Gema, the kokeshi doll

By Teresa Alvarez (J anuary 2014)

About copyright: Its 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 J apan and the Kokeshi dolls are in the list!. This pattern is my
take on one of this dolls, I know that the real ones are not exactly like this doll, but I
like the result!

Steps I followed:
1) Crochet the head and body
2) Crochet the hair (discs and buns)
3) Sew hair to head
4) Place eyes and embroider mouth
5) Sew or sl st bottom to body.
6) Sew embellishements
ABOUT YARN:
The yarn is Creative Cotton (Rico design). Yardage: 50gr, 85 meters.
Number of skeins: 1 beige (skin), 1 black (hair), 1 dark pink (dress), 1 turquoise
(embellishments).

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:

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


ABOUT CROCHET TERMS:
Ive 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)
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:
http://www.mooglyblog.com/linked-double-crochet/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boTGA70BqK8

PATTERN:
All the pattern is worked in spirals, so do not join at the end/beginning of a
row.

Dress embellishments
Long blue row
Using turquoise, ch 52 and make all the row using linked double crochet.

Spiral bicolor

(Tutorials for working with spirals:
http://sewritzytitzy.blogspot.com.es/2009/10/spirals.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iTNBLaREZE )

Magic ring
Round 1: using blue, 3sc, drop st and join dark pink, 3sc (6 sts)
Round 2: using blue 2sc in next 3st, drop st and
pick up dark pink, 2sc in next 3st (12 sts)
Round 3: using blue [2sc in next st, sc in next 2sts] repeat 3 times, fasten off both
colors (15sts)

Hair
Using black

We need three discs (two big and one small) and two buns.

Big discs (make 2)
Working in BLO
Round 1: magic ring, 6sc (alternatively, 2 ch and 6 sc in 2
nd
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 11-12: sc in each st across (60sts)

Small disc (make 1)
Working in BLO
Repeat rounds 1-5 of big disc.

Buns (make 2)
Using black
Working in BLO
Round 1: magic ring, 6sc (alternatively, 2 ch and 6 sc in 2
nd
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 6-9: sc in each st across (30 sts)
Round 10: [sc in next 3st, sc2tog], repeat 6 times (24 sts)
Round 11: [sc in next 2st, sc2tog], repeat 6 times (18 sts)
Round 11: [sc2tog, sc in next st], repeat 6 times (12 sts)
Fasten off, stuff and use ends to sew bun to hair

Hair embellishments
Using turquoise
Ch 15
Sl st in 2
nd
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 2
nd
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 dark pink


Round 30: sc in next 7 st using beige, change to dark pink and sc in remaining 41 sts
(48sts)
Round 31: 1 sc in dark pink, using beige sc in next 5sts, using pink sc in remaining
42 sts (48sts)
Round 32: 2 sc in dark pink, using beige sc in next 3sts, using pink sc in remaining
43 sts (48sts)
Using dark pink in remaining rounds.
Round 33-36: sc in each st across (48 sts)
Round 37-41: 1 increase at each round (53sts in round 41)
Round 42-43: 2 decreases at each round (49 sts in round 43)
Round 44: 3 decreases (46sts)
Round 45: 4 decreases (42sts)
Round 46: [sc2tog, sc in next 5 sts] repeat 6 times (36sts)
Round 47: 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). Ive put inside the doll
some plastic canvas to keep the bottom flat.

Assembling the doll
1) Sew hair to head

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

3) Sew or sl st bottom to body.

4) Sew embellishements

Beginhereattachingtheblue
embellishment,followbehindthe
neck