At 27 years old, I found myself sitting in a break room with co-workers—"old ladies," perhaps 40 years old (funny how perspectives change!). They had hooks and yarn in hand, and after watching them for a few days, I decided I wanted to crochet too. So, I went to the store, purchased a "how-to" pamphlet, some yarn, and hooks... and I was on my way. (This was 1977—no internet back then!)
My first projects were afghans and baby blankets. Then I moved on to doilies and table toppers. About 15 years ago, I decided I wanted to make a doll. I found a monkey pattern and started on it immediately. One small issue: I had no filler except rice and beans! When my oldest granddaughter fell in love with the monkey and wanted to take him home, I advised her never to wash him, or he'd become soup! That was the beginning of my love for dolls.
I started making only dolls, always struggling with the eyes and mouth. I constantly searched the internet for the "perfect" doll. Whenever I found what I thought was the perfect pattern, I'd save it in my digital file as "This Is The Doll." However, it never truly was—until I made my first purchase of Melissa on October 16, 2020, from Crochetree. I finally found the doll, which provided clear and concise directions for both the body and eyes that never fail.
My advice:
Take your time; stitch with love. Understand how each stitch works in the pattern. Count your stitches! Again, count your stitches! Don't be afraid to try something new; always challenge yourself. Regarding making the mouth for your doll: practice, practice, practice. It might help to use graph paper to draw out the mouth. My solution was to enlarge a photo of a crocheted mouth that I liked and follow the stitches.
I'm thrilled with the level of creativity and detail provided in every pattern developed by Ticiana and Adriana. Thank you so much for making so many of us accomplished dollmakers.
Calmed by Crochet,
Carol Boljević
aka Babalicious
