Comfort dolls-knitting for African Aids Orphans
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What's this page all about???
This squidoo is all about African Comfort dolls - patterns for knitting or crocheting are further down the page, photos of the kids with their dolls, addresses for where to send your completed dolls.... everything you need to get started.
What is a comfort doll? A comfort doll is a small knitted doll used by ICross Canada . Instead of using packing peanuts or bubble wrap to protect delicate vials of HIV/Aids drugs and medical instruments, they use the dolls. Once the meds are unpacked, the dolls are given to the children in the community. Many children who receive dolls are also patients in the clinic, some are buried with their dolls when they die.
Please consider checking out my other lens as well, called Comfort Doll Project. I raise money using a comfort doll and photos of bands or musicians, and send the proceeds to World Vision or Icross Canada (we periodically rotate charities).
Thanks to everyone for visiting, and for your wonderful comments in my guestbook. I love that there are more people out there knitting! In fact, I'm actually thinking of making a new Squidoo lens just to list all the new knitters and give us more inspiration.Who gets the dolls that are knitted or crocheted?
This is Willie Willabond from Icross with a crate of Comfort Dolls ready to ship to Africa.
BASIC KNITTING PATTERN
The number of rows in each part of the doll can be increased or decreased depending on the individual design. Finished height of each doll is approx. 5 inches.
You need:
*Small quantities of Sayelle, or similar-weight yarn
*1 pair of 2.25 mm needles or maybe larger depending on wool
*Tapestry needle
*Polyester fibrefill
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To make:
*Work in stocking stitch throughout
*Cast on 32 Sts
*Work four rows for feet - change yarn
*Work 14 rows for pants - change yearn
*Work 12 rows for sweater - change yarn
*Work 8 rows for face - change yarn
*Work 11 rows for hat as follows:
*Row l - 4: Work evenly in stocking stitch
*Row 5: Decrease 5 Sts evenly in stocking stitch across row
*Rows 6, 8 and 10: Knit across row in stocking stitch
*Row 7: Decrease 5 Sts evenly across row
*Row 9: Decrease 5 Sts evenly across row (17 Sts)
*Row 11: (K.1, K2 together) 9 times
*Draw yarn through remaining Sts and pull up. -
To finish:
*Sew sides together to form a centre back seam
*stuff body.
*Weave a strand of matching yarn across the first face row. Draw up to form neck and secure ends.
*Repeat for body, drawing in at the feet bottom -
*With matching yarn, form arms with small backstitches through all layers from waist to 2 rows beneath the neck.
*Define the legs in same way from bottom to a little below the waistline.
*Embroider facial features as desired
CROCHET PATTERN
(designed by Nan Hawthorne - Northwest Wings of Love)
-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
WHERE TO SEND YOUR FINISHED DOLLS
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 $18.00 to mail them, and postage is always more expensive to mail inside Canada, than for my global friends to mail here.
Music that I love
music is the heartbeat of life
Reader Feedback
HI, feel free to leave a comment or just say hello. Your comments are screened, so please dont panic if it doesnt show up right away! Thanks. and thanks for stopping by
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cathy s
May 17, 2012 @ 6:27 am | delete
- can you tell me what ply/thickness Sayelle yarn is? I havent heard of it, and want to just buy some cheap yarn to try.
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donna_m May 17, 2012 @ 1:59 pm | delete
- hI Cathy, any thickness yarn will do as long as the needles and yarn together produce a tight enough knit that the stuffing isnt seen through it when its stretched a bit.
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Lily
Mar 19, 2012 @ 9:48 pm | delete
- hello! I am wondering if you are still taking dolls?
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donna_m Mar 20, 2012 @ 2:52 pm | delete
- Hi Lily, yes Icross is still taking dolls! and thanks much!
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LewesDE
Feb 17, 2012 @ 12:33 pm | delete
- This is an awesome lens!
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donna_m Mar 20, 2012 @ 2:52 pm | delete
- Thanks very much!
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Winnie
Feb 16, 2012 @ 5:00 pm | delete
- February 16, 2012
I have just started to knit your dolls and hope you are still taking them , as it is the best charity project I have found .thank you for doing such a great job.
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donna_m Feb 16, 2012 @ 5:06 pm | delete
- Hi Winnie, yes Icross Canada is still taking dolls! And thanks so much for knitting!
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Shirleykins
Dec 8, 2011 @ 8:30 am | delete
- I am going to try my hand at this! I've been in a rut with what my next project is going to be, I think this is a perfect idea! I also work with felted wool, will they except felted dolls? I have so much left over from other projects and it kills me to throw anything away! Thanks for the post!
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donna_m Jan 13, 2012 @ 2:19 pm | delete
- Hi Shirley - felted dolls sounds like a wonderful thing to try! let us know how they turn out!
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by donna_m
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