How to Embroider Faces on Knitting

Embroidering faces on dolls can be done on both cloth and knit fabrics.

Dolls have been a fascination of little girls and boys for generations. From prehistoric times, when dolls were made from natural items such as branches, bark and moss, to dolls made in factories, the fascination with dolls has grown. Handmade knit dolls, with embroidered faces, allow children to stretch their imaginative play without the worry of small items that will come off and pose choking hazards or contain poisonous chemicals.

Things You'll Need

• 1 3 3/4 plastic yarn needle
• 1 skein red yarn
• 1 skein blue yarn
• 1 skein black yarn
• 1 skein skin-tone yarn
• Scissors
• Disappearing ink marking pen

Instructions

1. Draw a face on your completed knitting using the disappearing ink marking pen. Draw eyes, an upside-down U for a nose and a pretty mouth. Include eyebrows if desired.

2. Thread your plastic needle with blue yarn, and tie a knot in the end of the yarn. Pull the needle through the knitting and back out through where the first eye will go. If sewing on a stuffed doll, pull the knot through the knitting, but taking care not to pull the thread out completely.

3. Sew small, horizontal stitches in the circle you have drawn for the eye. Repeat for the second eye. Tie the yarn in a small knot and pull the needle back down through the head before cutting the yarn. Outline the eyes with black yarn if desired.

4. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the nose, eyebrows and mouth with skin-toned, black and red yarn, sewing small, running stitches and filling in where necessary.

References

• Susan Kramer: Techniques for Making Cloth and Fabric Doll Bodies
• Bellaonline: How to Embroider Faces on Cloth Dolls