Dolly Sweater

I’ve had a request to post the directions for the sweater I knit up for Christian’s dolly, Sterling.

These are directions for knitting a standard rolled sleeve wool sweater for a 16″ doll on double-pointed needles (dpn).

I used the remaining bit of Cascade 220 wool that I’d used to knit my dad socks for Christmas. Size 3 needles gets me about 6 stitches to an inch, but my friend, Sierra, who’s a much tighter knitter gets the same gauge with size 5.

I wanted the bottom of the sweater to be about 11 1/2 inches around, so I cast on 70 stitches on size 3 dpn. Join the stitches in a round, taking care that the stitches are not twisted (First time you twist your stitches is a bummer – no way to fix a Mobius strip except to pull it all out.)

Knit in rounds for about 5 inches or up to the armpit of your doll. Remember, the first inch will roll up, since I didn’t use a ribbing to start.

Then put half the stitches (30) on a holder. To knit up the front chest with some decreases for an arm hole, I would decrease at the start and end of every row for 4 rows.* To do this, I would knit 1, knit 2 together (k2t), knit to the last three, knit 2 together through the back loop (k2ttbl), and knit the last stitch. Then, purl 1, purl 2 together, purl across to the last 3, purl 2 together, and purl the last stitch. Repeat once.

Next, I decreased only at the start of each row six times: k1, k2t, k across. p1, p2t, p across. Repeat three more times.

Now knit in stockinette for another inch. End with a purl row. At the start of your next knit row, put 6 stitches on a holder for the shoulder. You can cast off here and sew the seam later, but I just held the open stitches with a big safety pin and kitchener stitched them to the back half of the sweater at the end.

Put the center 18 stitches on another stitch holder or leave on dpn. Put last 6 stitches for left shoulder on a stitch holder too.

Repeat from * for the back of the sweater.

Kitchener stitch the shoulder seams together.

Pick up 36 neck stitches with the dpns and knit in the round for one more inch. Cast off.

Now you have something that looks like a turtleneck vest.

Sleeves: Use your dpns to pick up 25-30 stitches (depending on the chunkiness of your doll’s arms – you can use the body of the sweater wrapped around the arm to gauge how wide you want your sleeve) around the arm hole.

Knit in the round for 5 1/2 inches or slightly past the wrist of your doll arm. Remember, the rolled edge will curl up about 1/2 inch here. Cast off.

Repeat for second sleeve.

Tuck in your loose ends.

Done!

P.S. If you’re new to knitting with dpns, here are two youtube tutorials to get you started. (Thanks Sierra, for finding couple of decent ones.)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQVl8VtXOxs]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEXlHPcE9QU]

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