Last week, I wrote about the mermaid doll that I'd started making. Because I had no pattern and was inventing the toy as I went, it involved a certain amount of trial and error, but in the end I was able to use my basic crochet skills to create the doll I'd originally envisioned.
Several colours of yarn helped to make the tail interesting, but I decided it didn't look magical enough to suit the recipient of the doll, so I added strands of sparkly yarn. I used a synthetic novelty yarn with the soft acrylic strand removed so that only the metallic strip remains. Using a tapestry needle, I wove strands in and out around a line of crochet stitches at intervals on the tail.
The hair as originally done looked too simple -- more like something you would see on a Raggedy Anne doll, which is very cute but not suitable for this project -- so I untwisted the strands of yarn so that each piece became three wonderfully kinked strands. And while I liked the look of the orange hair with streaks of purple, I realized that a mermaid really needs something more sparkly, and so added strands of the same yarn used to embellish the tail.
Finally, I sewed on a couple of shiny plastic stars, embroidered very simple facial features, and gave the long hair a trim. The most delightful part of the whole process was the moment when I gave the doll to my little niece, Maggie, whose eyes lit up as she said, "it's a mermaid! I love her. This is the best thing you ever made." You can't ask for a better response than that, can you?
It was great fun -- and a real challenge -- to make up a toy that was a little more complicated than the basic amigurumi I usually make. I thoroughly enjoyed the process, and am looking forward to making more dolls.
