Thank you for understanding.







Billy Willabond with a crate of comfort dolls ready to ship

Materials/Tools:
-G hook
-Black plus at least three other colours of easy care yarn, whatever weight fits gauge
-Fibrefill for stuffing
-Yarn needle

Gauge: 1 inch = 7 single crochet (sc) and 7 rows.

Pattern:
-With black yarn, chain (ch) 37. Last 2 ch are first stitch (st) in first row. Slip stitch in first st of same row, ch 1 and start next row in a round..
-Row 1: Continuing with black, sc in second st from hook and in each of remaining ch (should be 35.) Ch 1 and Slip stitch in first st of same row, ch 1 and start next row in a round.
-Rows 2-3: Continue with black, sc in each st across. Finish off black. This is the "shoes".
-Rows 4-14: * With colour A, sc in each st across. Slip stitch in first st of same row, ch 1 and start next row in a round. Continue from * until you have 10 rows of Colour A. Finish off Colour A. These are the "pants".
-Rows 15-25: ** With Colour B, sc in each st across. Slip stitch in first st of same row, ch 1 and start next row in a round. Continue from ** until you have 10 rows of Colour B. Finish off Colour B. This is the "shirt".
-Rows 26-34: *** With black yarn, sc in each st across. Slip stitch in first st of same row, ch 1 and start next row in a round. Continue from *** until you have 8 rows of black. Finish off black. This is the "head".
-Rows 35-42: **** With Colour C, sc in each st across. Slip stitch in first st of same row, ch 1 and start next row in a round. Continue from **** until you have 8 rows of Colour C. Finish off Colour C. This is the "hat".
You should have a cylinder 32 rows.

Construction:
1.Flatten cylinder lengthwise and slip stitch bottom (original chain) with black yarn to make an "envelope. Weave in ends.
2.Stuff lightly with stuffing. Enough stuffing to pad but not stretch the stitches.
3.At top of "hat" sew same colour yarn as the top row through all sc and pull tight to make a point.
4.Do the same, with either colour, between Colour B and the first row of the "head". Pull tight enough to form the "neck".
5.About 5 rows down from the neck and 3 to 5 sc in from sides on both sides sew with Colour B down in a straight line to bottom of "shirt" to simulate arms.
6.About 3-4 rows down from the top of Colour A sew with same colour yarn down to bottom of "pants" to form legs. Do the same with black on the "shoes".
7.Embroider face with eyes and smiling mouth

William Willabond and Icross is where to send your finished dolls... address:

ICROSS CANADA
BOX 3, SAANICHTON
BC, CANADA
V8M 2C3

I've had many people ask how to send them, what will it cost etc... I send mine in a padded envelope, second largest size available, and just stuff as many in as I can. My friend uses a box. It costs us about $8.00 to mail them, and postage is always more expensive to mail inside Canada, than for my global friends to mail here.