Little Lilly

When LSO goes to the United Kingdom, I wait in anticipation for him to return, not you might think that it is because I miss him, and I absolutely do! However it is because he brings me back the latest issues of my favorite magazine, Simply Crochet! I have told you all before that I can get in here but we are about 3 issues behind and they cost enough to keep a small country in food for a week or two - ok that's a gross exaggeration but they are expensive!  I was waiting in anticipation for this one as I had seen the sweetest little crochet amiguri doll in it. I needed to crochet her......

 

 

It was only when I had the magazine in my grubby little hands that I realized that it was also the free gift for the month - Yahoo! I didn't even have to race to my favorite yarn store. So on a lovely warm morning  a few days later I began to make Lilly. I sat under a tree while LSO and Little Madame were fishing and began the rounds that would make up her little head. I love this form of crochet, I think it brings out a little OCD in me.  Amiguri is crocheting in the round you have to count constantly or you lose your place and end up with an mess. So the rhythm is relaxing to me. 

  

 

Soon I had the  head done. The great thing about this form of crochet is that  you also have to stuff as you go, so you see the item come together before your eyes. Once the head was crocheted and stuffed, the body was quick and simple.

 

 

I ran into a gentle snag at this point, the arms were tricky and I was not getting them right. I never give up , however I do know when to move on, or I become frustrated and start to behave badly toward my crochet and that is never a good thing. The hair on this tiny little dolly is made by making a type of wig. So you re crochet half the head and then add long strands for the actual hair, very clever indeed. 

Her hair was easy to style, I had made the strands long enough to twirl and then go around her head and make a pony tail at the back.

Braids?

Her little hoody was a repeat of her head and hair....... so easy, I love easy clever patterns. So as you can see from the picture above even her legs were on, simply a pipe cleaner, bent in two -gave you two legs that are placed through tiny little holes that you make while crocheting the body, and then you bend two feet.(I did glue them with some project glue, as I found them falling out all the time) Too sweet, however now I had to return to those pesky tiny teeny  arms.....

I will not tell a lie, they took me a while. they are really tiny as you can see, to keep count of 5 stitches as you are hooking is very tricky and I am not 100% that they are both perfect but because they are so tiny you would never notice.

 

Little Lilly in the magazine is sad, I think because it is raining! I however love the rain, here in deepest darkest Africa we know that rain is a gift and we are happy when the heaven open up and soak the land.  Often when it is bucketing down outside, Little Madame and I rush out and happily dance in the rain.  My little Lilly is a happy girl. She reminds me of my Little Madame who is an exceptionally happy little girl, and when she is happy, I too am happy......xxx