Materials
Yarn:
Scraps of dk weight yarns in your choice of colours. (DK weight yarns knit to a standard gauge of 22sts and 30 rows per 4 inches on 4mm needles)
I used: Cleckheaton Country 8 ply 100% wool in pale pink (colour 1934), black (colour 0006) and Wendy Dennis 8 ply 100% Polwarth wool handpaint in rainbow colours.
One skein of each will make at least 10 babies, if not many more.
You can make Pebble Babies using scraps of any weight yarn, just make sure to knit with a size needle 1mm (or 2-3 sizes) smaller than you normally would with your chosen yarn. This is to stop the stuffing showing through the stitches. Babies made of yarns thicker than dk weight will be larger than the original.
Needles: 3.25mm (US size 3)
Small amount of polyester fibre fill, or other suitable toy filling.
Finished Size
Height, 4 inches
Width (at the widest point), 5 inches.
Gauge
Using DK weight yarn and 3.25mm needles 24sts to 10cm over stocking stitch.
Abbreviations & Chart Key
/ = k2tog on a knit row, p2tog on a purl row
= ssk on a knit row, ssptbl on a purl row
M = Make 1 by picking up the loop lying between stitches and knitting into the back of it (so it’s twisted)
Ssptbl = slip 1 stitch knitways, slip a second stitch knitways, return both stitches to the left hand needle, purl the two slipped stitches together through the back of the loops. This makes a left hand leaning decrease when you look at the front of your knitting
Pattern
Front:
Cast on 25sts and work following the chart. The pink face is worked using the intarsia technique.
Back:
Cast on 25sts and work following the chart.
Finishing
Block the pieces according to your yarn label (I steam ironed mine) and sew together with the wrong sides facing using mattress stitch. Leave a small opening for the stuffing. Stuff and sew closed.
Using black, embroider the face. Each eye is 2 lazy daisy stitches, the second directly over the top of the first.
For the fringe, take a 4 inch piece of black yarn and fold in half , thread the loop end through the top line of the pink face area as if you were making a fringe on a scarf, and pull the loose ends through the loop and pull tight. Trim to the desired length.
Variations to try
Fairisle
Fill the plain areas of the body with fairisle patterning.
Embroidered
Embroider the plain areas with little flowers or patterns.
Felted Pebble Babies!
Choose a yarn that will shrink in a hot wash (anything not labeled “machine wash”, “superwash” or “shrink proof”) and knit the doll on needles several sizes larger than you would normally use for your chosen yarn.
Sew it together, leaving a small opening for the stuffing. Lightly tack the opening together with sewing thread that won’t felt and bung it in the washing machine on hot wash for 15 minutes or until it’s shrunk and felted enough that the stuffing won’t show through. Finish as for the regular doll.
Copyright Sarah Bradberry October 2002. All rights reserved.