Miss Merleymaid. Complete.

Readers I give you a totally pointless blog post about a doll.

Sorry. But this took me a while so I'm making a blog post about it. Cause it's my blog. Neener.

At long last here she is.

I finished her. I can't tell you the feeling of accomplishment that has washed over me. I'm on top o' the world.

Ok, not really. But wow, it feels good to have a completed project. Cause it seems these days, I'm lucky to get my hair brushed.

Here are some photos of Miss Merleymaid, Dreadlocked Queen of the Sea. I regret that I cannot give you the pattern because, alas, it is not mine to give. I wish it were mine. Here's a little secret you may or may not know about me, I'm a stickler for following patterns. This is unusual because I can think outside the box when it comes to lots of other things (in my professional life for example, also I had a baby in the kitchen so that's something) but when it comes to knit and crochet, I am absolutely pattern loyal. Also I like recipes. I like to follow them. I wish this were not the case but it is. So anyway.

Bygones.

The pattern is available here. I purchased this fine this pattern when she was having a 30% off birthday sale. That's totally insignificant but I just wanted to tell you. Go to her site. It's Super Cute.

Also just for general educational purposes this is what is known as amigurumi, a Japanese style of knit or crocheted small dolls or animals (or whatever). For more on amigurumi click here. When crocheted they are typically done in all single crochet in the round and thus are not difficult to make (except for the working with very small pieces which may give you an aneurysm. Or a seizure. Or at the very least arthritis.). If you don't know how to crochet go here. It's not for everyone but I like it. When knitting amigurumi they are made with stockinette stitch (Making one of those now. It's an owl. And it's for Anneliese. Don't tell her.).

Moving on.

The yarn:

Flesh toned cotton, rayon blend (TLC cotton plus)
Brown worsted weight (for hair cap, it's not in the picture) (Vanna's {cheap} choice)
Wool bulky weight (by Lion)
Aqua worsted weight (bamboo ewe by Stitch Nation)
Crochet hook size G (um. Metal.)


PS I am a yarn snob. Apologies. For this I did use mostly readily available yarns. Except the TLC, you gotta order that one.

PPS If you crochet or knit and you haven't used any of the Stitch Nation yarns. Do. Now.

Starting with the head. Half done with safety eyes. I challenge you to remove this. It's impossible without a pair of pliers. Or scissors. Or a welding torch.

Outside view. Half done.

Stuff it tight. Full. Packed. How I feel after eating at the Cheesecake Factory.

Add the arms (these are small and small things are hard to crochet. My fingers hurt for two days).

And body (crocheted as one piece). Headless. Arms attached. This is disturbing. I apologize.


Now for the hair. This is made by crocheting a small wig cap and tying the bulky yarn to it. The yarn is then pulled through to the opposite side and the cap is then sewn to the dolls head. This sounds like a lot of steps but it's not. I did it in one evening, with a baby on my lap. Here you see head, cap and Rastafarian hair yarn.

Oh and you see my couch cushion. Cause I was too lazy to get up.

And here is the edge of the hair.

Ella approves.
Yum. Yarn. Tastes... fuzzy.

The last bit it to make her shell boobies and starfish hair accessory. I used wool felt. It's so lovely. And wooly.

Accent embroidery to the outside, done before attaching (that's supposed to be a seashell. The Man said it looked a "little rough". It's a SEASHELL. That's my story and I'm stickin to it. Thank you.)


Also I haven't had a manicure in two light years. My apologies.

Viola.

May I present Miss Bobbie Merleyamaid. Your (sea)weed dealer of the sea. (That's a joke about pot. And a stereotype about people with dreadlocks. The Man made that up. I thought it was worth using. If you made it this far you deserve a chuckle. You're welcome.)

Thanks for sticking around y'all.

Happy crafting.

j-diddle