Pattern suitable for beginner crocheters. 🌷
Make your own Kokeshi Doll, including her hair, kimono details and accessories!
Get the Full PDF Version with plenty of step-to-step pictures to follow along:
©Copyright Notice
This is an amigurumi pattern designed by Lumy (@cutestuffbylumy). You have permission to sell finished products made from this pattern. However, attributing to me the due credits for the design is mandatory. Also, selling, re-writing, copying or translating any part of the pattern itself is prohibited.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
If you have any questions or feedback, please reach out by email at contact@cutestuffbylumy.com.
Thank you for choosing my design. It was made with much love and care! I hope you enjoy it!
For this project you'll need:
Suggested materials:
* 2.5 mm crochet hook with light weight yarn (3/DK) in the colours of your choice for the skin, the hair, the kimono, the obi and the embroidered detail on the kimono
* 1.5 mm crochet hook with fine weight yarn (2/Sport) in the colour of your choice for the obi ornament, as long as it's a different colour from the obi (optional)
* 1.5 mm or 2 mm crochet hook with fine weight yarn (2/Sport) in the colours of your choice for the tiny flower ornaments (optional)
* A small piece of black embroidery floss, super fine weight yarn (1/fingering) or fine weight yarn (2/Sport) for the eye corners
* 6 mm safety eyes or black buttons
* Scissors
* Tapestry needle
* Stuffing fibre
* Blush makeup (optional)
* Small ornaments to attach to the kimono or hair (optional)
Yarn information:
For this project, I used:
* Light weight yarn (3/DK) Snuggly Replay 50% cotton / 50% acrylic from Sirdar
* Light weight yarn (3/DK) Stories 60% cotton / 40% acrylic from Sirdar
* Fine weight yarn (2/Sport) Cotton Fair 52% cotton / 48% from Premier
Size:
I got a finished piece measuring approximately 13 cm. Please have in mind that the actual size of your finished item may change depending on your yarn tension and the materials used. Make sure you adapt the size and placement of the eyes if you use different sizes of hook and yarn.
PATTERN (LEVEL: BEGINNER)
My abbreviations (based on US terms):
* MR - magic ring
* ST - stitch
* CH - chain
* SL ST - slip stitch
* SC - single crochet
* INC - increase (2sc in the same st)
* DEC - decrease (sc 2 together)
* DC - double crochet
* HDC - half double crochet
* TR - treble crochet
* HTR - half treble crochet
* ( )xNUMBER - number of times you have to repeat everything inside the brackets
* [ ] - total number of stitches on the row
Tips:
* If you don’t know how to do one of the crochet stitches used in this pattern you can search on YouTube for “name of the stitch + tutorials” and you’ll find some super easy and detailed video tutorials for beginners.
* The rows where I don’t mention doing a chain between them are worked in continuous rounds, so it’ll be easier if you use a stitch marker to mark every last stitch from the row.
1) Head: (2.5 mm crochet hook / Light weight yarn (3/DK) in the colour of your choice for the skin)
R1: 8sc in the MR [8]
R2: (inc)x8 [16]
R3: (sc, inc)x8 [24]
R4: (2sc, inc)x8 [32]
R5: (3sc, inc)x8 [40]
R6-R20 (15 rows): 1sc in each st around [40]
Insert the safety eyes (or black buttons) between R16-R17, approximately 7st apart.
Embroider the eye corners. If you’re using safety eyes, make sure to do that part before locking it with the safety pin.
R21: (3sc, dec)x8 [32]
R22: (2sc, dec)x8 [24]
R23: (sc, dec)x8 [16]
Stuff thoroughly the head with stuffing fibre. Change to the body’s colour.
2) Body: (2.5 mm crochet hook / Light weight yarn (3/DK) in the colour of your choice for the kimono)
R24: 1sc in each st around [16]
R25: (sc, inc)x8 [24]
R26: 1sc in each st around [24]
R27: (2sc, inc)x8 [32]
R28-R42 (15 rows): 1sc in each st around [32]
Start embroidering the details on the kimono around R30 and proceed as you continue with the next rows.
Obs.: You can also finish crocheting everything first and then start embroidering, but that could be a bit harder if you're not used to it. Just make sure not to stuff the body before embroidering for better finishing.
Sl st and fasten off.
For the embroidery part, I used the technique called chain stitch. This is how you do it:
1 - With a different yarn colour grab a long string measuring about 90 cm to 1 m long.
2 - Insert your needle from the inside out at the point on the body you want to start embroidering. Then, pull the yarn leaving just a small piece inside the body. You can use that yarn tail to make a small knot inside if you want to make sure to secure the yarn.
3 - Insert your needle again at the exact same point you did before, but from the outside to the inside of the body this time. Pull your yarn through leaving just a small loop.
4 - Insert your needle at the next point you want to make your chain stitch, from inside out again, but this time your needle will have to pass through inside that loop you just made. Pull the yarn through, and you should see the shape of the chain stitch.
5 - Next, insert the needle again in the exact same spot where your yarn is coming through, the middle of the chain, and repeat the whole process, stitch by stitch.
You should make enough chains to go around the doll's neck and continue until reaching the base of the body. Then, fasten off and hide the rest of the yarn inside the body.
If you find it too hard to understand how to make the embroidering part, you can find a better-explained video tutorial from Wendi Gratz here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9qRaSmahtM&t=52s
Obs.: make sure to embroider your chain stitches starting from your doll's right side of the body to the left, so in the end, you'll have the longest part of the chain stitches crossing from your doll's left side to the right. That'll make it look like the kimono is folded with the left side on top of the right side of it.
Cultural curiosity: that's the correct way of wearing your kimono in Japan since wearing it with the right side on top of the left is reserved for dead people. I didn't notice that little detail in my first dolls! 🙈
2.1) Base of the body: (2.5 mm crochet hook / same yarn used for the body)
R1: 8sc in the MR [8]
R2: (inc)x8 [16]
R3: (sc, inc)x8 [24]
R4: (2sc, inc)x8 [32]
Sl st and fasten off leaving a long tail to sew.
Stuff half of the body with stuffing fibre and start attaching the base to the rest of the body, sewing it stitch by stitch.
Before closing it completely, finish stuffing firmly the whole body, but be careful to not put too much stuffing, or the doll won’t stay put in the standing position.
3) Arms: make 2 (2.5 mm crochet hook / same yarn used for the body)
R1: make a MR leaving a small yarn tail. Then, do 3sc in the MR [3], close the ring
R2: ch2 and turn, (2dc in the same st)x3 [6]
R3: ch2 and turn, (1dc, 2dc in the same st)x3 [9]
R4-R5 (2 rows): ch2 and turn, 1dc in each st around [9]
Fasten off leaving a small yarn tail.
Use the yarn tails you left to make a small stitch on the upper part of the arm and one on the bottom part, just to attach it to the body, securing it in place. Hide the tails, finishing it off. The front part can be left as is.
4) Obi: (2.5 mm crochet hook / Light weight yarn (3/DK) in the colour of your choice)
R1: ch enough to wrap around the doll's body. 1dc in the third st from hook, 1dc in each st, ch2 and turn
R2: 1dc in each st until the end of the row
Fasten off leaving a long tail and use it to sew the obi to the body.
4.1) Obi ornament: (1.5 mm crochet hook / Fine weight yarn (2/Sport) in the colour of your choice, as long as it's a different colour from the obi)
R1: ch enough to wrap around the obi.
Fasten off leaving a small tail.
Wrap it around the obi and use the tail to make a knot in the front. To secure it in place, you can either make the knot super tight or use the rest of the yarn tail to make a little stitch to sew it.
4.2) Back of the obi: (2.5 mm crochet hook / same yarn used for the obi)
4.2.1) OPTION 1: folding
R1: leave a tail before starting the chain. ch15, 1sc in the second ch from hook and 1sc in each st next [14]
R2-R10 (9 rows): ch1 and turn, 1sc in each st until the end of the row [14]
Fasten off leaving a tail.
You have to use the two yarn tails left to sew the ends to the obi. The first one you'll sew on the upper part and the second one on the bottom part of the obi.
4.2.2) OPTION 2: bow
1ST PART:
R1: ch15, 1sc in the second ch from hook and 1sc in each st next [14]
R2-R8 (7 rows): ch1 and turn, 1sc in each st until the end of the row [14]
Fasten off leaving a tail.
2ND PART:
R1: ch40, 1sc in the second ch from hook and in each st next
Fasten off and weave the end.
Tie the 2nd part around the 1st part with a knot to shape the bow and attach it to the obi, on the back. Use the tail you left on the 1st part to sew the tips of the bow to the body, so it stays in place.
5) Hair: (2.5 mm crochet hook / Light weight yarn (3/DK) in the colour of your choice)
R1: MR, ch2, 10dc inside the MR, close the ring and sl st in the top of the first dc [10]
R2: ch2, 2dc in each st, sl st in the first st [20]
R3: ch2, (1dc, 2dc in the same st)x10, sl st in the first st [30]
R4: ch2, (2dc, 2dc in the same st)x10, sl st in the first st [40]
R5-R7 (3 rows): ch2, 1dc in each st, sl st in the first st [40]
R8-R9: ch3, (tr)x3, (htr)x3, (dc)x3, (hdc)x6, (dc)x3, (htr)x3, (tr)x3, turn [24]
Fasten off, leaving a tail.
Use the yarn tail to cross through the head going from one hair tip to the other on the opposite side. Make a small stitch there just to secure the hair in place.
5.1) Hair bun: optional (2.5 mm crochet hook / same yarn used for the hair)
R1: 8sc in the MR [8]
R2: (inc)x8 [16]
R3: (sc, inc)x8 [24]
R4-R6 (3 rows): 1sc in each st around [24]
R7: (sc, dec)x8 [16]
Stuff it with some stuffing fibre.
R8: (dec)x8 [8]
Fasten off leaving a tail to sew the hair bun to the hair on the top of the head.
6) Tiny flower ornament: optional (1.5 mm or 2 mm crochet hook / Fine weight yarn (2/Sport) in the colours of your choice)
R1: MR, (ch6, sl st inside the MR)x5
Close the MR and fasten it off, leaving a tail to attach it to the kimono or to the hair.
7) Finishing touches:
Now you just have to assemble all the parts, if you haven’t yet, and apply some blush makeup to the doll’s cheeks to make it cuter. You can also attach any other ornaments to decorate the kimono or the hair. If you make a bun, you can do a few chains and tie it to the hair like a ribbon.
Congratulations!!!
You finished it! I hope you enjoyed making your own cute little Kokeshi doll! Check out my shop for many other designs you can make so they don't feel lonely.
Thank you so much for using my pattern. I'd appreciate it if you could leave a comment or review on my shop. Also, I always love to check out people's finished work! So, feel free to email me a picture of your finished amigurumi if you want. And if you post it on Instagram, I'd be thrilled if you tag me at @cutestuffbylumy so I can hype your creation!
by Lumy © All Rights Reserved
