Tana’s Japanese doll

By Teresa Alvarez (February 2014)

About copyright: It’s really something great when people like what I have designed.
You can sell the final item or whatever you like, but it would be nice to reference
where you found the pattern!
If there is anything you do not understand or there are any mistakes, please, send
me a message!


 

As you can see in the way I write, English is not my first language. So, you could
come across some mistakes and grammatical inconsistencies. Sorry and my
apologies!
I like many things from Japan and the Kokeshi dolls are in the list!. This is my second
kokeshi doll. I’ve experimented with the hair, my children say the result is like Mario’s
mushroom. Well, they have a point!

Steps I followed:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

Crochet the head and body
Crochet the hair (discs and buns)
Sew hair to head

Place eyes and embroider mouth
Sew or sl st bottom to body.
Sew embellishements

ABOUT YARN:
The yarn is Zakka acrylic Namibuto (Pierrot). Yardage: 25gr, 41 meters.
Number of skeins: 2 beige (skin), 3 green (hair), 1 dark pink (dress), 1 dark green and 1 pink.

ABOUT GAUGE:
It is not important, as far as you are consistent with your tension.
ABOUT HOOK:
3.25 mm hook
Remember that when making amigurumis, stitches should be tight.
YOU WILL NEED:
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

Yarn for the doll.
Two safety eyes.
Stuffing.
Tapestry needle.
Invisible thread (to sew the embellishments to the body)

ABOUT CROCHET TERMS:
I’ve followed the US terminology.
Stitch: st
Chain: ch

Slip stitch: sl st
Single crochet: sc
Double crochet: dc
FLO: Front Loop Only
BLO: Back Loop Only
Sc2tog: decreasing two sc (i.e., 2 st become 1)


 

Bobble: ch 3, yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, [yarn over and draw up a loop,
yarn over and draw hook through two loops] repeat 4 times, yarn over and
draw hook through all the remaining loops.
Linked Double Crochet: ldc
NOTE: I wanted to try the linked double crochet stitch,it can be replaced by
two rows of sc or one row of normal dc. To learn this stitch:
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PATTERN:
All the pattern is worked in spirals, so do not join at the end/beginning of a
row.

Dress embellishments
Long dark green row
Using turquoise, ch 43 and make all the row using linked double crochet.

Back bow
Using dark green
Round 1: magic ring, 6sc (alternatively, 2 ch and 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook).
Round 2: 2sc in next 6 st, (12 sts)
Round 3: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] repeat 6 times (18 sts)

Round 4: [ch18, sl st in base st], repeat 3 times
Fasten off

Circles
Using dark green
Round 1: magic ring, 6sc (alternatively, 2 ch and 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook).


 

Round 2: 2sc in next 6 st, (12 sts)
Round 3: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] repeat 6 times (18 sts)
Using pink:
Round 1: magic ring, 6sc (alternatively, 2 ch and 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook).
Fasten off
Sew small circle on top of big circle and sew big circle to dress.

Hair
Using green
Main hair (make 1)
Working in BLO
Round 1: magic ring, 6sc (alternatively, 2 ch and 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook).
Round 2: 2sc in next 6 st, (12 sts)
Round 3: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] repeat 6 times (18 sts)
Round 4: [1sc in next st., 2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] repeat 6 times (24 sts)
Round 5: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next 3st] repeat 6 times (30 sts)
Round 6: [1sc in next st., 2sc in next st, sc in next 3st] repeat 6 times (36 sts)
Round 7: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next 5st] repeat 6 times (42 sts)
Round 8: [1sc in next st., 2sc in next st, sc in next 5st] repeat 6 times (48 sts)
Round 9: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next 7st] repeat 6 times (54 sts)

Round 10: [3sc in next st., 2sc in next st, sc in next 5st] repeat 6 times (60 sts)
Round 11: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next 9st] repeat 6 times (66 sts)
Round 12: [5sc in next st., 2sc in next st, sc in next 5st] repeat 6 times (78 sts)
Round 13: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next 5st] repeat 13 times (91 sts)
Round 14-16: sc in each st across (91sts)
Round 17: sc2tog, sc in remaining sts (90sts)
Round 18: sc in each st across (90 sts)
Round 19: [sc2tog, sc in next 8sts]repeat 9 times (81 sts)
Round 20: [sc2tog, sc in next 7sts]repeat 9 times (72 sts)
Round 21: [sc2tog, sc in next 6sts]repeat 9 times (63 sts)
Round 22: [sc2tog, sc in next 5sts]repeat 9 times (54 sts)
Round 23: [sc2tog, sc in next 7sts]repeat 6 times (48 sts)
Round 24: [sc2tog, sc in next 6sts]repeat 6 times (42 sts)
Fasten off and sew to head
See photos for help
Sew the center to head:


 

With the help of pins, secure hair to head and sew it:

Bun (make 1)
Using green
Working in BLO
Round 1: magic ring, 6sc (alternatively, 2 ch and 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook).
Round 2: 2sc in next 6 st, (12 sts)
Round 3: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] repeat 6 times (18 sts)
Round 4: [1sc in next st., 2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] repeat 6 times (24 sts)
Round 5: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next 3st] repeat 6 times (30 sts)

Round 6: [1sc in next st., 2sc in next st, sc in next 3st] repeat 6 times (36 sts)
Round 7: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next 5st] repeat 6 times (42 sts)
Round 8: [1sc in next st., 2sc in next st, sc in next 5st] repeat 6 times (48 sts)
Round 9-14: sc in each st across (48 sts)
(for a higher bun, make more straight rounds)
Round 15: [sc in next 2st, sc2tog, sc in next 4st], repeat 6 times (42 sts)
Round 16: [sc in next 5st, sc2tog], repeat 6 times (36 sts)
Round 17: [sc in next 2st, sc2tog, sc in next 2st], repeat 6 times (30 sts)
Round 18: [sc in next 3st, sc2tog], repeat 6 times (24 sts)
Round 19: [sc in next 2st, sc2tog], repeat 6 times (18 sts)
Fasten off, stuff and sew to base hair


 

Big Hair embellishments
Using dark green, make a bobble
Using dark pink:
Round 1: magic ring, 6sc (alternatively, 2 ch and 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook).
Round 2: 2sc in next 6 st, (12 sts)
Round 3: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] repeat 6 times (18 sts)
Round 4: [ch18, sl st in base st], repeat 3 times
Fasten off
Sew bobble to dark pink embellishment and sew to bun (see photos)

Very small detail, using pink, ch 24 and place it here

Small Hair embellishments
Using dark green, dark pink and pink, make one of each color:
Round 1: magic ring, 6sc (alternatively, 2 ch and 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook).

Round 4: [ch9, sl st in base st], repeat 3 times
Sew to main hair (see photos)
Ch 15
Sl st in 2nd ch from hk
[Sl st and ch 8 and sl st in same st, sl st in next st] repeat until the end of the base
chain.

Head and body


 

Using beige
Round 1: magic ring, 6sc (alternatively, 2 ch and 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook).
Round 2: 2sc in next 6 st, (12 sts)
Round 3: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] repeat 6 times (18 sts)
Round 4: [1sc in next st., 2sc in next st, 1sc in next st] repeat 6 times (24 sts)
Round 5: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next 3st] repeat 6 times (30 sts)
Round 6: [1sc in next st., 2sc in next st, sc in next 3st] repeat 6 times (36 sts)
Round 7: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next 5st] repeat 6 times (42 sts)
Round 8: [1sc in next st., 2sc in next st, sc in next 5st] repeat 6 times (48 sts)
Round 9: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next 7st] repeat 6 times (54 sts)
Round 10: [3sc in next st., 2sc in next st, sc in next 5st] repeat 6 times (60 sts)

Round 11-20: sc in each st across (60sts)
(Stuff head as you go, embroider mouth, place eyes)
Round 21: [sc in next 4st, sc2tog, sc in next 4st], repeat 6 times (54 sts)
Round 22: [sc in next 7st, sc2tog], repeat 6 times (48 sts)
Round 23: [sc in next 2st, sc2tog, sc in next 4st], repeat 6 times (42 sts)
Round 24: [sc in next 5st, sc2tog], repeat 6 times (36 sts)

Round 25: [sc in next 2st, sc2tog, sc in next 2st], repeat 6 times (30 sts)
Round 26: [sc in next 3st, sc2tog], repeat 6 times (24 sts)
Round 27: [sc in next 2st, sc2tog], repeat 6 times (18 sts)
body
Round 28: 2sc in every st, (36 sts)
Round 29: [2sc in next st, 1sc in next 2st] repeat 12 times (48 sts)
Comment: in rounds 30-32 we use beige and pink
Using pink in next rounds.
Round 33-36: 1 increase at each round (55sts in round 36)
Round 37: sl st in next 4 sts, fasten off pink and change to dark green, join at any st
(although I prefer at the back where we will place one bow), ch3 and duble
linked crochet all the row, sl st at the 1st st and fasten off dark green. (55 sts)
Join at any st using dark pink
Round 38: sc in every st across (55sts)
Round 39, 40: one decrease at each round (53sts)
Round 40: 2 decreases randomly spaced (51sts)
Round 41-45: 3 decreases (36sts)
Round 46: sl st in next 4sts and fasten off.
The bottom is worked as a circle (work rounds 1-6 of head) in dark pink and then
joined to the body using sl st. (See comments at the beginning of the pattern:
better to attach it once every bit has been crocheted). I’ve put inside the doll
some plastic canvas to keep the bottom flat.

Assembling the doll
1) Sew hair to head (see photos at hair section)


 

2) Place eyes and embroider mouth (using dark fuchsia)

3) Sew or sl st bottom to body. (The photo is from my 1st kokeshi doll)

4) Sew embellishements


 

Begin here attaching the green 
embellishment, follow behind the 
neck …