The last day of 2018! I can’t believe it! I am so excited for this next year because it is going to be my blog year!
I have a Facebook page, an Etsy, a new IG, and a spot in a local artisan store (All the same name – The Burgundy Basket) so I am hoping for success here! This coming year I hope you bring you lots of fun FREE patterns and ideas like Maggie Raggie.
I love to share and feel lucky that I am able to share what I write on this new platform.
Maggie Raggie was born due to a customer contacting me through my Etsy that she needed a doll for a character in her book that could be mass produced quickly because she had to keep her cost down and be able to turn a few dollars profit – so, I got to work making up Maggie Raggie – the 2-hour Ragdoll!
Now, keep in mind that I am a fast crocheter, so she may take you longer, but unlike traditional Amigurumi she won’t take you all day.
The PDF version is available from my Etsy for only $1.99 HERE and contains so many tips for making dolls and Amigurumi that is not included on this post as well as TONS of photos to accompany my pattern.
So, here she is. My Maggie Raggie Doll.
Materials:
This is a great scrap yarn project! You only need small amounts of yarn, so feel free to use leftover yarn and scrap yarn balls. The amounts will vary depending on your yarn and hook size, but really, small amounts are fine.
- Yarn and Hook: any and any hook size appropriate for your yarn. Gauge isn’t important for this pattern. You will want to make sure you have tight stitches for the head and body if you are going to stuff with polyfill. *My example uses 4-ply worsted weight yarn and an H, I and J hook. I prefer to use Caron One-Pound yarn for my toys. It holds up well to wear and tear, washes well and doesn’t get “splltty” when being used. I also start this project -and most that have hair- with a yarn color that matches my hair for the “scalp” and switch to skin color where indicated. This helps the hair blend in with the head rather than having bald spots.
*So, for this example, I start with sage green to match my greenish hair. - Safety Eyes or yarn and needle to embroider face. *TIP: if you use safety eyes and want to do eyelashes, it will be much easier to do the eyelashes BEFORE you adhere the backing onto the post of the eye. If you put the backing on first you will have trouble getting your lashes close enough to the post of the eye.
- Stuffing. I have used Poly-Fill, but you can use anything you would ordinarily for a ragdoll filling. Some suggestions include run stockings, single socks, leftover fabric scraps etc. I have even used leftover yarn scraps for filling, but with these you want to put them in a stocking or something to make sure the ends don’t come out of your work.
- A book* or something for hair making. See more below in the hair section for that.
Stitches Used:
Chain: Ch
Single Crochet: SC
Inc Sc: make two single crochet stitches in the same stitch as indicated
Half Double Crochet: HDC
Back Loop only: BLO
Invisible Decrease: inv. dec. – this is an invisible single crochet decrease
HDC Puff Stitch: hdcPS : for this pattern a puff stitch will be yarning over and inserting hook in space indicated and pulling up a loop 4 times. This will result in 9 loops being on your hook. Yarn over and pull through all 9 loops. You can chose to chain one and close the puff stitch if you want, but it is not necessary.
TIPS: I prefer when making toys to have all my small parts made up first: arms, legs, hair pieces, etc. I prefer to sew these pieces on where appropriate as I go. I find sewing parts on before stuffing to be much easier.
HAIR:
On this pattern we are making the top of the head in a color to blend in with the hair. I prefer to have my hair pieces made first so that I can attach them before finishing my head decreases – this way I can tie them securely in the inside with nothing to weave in after. So, for the hair we are going to make at least two pieces. You can make more if you want a fuller head of hair.
On my longer hair pieces, I wrap my yarn around the book long way and do around 40-60 loops.
On my shorter hair pieces, I wrap my yarn around the narrow part of book about 30-50 loops. Cut.
I securely tie these sections in a long length of yarn that matches the color I will be starting for my head.
HAIR TIE/BOW: (optional): With I hook chain 75 and finish off. Pull both straggler ends tight to secure.
ARMS: (Make 2): With I Hook (or any hook that you find works for you and your yarn)
Chain 2 and make 5 sc in second chain from hook.
Make 1 sc in each chain around 50 times (working in a spiral). Slip stitch in last stitch and pull yarn through to fasten off. Leave a tail to sew arm onto body. (This is simply 10 rounds of 5 sc in each chain, but we are working in a spiral and not joining.) You can choose at this point to make arms longer or shorter if you wish. I do not stuff the arms for this pattern.
LEGS:
The legs in this ragdoll are worked very different than amigurumi style (if you are familiar with that) – or for any doll with legs worked in rounds. We are going to basically be making a long rectangle made in rows.
With a J hook (your I hook will also be fine) AND LEAVING A LONG TAIL chain 50-60. This part is really up to you and is not super important. Chain as many chains as you want so that when you fold that chain in half the length is the length you want for your legs.
For my examples, I chained around 50 with a J hook.
Row 1: sc across your chain putting one single crochet in each chain you made. Ch. 1 and turn.
Rows 2-5: Repeat Row 1 *you can choose here to make thinner or wider legs, but you need to keep the rows odd – so you can do 3 or 7 etc if you like. **After you slip stitch to close in the next steps you want your finish off to be opposite of the long starting chain.
For the last row you are going to work through two layers. You are going to gather your work and fold closed so that you can work through the bottom chain and last row and single crochet across . You will be turning your rows into a “tube.” When you finish off make sure you are on the opposite side of your starting tail and leave a long tail on this side as well for sewing.
HEAD AND BODY:
The head and body are worked in one piece. I do not join each round, but rather continue to crochet in the spiral.
I have used 4-ply worsted weight yarn and an H hook, but I have tight stitches. You may want to use a G hook if you crochet loosely to keep your filling inside.
Starting with whatever color that compliments or matches your hair – the “scalp”: *for example, one of my girls has blue/green hair so her scalp is done in Sage
Ch 2 (you can also use a magic ring if that is your preferred method of starting a circle, but we don’t need to worry about any holes up top because the hair will cover them)
Round 1: 6 sc in second chain from hook (6)
Round 2: 2 sc in in stitch around (12)
Round 3: *1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc** repeat around (18)
Round 4: *1 sc in next two sc, 2 sc in next sc** repeat around (24)
Round 5: *1 sc in next three sc, 2 sc in next sc** repeat around (30)
Round 6-8: 1 sc in each stitch around (30)(30)(30)
Change to skin color yarn
Round 9: BLO sc around (30) – I do this for more definition between hair and face, but its optional if you prefer to crochet in both loops.
Rounds 10-12 : sc around (30)
*I do my face and hair and everything after round 16.
**your eyes will go between round 11 and round 12 with five stitches or so in between and if you are placing them after you have crocheted the rounds for the ears, my example has the eyes about 4 stitches over from the ears, but feel free to move them closer or apart for the look you want**
***I actually do my eyes after the ears for better placement.
Round 13: for this round your count or placement may slightly differ from mine, but if you start in back of the head where you can see your skin color join you should be right with me.
You are going to sc crochet around again, but in 2 of the stitches around head you are going to be working a hdc puff stitch to make the ears, BUT the hdc puff stitch will be worked back up two rounds above in round 11 and you will be pulling up your loop even with round 13. So, if you have already placed your eyes just make sure your ear placement looks right. I tend to crochet my puff stitch ears with the ears more to the front of the head than right on each side.
SC in next 7 sc, puff stitch up to round 11 (your stitch will not be going into the sc on round 13, but over it), sc in next 13 sc, hdc puff stitch (same as earlier) in next stitch, sc in last 8 sc to end this round.
Round 14: sc around (30)
Round 15: sc around (30)
*you will embroider your nose across two stitches between rounds 12 and 13 in between the eyes. Feel free to move this or embroider over more or less stitches to make nose larger or smaller.
I embroider mouth between rounds 15-16
****this is also the point at which I typically tie on my hair pieces so I can flip the head out and securely tie. I do one piece slightly to the front in the center of head and the second, fuller, longer piece over the top part of the head. IF YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE A HAIR TIE/BOW AND WANT IT TO BE SECURE AND NOT COME OFF OR OUT OF HEAD YOU WILL ALSO BE INSERTING THAT INTO THE HEAD AT THIS POINT. If I am doing a hair bow I insert it all the way down by start of hair.
Round 16: We are going to begin our decrease with this round. *SC in next three sc, inv. dec** repeat around (24)
***At this point you will want to start stuffing your head and continue to stuff as you decrease***
Round 17: *sc in next two sc, inv dec in next** repeat around (18)
Round 18: *sc in next four sc, inv dec in next** repeat around (15)
Round 19: *sc in next three sc, inv dec in next** repeat around (12)
Round 20: *sc in next two sc, inv dec in next** repeat around (9)
Now we are going to do the next rows to make the neck.
Rounds 21-23 are the neck. Single crochet one sc in each stitch around (9,9,9)
Now we will begin some increases for the body:
Round 24: *sc in each of next 2 sc, inc sc in next** repeat around (12)
Round 25: sc in each stitch around (12)
Round 26: *sc in each of next 4 sc, inc sc in next** repeat around (15)
Round 27 – 31: sc in each stitch around (15) *you want to be on a “side” of the body when finished so if you are not add a few stitches until you get around to one of the sides – just under the ear.
Finish off leaving a tail long enough to sew the body closed.
Now is the time to add more stuffing if you need by pushing it gently up into the head . I make sure my head and neck or stuffed well, but not overstuff to pucker out my stitches. You definitely want to make sure the neck is stuffed well to hold up head. (TIP: I save all my yarn tails and yarn scraps to use as stuffing. I just place them into a nylon or knee high or single spare sock. You just don’t want to stuff with yarn scraps unless you have a “baggie” of sorts to keep them from poking out. My girls with the aqua and purple hair are both stuffed with yarn scraps in a tube sock.)
Sew on arms to the side of the body. I sew mine just under the neck rounds in line with the ears.
Stuff body. I don’t add much stuffing to the body.
Now, take your legs and fold in half.
Insert the upper portion of legs where the curve is into the body and use the long tail from the side of body to sew the body closed and legs on at the same time. Make sure you are capturing the front of body, through the legs and into a lower back body loop. Tie off and weave in ends.
*you can make the body longer or shorter if you would like*
Finishing up the Hair.
This is optional, but I think it makes the hair look better and it hides the “scalp” since we didn’t individually pull hair pieces through all over the head.
I use Beacon Fabri-tac glue It is the only one I use and trust with any of my fabric and crochet items. I flip the hair over and lightly apply a stream of glue all around the “scalp” color. Then I flip my doll back up and let the yarn “hair” fall down all around the head to cover all the glued scalp. I let sit for several hours even though the glue dries very quickly. After the glue is dried there will be an undercoat of the yarn “hair” that sticks down to scalp and covers the scalp to hide it. Then you just trim your dolls hair as you want. Sometimes if more of the scalp is showing on front than what I want I pull out my embroidery needle and weave some of the hair over for “bangs.” (See pink doll for an example of this)
For Boy hair or short hair I just make a “hat” for the hair and sew it down to the head and just stitch “pieces” of hair around the head. This is just a basic small beanie. It just helps to add bulk. You can do this in single crochet or double crochet or post stitches or however you want to make your “hat” (I have examples of this in my Etsy pattern)
DRESS:
Leave a long tail to sew dress closed when you are done.
Using your H hook, chain 13.
We are going to start this dress in rows, but then switch to rounds.
Row 1: sc one sc in second chain from hook and across (12) chain 1 and turn now and on each row
Row 2: 2 sc in first two sc stitches (4), then sc across to last two single crochet, then sc two sc in each of last two stitches ((16)
Row 3: sc in first 3 sc, chain 3, skip 2 sc, sc one sc in each of next 6 stitches, chain 3, skip 2 and sc in last 3 sc (12 sc and 2 chain 3 spaces)m chain 1 and turn.
Row 4: 2 hdc in each of the first 3 sc, 4 hdc in the chain 3 space, hdc across chain to next chain 3 space, 4 hdc in space. 2 hdc in each of last 3 sc. (26 hdc) Chain 1 and turn (ch 1 does not count as the first stitch on the next round)
Row 5: hdc across row (26 hdc) Chain 1.
Now you are going to fold the dress to make a circle and join with a slip stitch to the first stitch on the same row and begin working in rounds. (your slip stitch will close the rows into a circle) Switch to I hook for the rest of the dress.
Work in Rounds. You will join each round on dress and chain 2. Chain 2 does NOT count as a stitch here.
Round 6: After joining -on this round only- hdc around in back loop only around. Hdc in chain 1 space of join. Join to first stitch of round and chain 2 (27 hdc) (Crocheting in the back loop only for this round just creates a pretty border between the bodice of the dress and the skirt. You don’t have to crochet back loop only if you prefer not to)
Rounds 7-10 : double crochet around the dress and join last stitch to first stitch of round with a slip stitch, chain 2. I choose not to use my chain 2 as a stitch, but you can if you prefer. **you can continue this round for a longer dress* (27 dc on each round)
For my scallop shell bottom (on pink/purple doll/dress), I simply did a shell stitch for the final row. After doing a slip stitch to join your last round, chain3. This chain 3 will be your middle stitch of the shell. Double crochet two more in the same stitch. *Skip 2 stitches. 5 double crochet in next stitch.** repeat this shell stitch around the dress until you get to the end. When you get back to the beginning you will need to do the final two double crochet into the beginning stitch where your chain 3 and two first double crochet are and then slip stitch to top of starting chain 3. Don’t worry if your scallop border doesn’t exactly line up on the back. You may have an extra stitch or two, but just do a decrease or skip 3 etc. For my pink and purple doll I had 3 sc left when I came around the back so I just put my last two double crochet into the last stitch and then joined to my beginning chain 3.
For my dress sash around dress I did a chain 40 and then just weaved it under a few stitches in front and gathered around back to tie.
