Crochet Lalaloopsy

I had not known that the Lalaloopsy didn't begin as a crochet doll.  I was surprised to see her plastic luster sitting on the toy shelf at Kmart.  I guess it was a silly thought, but the notion came to me that the manufacturer of this plastic doll had seen the crochet version --- and quickly realized it had to be the other way around. Ha.

My daughter is 25, and much unlike her mother, her fascination with dolls has been lost since she was about 10.  I on the other hand still have a love for Barbie, and creating knit and crochet outfits for Barbie.  This Lalaloopsy doll, though, has tugged at my heart strings!  

Over here:  http://stitch11.com/lalaloopsy-inspired-doll/    you will find a crochet pattern for an inspired by Lalaloopsy doll.  It is very straight forward and uncomplicated.  Once you get the 2 legs made, you join them and the remainder of the doll up to the head is made in 1 continuous piece.  The arms are made separately and sewn on, as are the hair curls.  Best of all, Corina has offered the pattern for FREE.  You'll find lots of good stuff on Corina's site~!

Here is my first attempt:

a close up of her head.   At the time of this posting, I am working on her arms.

This is the full photo, minus the hair on the top of her head and, oh yea, the arms.

When I worked her facial features, I added a thread, after folding her head in half to determine the center of her face.  The knot of the thread is down where her mouth is to be sewn.  I centered the thread there to indicate the space between the mouth stitches.  This thread was also useful in eye placement.

The buttons called for as eyes are 1 inch round, with 4 holes, and an outer rim.  On this doll pictured, I used buttons that I had on hand, 3/4 inch, 2 holes, with a rim.  I have since purchased the correct buttons on Ebay, as I intend to make a few more of these dolls.

AND FINISHED:

A Google search will bring up plenty of images.   If you go to Ravelry.com, you can search through patterns there too.  Some are free, some not.  One is even knitted~!  You'll also find tips for making her if you search through the projects made from the various patterns.

One SUPER tip is to do something to keep the head sitting without flopping atop the neck.  I think the best idea is to use a few strips of plastic canvas together, crocheted around to make  a sleeve to insert them into, then put it into the body so half sits into the body/neck, and the top half will go up into the head.  Take a few stitches through the neck and this "neck core" to hold it into place.  Thereafter, as you create the head and get it ready to stuff you can stuff around this core.   

I didn't do anything but over stuff the neck in my first lala pictured - and after I added the hair curls, yes indeed, her head got heavy and floppy.   I will take a few stitches around the neck to stabilize it, but next time I'll make a neck core.

Another tip is to use invisible crochet decreases--that is working only through the front loops when making the decrease.  I chose to make regular decreases through both loops.

The manufactured Lalaloopsy line contains sewn "pillow" Lalaloopsies, minis, micros, princesses, mermaids, aliens, a nod to The Wizard of Oz, boys and all shades of skin tones.  There are Laloopsies with yarn hair for play and styling....and accessories and costumes.  

Best of all, this doll can be designed by you and your imagination.  You choose the theme, the clothing colors, the skin tone and hair colors. You can make her in all skin tone and then make clothing.  I think the possibilities are endless.