Even though this looks like a very elaborated technique, I promise it’s not! What it very much is, is versatile. Because even though it’s only a tutorial for “curly” hair you can build it up or down to create very different styles:
Believe it or not, these were all done the same way!
If you’d like to use the same doll base as I use, you can find it here.
The ad-free and printable version of this pattern can be found here.
The definitions for all crochet abbreviations used can be found here.
ABBREVIATIONS (AMERICAN TERMS)
- MC: Magic Circle
- Ch: Chain
- Sc: Single Crochet
- Sc inc: Single crochet Increment
Materials Needed:
- 4.5mm Crochet Hook
- Medium Weight Yarn (Used: Red Heart Super Saver in Warm Brown)
- Scissors
- Yarn needle (metal recommended)
- Pins
Pattern
OPTIONAL WIG CAP:
This creates a wig cap that can be sewn onto the Basic Doll Base to cover any “bald spots” in case you’re worried about the background color showing through the hair.
Using the same color as the hair:
- Round 1: MC, 6sc (6) set your marker
- Round 2: 6 sc inc (12)
- Round 3: (1sc, 1 sc inc) x6 (18)
- Round 4: (1sc, 1 sc inc, 1sc) x6 (24)
- Round 5: (3sc, 1 sc inc) x6 (30)
- Round 6: (2sc, 1 sc inc, 2sc) x6 (36)
- Round 7-14: Sc around. (8 rounds), (36), Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing, about 20 inches.
Place the wig cap on top of the doll’s head and align it as you please, I like to make it so that the back of the hairline almost touches the neck. Sew the outer loop of each stitch onto the doll.
CURLS:
You will need approximately 8 strands to cover the whole wig cap, and from then you can add more as you please to change the shape and volume of the hair.
- Round 1: Leave a 2 inch tail at the start. Ch 51, turn around, skip the first stitch and work 50 Sc inc. Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing, about 12 inches.
This completes one curl. Place the tip of the curl facing inwards so that it frames the face and pin it in place if you’d like. Place the rest of the curl as shown below, working in an “S” shape:
You can hold it in place as you sew it, or you can place a few pins to hold it and remove them as you go. Careful not to leave any pins in the doll!
Hide the short yarn tail inside the doll’s head, grab the next strand and repeat the process until the entire head is covered.
I find that the curls right around the face of the doll should be the most detailed ones, as they are your work’s frame, in a way. If you’d like more volume, layer the curls until the hair looks just like you pictured it. For example, this character called for more “box-y” shaped hair, so I kept adding curls to the sides until it almost looked like it had corners.
The advantage of doing 51 chains at a time is that you get a manageable length for every curl, and it is easier to work up to the style that you want instead of having “leftover” hair. But you’re free to do a 100+ chain to begin with if that’s what you’d like!
Thank you for following along! As you can see, this is more of a “tutorial” rather than a pattern, so I’m excited to see all the variations that you guys make ♥
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