Doll Making

The thing about doing a project for the first time is that you never really know how it's going to turn out, even if you have a pattern right in front of you. Now that I've started making dolls, I've noticed this to be even more true. There is something about the nature of a doll that decides what it is going to be, even if the pattern tells you otherwise. A doll is created in a mesh of the pattern, your materials, you, and whatever cosmic muse is in charge of dolls.

I decided to make an Easter bunny. I found a nice, cute little pattern and knew I could handle it. Nothing on the pattern was really all that difficult. In fact, it was all very simple work and things I've done a million times. Hah. I will tell you now, my Wonkybunny looks NOTHING like the bunny they showed in the picture. Nothing at all. I don't even think it is the same reality of bunny. It's just a whole other kind of thing.

Part of this is my fault. I neglected to pay attention to the fact that the yarn being used in the pattern was a wool blend. I didn't use wool blend. I used common generic acrylic yarn so my thickness was different. Next time I make a bunny, I think I know how to compensate for this. That part is a pretty easy fix. It's really just going to require changing hook size. I DID change hook size on the bunny's ears, because they weren't laying the way I wanted them too. However, this decision to change hook on the ears and not on the rest of the bunny caused the second significant change in how the pattern looked. My ears, because I did follow the pattern without considering my change in hook size, are bigger than they should be. Seriously, the bunny's ears are longer than the bunny. I also made the decision to knit my eyes instead of just using some buttons. It's tricky to knit eyes and make them round(ish) enough, so then got bigger than I intended. My bunny has kind of alien eyes now.

So most of the core problems with how I handled the doll is that I didn't keep mindful of proportion. Things are off sizewise and it shows in the overall look of the bunny. Having made these mistakes, I'm pretty sure I know how to avoid them next time. I'll also make sure to sew on all needed parts before I stuff and close off the bunny. I seriously knew better than to do this, but the pattern said to wait so I waited. I'll never do that again.

The other changes are ones I did to try and help Wonkyalienbunny look more Easterish. I have him a hat, which turned out cuter than I thought it was going to be. I also added a lopsided basket with some green grass and eggs in it. These elements help him appear to be a seasonal and festive little chap. They also gave me a chance to add more color to him, which he really did need.

However, now that he is finished and occupying the clock on the mantle (the place designated for all decorations), I am very pleased with him. He has a lot of charm, my Wonkybunny. He is cheerful and happy about his part in the season. He's proud of his hat and reasonably sure his basket won't tip over. Plus, he's smiling, in his own alien kind of way. I'm glad I made him. I think he needed to exist.