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I have wanted to make a little pioneer girl doll for a long time. I have a little Anne of Green Gables doll that I made several years ago because I love the Anne books when I was a kid. Another favorite series of mine was Little House on the Prairie so after making the Anne doll I considered making a Laura doll as well. Today seemed like it was the right day to finally make a little pioneer girl doll for a couple of reasons.
First, today is July 24th which happens to be a state holiday in Utah, Pioneer Day. It celebrates the day the first Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley and settled the area. So living in Utah it seemed to be an appropriate day to share a pioneer themed pattern. Then the other thing that has put the idea back in my mind is the recent release of the new Little House series on Netflix. I feel like with the new series I have seen and heard more discussion about Laura Ingalls Wilder, her books, her real life, and the two different series, than I ever have before.
I did make my little doll with brown braids, which is how I always picture Laura, but I just intended it to be a little pioneer girl. You can change up the colors, make specific people or characters, or just make them as a pioneer girl, whatever you want. In fact, take off the bonnet and the apron and it is just a little girl in a dress with braids and doesn't even have to be a pioneer era girl. I think it would be cute to make one with blond hair to have a Mary and a Laura. Or give her blond braids and change up the apron a little bit and you could have a Kirsten from the American Girl books.
To make my little pioneer girl I chose to use a speckled yarn. I thought this would kind of give an effect of a calico print dress, like the speckles were little flowers. You could definitely just use a solid color and it would be cute that way too, but I thought the speckles were a fun way to mimic a printed fabric. I also gave her a little pinafore style apron, a little bonnet, and the legs are made to look like she is wearing dark shoes with white stockings. Her hair is in long pigtail braids.
I used Red Heart Super Saver for all of the colors, Soft Navy Speckle for the dress, Soft White for the apron and stockings, Buff for the skin, Cafe Latte for the hair, Coffee for the shoes, and Brick Red for the Bonnet. This is one of those projects that could absolutely be made in any colors you want.
I chose to only add eyes to the face, and I used safety eyes for my doll. You can also embroider the face, this is the best idea if you plan on making the doll for small children. You can add a nose and mouth to the face in addition to the eyes if that is your preference. I think it will look adorable either way.
How to Crochet a Little Pioneer Girl Doll
Finished Size: about 8" tall
You will need:
- medium weight yarn in desired colors for the skin, hair, dress, apron, bonnet, and shoes (sample made in Red Heart Super Saver in Buff, Cafe Latte, Soft Navy Speckle, Soft White, Brick Red, and Coffee)
- G crochet hook (4/4.25 mm)
- 2- 8 mm safety eyes
- Polyfil fiberfill
- yarn needle
- stitch markers
- scissors
Instructions:
The body and head are made in one piece, the other pieces are made separately and sewn on. Some pieces are made beginning with a magic ring (mr), others begin with a chain, the beginning of each piece will indicate which it starts with.
Body/Head
Make 1 starting with dress color yarn, beginning with a magic ring
Round 1: in mr, ch 1, 6 sc (6 sc)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st (12 sc)
Round 3: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next st] repeat around (18 sc)
Round 4: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 2 sts] repeat around (24 sc)
Round 5: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 3 sts] repeat around (30 sc)
Rounds 6-9: 1 sc in each st (30 sc)
Round 10: 1 sc in blo of each st (30 sc)
Rounds 11-12: 1 sc in each st (30 sc)
Round 13: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 3 sts] repeat around (24 sc)
Rounds 14-15: 1 sc in each st (24 sc)
Round 16: sc2tog, repeat around (12 sc)
Switch to skin color yarn
Begin stuffing body
Round 17: 2 sc in each st (24 sc)
Round 18: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 3 sts] repeat around (30 sc)
Round 19: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 4 sts] repeat around (36 sc)
Rounds 20-25: 1 sc in each st (36 sc)
Round 26: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 4 sts] repeat around (30 sc)
Insert eyes between rounds 22 and 23, about 5 stitches apart, begin stuffing head and continue to stuff as needed as you finish closing up the head
Round 27: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 3 sts] repeat around (24 sc)
Round 28: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 2 sts] repeat around (18 sc)
Round 29: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next st] repeat around (12 sc)
Round 30: sc2tog, repeat around (6 sc)
Finish off and cut yarn, use tail to weave around opening to close, weave in end
Hair
Make 1 with hair color yarn, beginning with a magic ring
Round 1: in mr, ch 1, 6 sc (6 sc)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st (12 sc)
Round 3: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next st] repeat around (18 sc)
Round 4: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 2 sts] repeat around (24 sc)
Round 5: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 3 sts] repeat around (30 sc)
Round 6: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next 4 sts] repeat around (36 sc)
Rounds 7-11: 1 sc in each st (36 sc)
Round 12: sl st in first st, sk 2, 5 dc in next st, sk 2, sl st in next st, sk 2, 5 dc in next st, sk 2, sl st in next st
Cut yarn leaving long tail for sewing
Cut 23- 18"-20" lengths of yarn
Attach one strand of yarn into each open stitch from round 11 using a larks head knot (fold the strand in half, pull the folded end through the stitch, then pull the loose ends through the loop made by the folded end, pull to tighten
Divide the strands in half and braid each side, I would recommend placing the hair on the head before braiding to make sure the braids lay the way you want them to.
Skirt
The skirt is worked in the front loops left open in Round 10 of the body, you can start anywhere around the body but I recommend starting at the back so the seam will be less noticeable. Beginning ch does not count as a stitch
Make 1 using dress color and working directly onto the body
Round 1: Attach the yarn to one of the front loops from round 10, ch 2, [2 dc in first stitch, 1 dc in next 4] repeat around, sl st to first dc to join (36 dc)
Round 2: ch 2, [2 dc in first stitch, 1 dc in next 5] repeat around, sl st to first dc to join (42 dc)
Round 3: ch 2, [2 dc in first stitch, 1 dc in next 6] repeat around, sl st to first dc to join (48 dc)
Round 4: ch 2, [2 dc in first stitch, 1 dc in next 7] repeat around, sl st to first dc to join (54 dc)
Finish off, cut yarn, weave in ends
Arms
Make 2 starting with skin color yarn, beginning with magic ring
Round 1: in mr, ch 1, 6 sc (6 sc)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st (12 sc)
Round 3: 1 sc in each st (12 sc)
switch to dress color
Rounds 4-8: 1 sc in each st (12 sc)
Round 9: [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 2] repeat around (9 sc)
Round 10:1 sc in each st (9 sc)
Finish off and cut yarn leaving a long tail for sewing
Add a little bit of stuffing to the end (hand area) of the arm
Sew the arms to the sides of the body
Legs
Make 2 starting with shoe color yarn, beginning with magic ring
Round 1: in mr, ch 1, 6 sc (6 sc)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st (12 sc)
Round 3: [2 sc in first st, 1 sc in next st] repeat around (18 sc)
Round 4: 1 sc in each st (18 sc)
Round 5: 1 sc in first 3 sts, sc2tog 6 times, 1 sc in last 3 sts (12 sc)
Round 6: 1 sc in each st (12 sc)
Round 4: 1 sc in each st (18 sc)
Round 5: 1 sc in first 3 sts, sc2tog 6 times, 1 sc in last 3 sts (12 sc)
Round 6: 1 sc in each st (12 sc)
switch to white (or stocking color)
Rounds 7-11: 1 sc in each st (12 sc)
Finish off and cut yarn leaving a long tail for sewing
Add stuffing to the end (foot area) of the leg
Sew the legs to the bottom of the body
Apron
Make 1 with white yarn (or color you want for the apron)
The apron is made in one piece but you will cut and reattach your yarn multiple times as you make different sections
Waistband:
ch 33, sc in second ch from hook and each ch across (32 sc)
Finish off and cut yarn leaving long tail for sewing
Bib:
Row 1: skip the first 13 stitches on one side of the waistband, attach yarn, ch 1, sc in next 6 stitches (there should be 13 stitches left on the other side (6 sc)
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc in each stitch (6 sc)
Row 3: ch 1, turn, sc in each stitch (6 sc)
Do not cut yarn, continue to straps
Straps:
ch 12, turn sl st in each ch back to the bib, sl st in each st across the top of the bib, ch 12, turn, sl st in each ch back to the bib (30 sl st)
Waistband:
ch 33, sc in second ch from hook and each ch across (32 sc)
Finish off and cut yarn leaving long tail for sewing
Bib:
Row 1: skip the first 13 stitches on one side of the waistband, attach yarn, ch 1, sc in next 6 stitches (there should be 13 stitches left on the other side (6 sc)
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc in each stitch (6 sc)
Row 3: ch 1, turn, sc in each stitch (6 sc)
Do not cut yarn, continue to straps
Straps:
ch 12, turn sl st in each ch back to the bib, sl st in each st across the top of the bib, ch 12, turn, sl st in each ch back to the bib (30 sl st)
Finish off and cut yarn leaving long tail for sewing
Skirt:
working on the opposite side of the waistband as the bib, count 10 stitches from the end and attach yarn
Row 1:ch 2, [2 dc in first stitch, 1 dc in each of next st] 3 times, [1 dc in next st, 2 dc in next st] 3 times (18 dc)
Row 2: ch 2, turn, 1 dc in each st (18 dc)
Row 3: ch 2, turn, 1 dc in each st (18 dc)
Finish off, cut yarn, weave in ends
Sew the apron onto the doll by wrapping the waistband around and stitching the ends together in the back, then pull the straps over the shoulders and stitch in place along the waistband in the back
Bonnet
Make 1 with bonnet color, beginning with a magic ring (you will begin working in rounds, then switch to turning and working back and forth in rows)
Round 1: in mr, ch 2, 10 dc, sl st to first dc to join (10 dc)
Round 2: 2 dc in each st, sl st to first dc to join (20 dc)
Round 3: [2 dc in first st, 1 dc in next st] repeat around, sl st to first dc to join (30 dc)
Round 4: 1 sc in first st, hdc in next st, [2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of next 2 sts] 7 times, hdc in next st, sc in next st (28 dc, 2 hdc, 2 sc)
Row 5: ch 2, turn, dc2tog, 1 dc in next 28 sts (29 dc)
Row 6: ch 2, turn, 1 dc in each st (29 dc)
Row 7: ch 2, turn, 1 dc in each st (29 dc)
Row 8:ch 1, turn, [sc2tog, 1 sc in next 5 sts] 3 times, sc2tog, 1 sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog (24 sc)
Row 9: work this row in blo, sl st in first 2 sts, ch 2, 1 dc in next 20 sts (20 dc)
Row 10: ch 2, dc2tog, 1 dc in next 16 sts, dc2tog (18 dc)
Row 11: ch 1, turn, 1 sc in first st, 1 hdc in next 2 sts, 1 dc in next 12 sts, 1 hdc in next 2 sts, 1 sc in last st (12 dc, 4 hdc, 2 sc)
Row 12: sl st dow the edge of the brim back to the bonnet edge (the edge of the sts in rows 11-9), ch 1, turn, sc evenly along the edge of the brim working in the sides of the rows, then across the sts of row 11 and back down the sides of the rows on the other side, add increases if needed to create a neat, flat edge to the brim (approximately 24 sc, but the number you need to make a neat edge may vary slightly)
Finish off, cut yarn and weave in ends
to make the ties, ch 20, sl st across the back edge of the bonnet, ch 20, cut yarn
Place bonnet on the dolls head and tie a bow around the neck
