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Welsh, Irish and Scots Girl Dolls

Vintage knitting pattern of Irish, Welsh and Scotts dolls
from Bestway Leaflet No. 965

Abbreviations

st = stitch
k = knit
p = purl
s = slip
inc = increase, by working twice into 1 st
dec = decrease, by working 2 sts together
tog = together
st st = stocking-stitch, is k 1 row,
p 1 row alternately
garter st is every row k

NOTE: Unless otherwise stated all work is in st st

Irish Colleen

Faith and begorra, here’s Molly Malone!
And she with her little red shawl.
She looks so demure and quite bashful-but sure,
She’s wishing good luck to you all.

Materials

Less than ½ oz. each of emerald green, white and flesh colour in either 3 or 4-ply fingering
a small ball of brown or black wool for shoes and hair
a small ball of scarlet wool for head shawl
stuffing
a scrap of white material for apron

a pair each of UK Nos 12/2.75mm/US 2 and UK 8/4mm/US 6 knitting needles

a medium crochet hook

Size

The original doll was about 12 ins high.

The Front

Commence with the foot by casting on 4 sts with
brown wool and smaller needles and working in st st, inc at beginning of every row till there are 9 sts on the needle, then work 3 rows straight.

9th row: Dec twice in middle of row.

P 1 row.

11th row: Inc. twice in middle of row.

P 1 row.

Change to flesh wool for the leg and work 48 rows, then leave this leg on a spare needle and make the second leg up to the same point.

Next row: Change to emerald wool for the knickers, k the second leg sts, cast on 1 st, k the first leg sts (19 sts)

Work 21 rows and leave on a spare needle

The Skirt

Using smaller needles and emerald wool, cast on 50 sts and work 6 rows in garter st, working into backs of sts on 1st row.

Change to st st and work 38 rows

Next row: K2tog all across (25 sts)

Next row: (P2, p2tog) 6 times, p 1 (19 sts)

Next row: Place skirt sts in front of body sts and k the sts from the 2 pins tog in pairs all across

The Blouse

Next row: Change to white wool and p all across

Next row: K, increasing at both ends of row. (21 sts)

Work 11 rows straight.

Cast on 21 sts for arms at beginning of next 2 rows (63 sts)

Work 8 rows straight.

Cast off 27 sts at beginning of next 2 rows (9 sts)

The Head

Change to flesh wool and work 4 rows

Next row: Inc at both ends and once in the middle. (12 sts)

Next row: P.

Next 2 rows: Inc at both ends (16 sts)

Work 14 rows straight.

Next row: (K2, k2tog) 4 times

Next row: P.

Next row: (K1, k2tog) 4 times

Next row: P.

Next row: (K2tog) 4 times

P 1 row.

Cast off.

The Back

Cast on 4 sts with brown wool and smaller needles and
inc at beginning of 1st to 5th rows (9 sts)

Work
7 rows straight.

13th row: S 1, k7, turn.

14th row: S 1, p6,
turn.

15th row: S 1, k5, turn.

Continue till the
row with s 1, p2 has been worked.

19th row: S 1, k3, turn.

20th row: S 1, p4, turn. Work 1 st more in every row till the row with 9 sts has been worked.

Change to flesh wool and complete the back exactly as for front.

The Hands

Join the shoulder seams, then, with right side facing and using flesh wool and smaller needles, pick up 10 sts along one sleeve edge and work 7 rows.

Cast off 2 sts at beginning of next 2 rows

Work 2 rows straight.

Cast off.

Work the other hand in the same way.

The Head Shawl

Using larger needles and scarlet wool, cast on 46 sts.

Work in st st, working into backs of sts on 1st row and dec at both ends of every row till 1 st remains

Fasten off.

Using emerald wool, work double crochet all round the shawl.

To Make Up

Press the work with a hot iron over a damp cloth.

Join seams of feet and 1 in up the legs. Stuff them and gradually complete all the seams of the body, stuffing the doll firmly as the seams are made.

Join the skirt seams

Embroider the hair with brown wool in long sts, making a fringe across the forehead with short sts

Embroider the features with appropriate coloured wools or silks

Place the shawl in position on the head and stitch in place.

Make a small apron with the white material and tie round the waist.

Little Miss Taffy from Wales

Look you, here’s Taffy in national dress,
Just oddments of wool does she take.
She wears a tall hat and a waistcoat of black
She’s easy for knitters to make.

Materials

Less than ½ oz. each of scarlet, white, flesh and black 3 or 4-ply fingering
a small ball of blue

a scrap of muslin for the apron

a pair of UK No 12/2.75mm/US 2 knitting needles

Size

The original doll was about 12 ins high without the hat.

Note: Work in st st unless otherwise stated.

Work as for the Irish doll, but knit the knickers
and skirt in scarlet wool, and work 50 rows in
st st for the skirt instead of 38. Omit the
head shawl.

The Hat

The Brim

Cast on 40 sts with double black wool.

1st row: K, inc in every 4th st. (50 sts)

2nd
and alternate rows: P.

3rd row: K, increasing in every
5th st. (60 sts)

5th row: K without inc.

7th row:
K tog every 5th and 6th st. (50 sts)

9th row: K
tog every 4th and 5th st. (40 sts)

Fold in half
lengthwise and press. Join seam.

The Crown

With double black wool cast on 20 sts

Work 2 rows

* 3rd row: K18, turn, s 1, p17.

Next row: K17, turn, s 1, p16.

Next row: K16, turn, s 1, p15.

Next row: K15, turn, s 1, p14.

Proceed in this manner till the row k2, turn, s 1, p 1 has been worked.

Next row: K all across

Work straight in st st for 7 rows Repeat from * once, then cast off.

The Waistcoat

Using black wool, cast on 35 sts

Work 2 rows in garter st, working into backs of sts on 1st row.

Then work 12 rows in st st

Work 2 rows in garter st. Cast off.

The Shawl

Using blue wool, cast on 46 sts

1st row: K (not working into backs of sts).

2nd row: K all across, always passing the wool twice round the right­hand pin before inserting it in the next st (this gives a lacy effect).

Repeat these 2 rows twice more.

7th row: K. Cast off.

To Make Up

Join the seams and stuff the doll as for the Irish Doll.

Place the waistcoat round the chest and fasten with a lacing of wool or silk in contrasting colour.

Sew the shawl in position with the ends crossed over the chest.

Embroider the features

Work a row of loose chain-stitch in white under the brim of the hat.

Join seam of crown and stitch the doubled brim to crown.

Embroider the hair with long stitches of black wool and make curls all round the face and on the forehead as follows:

Join the embroidery wool to the head, then make two loops with it, one on top of the other, and fasten in place with a stitch, leaving the loops to stand up like a curl. Work curls like this wherever required.

Embroidery diagrams

Place the hat on the head and keep in place with a strand of black wool stitched to the hat, then passed through a st under the chin. Leave an end to tie.

Arrange a similar strand from the other side of hat and tie in a bow under the chin.
Make a small muslin apron and sew in place.

Bonny Scots Lassie

Och aye, she’s so smart in her gay tartan skirt,
Is Jeannie, the bonny Scots girl,
To knit her is simple, you cannot go wrong,
Her stitches are just plain and purl.

Materials

Less than ½ ounce each of green, flesh and black 3 or 4-ply fingering
a small ball each of scarlet, darker green and brown

a pair each of UK Nos 12/2.75mm/US 2 and UK 9/3.75mm/US 5 knitting needles

stuffing

Size

The original doll was about 12 ins high

NOTE: Work in st st unless otherwise stated.

The Front

Using black wool and smaller needles, cast on 4 sts and work the foot as for the Irish Doll.

Change to main colour green and work 20 rows, then work 4 rows in garter st

Change to flesh wool and work 24 rows.

Leave sts on a spare needle and work other leg the same.

Then join legs together and work the knickers in main colour green as for the Irish doll

The Kilt

Using smaller needles and main colour green, cast on 50sts. Working into back of sts on the 1st row only, continue as follows:

1st row (wrong side of work): (k4, p1) all across.

2nd row: (K1, p4) all across

Repeat these two rows twice, then first row once.

8th row: With red wool, k all across

9th row: With black wool, work in the rib as on the 1st row

10th – 13th row: work in the rib pattern in main colour green

14th and 15th rows: Rib in dark green

16th row: Rib in black

Repeat 1st to 16th rows once.

The repeat from 1st to 9th rows once more.

Cut off all but main colour green, leaving ends to darn in

Next row: In main colour green k2tog all across

Next row: (p2, p2tog) 6 times, p1 (19sts)

Next row: Place the kilt sts in front of body sts and knit the stitches form the two needles together in pairs all across.

Embroider the vertical stripes of the tartan with alternate lines of red and green chain st between the ribs.

The Blouse

The Fronts

Using black wool and smaller needles cast on 8sts and work 2 rows in garter st, working into the backs of the sts on the first row.

Next row: K

Next row: K2, p to end

Repeat these two rows 5 times more.

Next row: Cast on 21sts at the beginning of the row, knit across them and then complete the row as usual.

Still keeping the border of 2 garter sts correct, dec next to border on the 4th an 6th rows.

Work 3 more rows, then cast off.

Work the second front of the jacket in the same way but with border,sleeve, and all shapings reversed.

The Back

Using black wool and smaller needles, cast on 4 sts and work as for the Irish doll.

Change to main colour green, and continue as for the front until the kilt and body sts are joined.

The Jacket

join on black wool and p all across

Next row: K, increasing at both ends (21sts)

Now complete the back in black wool, working as for back of Irish doll.

Change to flesh wool and work the head as for Irish doll.

Join the shoulder seams and work the hands as for Irish doll

The Collar

Using white wool and smaller needles, cast on 30 sts and work 4 rows in garter st, working into backs of sts on the 1st row. Cast off loosely.

The Bonnet

Using smaller needles and main colour green, cast on 30 sts and work 4 rows in k1, p1 rib.

Next row: K, inc in every st (60 sts)

Next row: P.

Next row:
Change to larger needles and work 8 rows in st st, ending on a p row.

Next row: K2tog all across (30 sts)

Next row: P.

Next row: K2tog all across (15 sts)

Next row: P.

Next row: K3tog all across (5 sts)

Break off wool, thread it through the sts and fasten off, then join seam. Sew a coloured pompon on top.

To Make Up

Join seams and stuff as for Irish Doll, but first sew the fronts of jacket in place, joining the side and shoulder edges to the sides and shoulders of blouse.

Sew collar in place.

Embroider features and work the hair in brown as for Welsh Doll.

Sew bonnet in place.

Work red crosses all round tops of socks

Work white chain st around sleeve edges and work buckles on fronts of shoes with white wool.


The original publication of this pattern is in the public domain, however this digital version is copyright Sarah Bradberry, May 24th 2012. All rights reserved.