I love designing and making unique toys and other things for my beautiful granddaughters and am always coming up with new ideas for things to make for them.

It is nearly spring here and I was inspired to make something to keep me focused on the days when the flowers will be in bloom.

Here is the outcome of combining 2 of my favorite things.

Supplies

Materials

* See note about yarn weight below *

Flesh color yarn

Flower color yarn

Yellow yarn

Hair color yarn

Green yarn

Pot color yarn

Small amount of pink yarn

Crochet hook suitable size for yarn weight

Polyester stuffing

Scissors

Darning needle

Optional

1 1/2” x 6mm (1/4”) dowel

Pink crayon

2 x 6mm (1/4”) safety eyes

Steam Iron

Yarn Weight

You can use any weight and type of yarn, just be sure to use a crochet hook that is a bit smaller than you would normally use to ensure that the stitches are tight enough to hide the stuffing.

In this sample, I used #1 fingering weight cotton and a 2mm crochet hook.

Here is what I recommend for the different yarn weights:

#1 Superfine – sock / fingering weight – 2mm

#2 Fine – sport / baby weight – 2.5mm

#3 Light – DK / Light worsted weight – 3mm

#4 Medium – Worsted / Aran weight– 3.5mm

Step 1: Abbreviations

ch - chain

sc - single crochet stitch

hdc - half double crochet stitch

dc - double crochet stitch

tr - treble crochet stitch

dec - decrease

inc - increase by making 2 single crochet stitches in the same stitch

Hdc inc - increase by making 2 half double crochet stitches in the same stitch

( ) - instructions to be repeated or done in a single stitch

x - followed by a number indicates how many times to repeat what is in the brackets

st - stitch

sts - stitches

sl st - slip stitch

Step 2: Make the Leaf Base

1. Magic circle, sc 6

2. (Inc) x 6 = 12 sts

* Place a marker at the end of the round

3. (Inc, sc) x 6 = 18 sts

4. (Inc, sc 2) x 6 = 24 sts

5. (Inc, sc 3) x 6 = 30 sts

6. (Inc, sc 4) x 6 = 36 sts

7. (Inc, sc 5) x 6 = 42 sts

8. (Inc, sc 6) x 6 = 48 sts

Make 12 spokes

9. (Ch 5, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and next 3 ch, sc in next 4 sc through front loops) x 12

Work around spokes

10. Work along the right side of spoke - (2 hdc, sc, in top st (sl st, ch 1, sl st) - work along other side - sc, 2 hdc, skip 1 sc on leaf base, sl st in next sc) repeat around each spoke to make 12 leaves

* Cut yarn leaving a 16” tail

* If leaves curl up and you prefer them to be flat, iron flat with a steam iron before sewing on the flowers

Step 3: Make and Attach the Flowers

Make 7

Using Yellow

1. Magic circle- sc 10

* cut yarn

Join blue

2. (Ch 2, (dc, tr) in sc, (tr, dc) in next sc, ch 2, sl st in same st, sl st in next sc) x 5 - makes 5 petals

* Cut yarn leaving an 8” tail for sewing

* Sew the flowers to the leaf base starting with center flower

* Be sure to keep the stitching within the line formed by working through front loops of row 9 of the leaf base

Step 4: Make the Arms & Body

Arms - Make 2

1. Skin color- Magic circle - Sc 6

2. - 10. Sc 6

* Cut yarn

* Do not stuff the arms

Body

*Start with a 10” tail

With dress color, ch 14, join to work in rounds

1. - 6. Sc 14

* Mark last st as center back

* Add the Arms

7. Sc 4 of body, sc 6 around arm #1, sc 6 of the body, sc 6 around arm #2, sc 4 sts of the body = 26 sts

8. Dec, Sc, dec, hdc 4, dec, sc, dec, sc ,dec, hdc 4, dec, sc, dec = 19 sts

9. Change to skin color - Sc 19

* Stuff body

10. (Dec) x 9, sc = 10 sts

11. - 12. Sc 10

* Stuff body & shoulders

Step 5: Make the Head

Continue from where you left off...

13. (Inc) x 10 = 20 sts

14. Sc 2, (inc, sc 2) x 6 = 26 sts

15. Sc 2, (inc, sc 3) x 6 = 32 sts

16. Sc 2, (inc, sc 4) x 6 = 38 sts

17. Sc 2, (inc, sc 5) x 6 = 44 sts

18. (Inc, sc 10) x 4 = 48 sts

19. - 22. Sc 48 (4 rows)

Make nose at center front of face

21. Sc to center front of face. In the next st, start 3 dc sts, then pull yarn through all 7 loops, sc to end of row

22 - 27. Sc 48 (6 rows)

* Cut yarn

* Insert 1 1/2" dowel in neck or stuff firmly

* Insert safety eyes between rows 22 & 23, 5 sts apart (be sure the nose is in the center)

* (Optional) Instead of using safety eyes & if this is for a baby, make eyes using dark yarn - Magic circle, sc 6, pull into a circle and sew on the face as above

* (Optional) Embroider eyebrows & eyelashes with brown yarn

* Embroider mouth with pink yarn

* Stuff head leaving some stuffing above the head as show in picture

* (Optional) Use a pink crayon to add cheek color

Step 6: Make & Add the Hair

Using hair color

1. Ch 33, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc 31, ch 1, turn = 32 sts

2. Sc 2, (ch 8, sl st in 2nd ch, sl st 6, sc 4) x 7, repeat spoke but end with sc 2 - makes 8 petal spokes, turn

3. Work around spoke (4 dc, hdc, sc, sl st, ch 2 , sl st, sc, hdc, 4 dc, skip sc, sl st in sc, skip sc) x 8. petals - end with sl st in last sc

* Cut yarn leaving a 20” tail for sewing

* Mark st at center front of face

* Sew hair to top of head starting at 7 sts away from the center marker

* Tack down hair strands - stitch halfway down petal to join to the head and stich along sides at front edges

Step 7: Attach the Flowers & Embroider the Bangs

* Sew the leaf base to the top of the head using the front loops made in row 9 of the leaf base

* Embroider bangs along the sts at the front of the face as show in the picture

Step 8: Make the Flower Pot

Use Flower Pot color

1. Magic circle - sc 7

2. (Inc) x 7 = 14 sts

3. Work through front loops - (inc, sc) x 7 = 21 sts

4. (Inc, sc 2) x 7 = 28 sts

5. (Inc, sc 3) x 7 = 35 sts

6. Work through front loops- (inc, sc 4) x 7 = 42 sts - sl st to join round, ch 1

7. Work through back loops of row 6 - Hdc 35, join round with sl st, ch 1

8. Hdc 35, join round with sl st, ch 1

9. (Hdc Inc, hdc 4) x 7, join round with sl st, ch 1, = 42 sts

10. - 12. Hdc 42, join round with sl st, ch 1 (3 rows)

13. (Hdc Inc, hdc 5) x 7, join round with sl st, ch 1 = 49 sts

14. - 16. Hdc 49, join round with sl st, ch 1 (3 rows)

17. (Hdc Inc, hdc 6) x 7, join round with sl st, ch 1 = 56 sts

18. - 21. Hdc 56, join round with sl st, ch 1 (4 rows)

22. Hdc 56, join round with sl st, turn and work from inside of pot

23. Work through back loops - (Skip sc, 5 dc in sc, skip sc, sl st in next sc) x 14

* Cut yarn & weave in the end

Step 9: Make & Sew on the Skirt

Use skirt color

1. Magic circle, sc 8, join round with sl st, ch 1

2. (Hdc Inc) x 8, join round with sl st, ch 1 = 16 sts

3. Work through back loops - (Hdc Inc, hdc) x 8 = 24 sts, join round with sl st, ch 1

4. (Hdc Inc, hdc 2) x 8 = 32 sts, join round with sl st, ch 1

3. (Hdc Inc, hdc 3) x 8 = 40 sts, join round with sl st, ch 1

4. (Hdc Inc, hdc 4) x 8 = 48 sts, join round with sl st, ch 1

5. - 6. Hdc 48, join round with sl st, ch 1

7. (Hdc Inc, hdc 5) x 8 = 56 sts, join round with sl st, ch 1

8. - 17. Hdc 56, join round with sl st, ch 1(10 rows)

18. Hdc 56, join round with sl st

* Cut yarn leaving a 20” tail

* Sew the skirt to the bottom of the body around row 3 of skirt

Step 10: Sew the Body to the Inside of the Flower Pot

Use flower pot colored yarn

* Turn the skirt inside out so it covers the body and head of the doll as seen in picture

* Turn the flower pot inside out

* Make a stich in the center of skirt at bottom of body and the center of the flower pot. Pull to join

* Sew the doll body to the flower pot joining the front loops of row 3 of the skirt to row 3 of the flower pot

* Turn the skirt right side out so the flower pot is inside the skirt

Using tail from skirt

* Sew the skirt to row 22 of the flower pot - not the scalloped edge

Step 11: Make and Sew on the Dress Leaf Trim

Use green or desired color

1. Ch 21, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc 19, ch 1, turn = 20 sts

2. Sc 2, (Ch 6, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sl st 4, sc 5) x 3, ch 6, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sl st 4, sc 5), sc 3, ch 1, turn - makes 4 petal spokes

3. Work 4 petals along spokes - (2 dc, hdc, sc, sl st, ch 2, sl st in same st, sc, hdc, 2 dc, skip sc, sl st in next 2 sc, skip sc) x 3, 2 dc, hdc, sc, sl st, ch 2, sl st in same st, sc, hdc, 2 dc, skip sc, sl st in last sc - 4 petals

* Cut yarn leaving a 12” tail

* Wrap around the body and join both end together to form a ring

* Stitch to body where skirt joins the body

You're done. Enjoy!