Spring Fairy Doll Knitting Tutorial
Play , Spring 2013
Rhythm of the Home1 Comment
This knitted spring fairy could be a nice addition to a nature table, or you could use her to enhance your springtime storytelling. Simple finger puppets are surprisingly quick and easy to make if you know how to knit in the round.
If you don’t have sheeps wool or cotton wool, you could just use a bit of soft scrap fabric to stuff the fairy’s head. You could use felt or bits of old clothes to make the hat. Just get creative with the things you find around your house.
Materials
Leftover yarn (dk weight) in green, yellow and beige (or pink for the fairy’s face)
1 set of dpn knitting needles 2 US (3 mm)
Some cotton wool or unspun sheeps wool for stuffing
A darning needle
Pair of scissors
Scraps of fabric in white (or pastel colour) for the flower hat
A piece of stiff transparent fabric (like organza or tulle) for the wings
Body and Face
Using green yarn cast on 18 sts over two knitting needles (to make sure that the bottom edge isn’t too tight).
Distribute the stitches over 3 knitting needles (6 sts on each needle) and start knitting in rounds using stockinette stitch (knit every row).
Rd 1 – 26: Knit.
Change to beige (or pink) and knit the fairy’s face:
Rd 27 – 36: Knit.
Rd 37: Ktog the first and second st of each needle (15 sts).
Rd 38: Ktog the first and second st of each needle (12 sts).
Rd 39: Ktog the first and second st of each needle (9 sts).
Break the yarn and use the darning needle to thread it through the 9 sts.
Pull the sts together closing the top of the head.
Stuff the puppet’s head.
Thread a string of wool through the top of the body where it meets the face and draw together tightly to form the head. Secure thread with a knot and sew ends in securely.
Hair
Use your darning needle and yellow yarn.
Start at the lower side of the fairy’s head (under her “ear”) and sew a big loop onto the head (as long as you want her hair to be). Come back and make a small backstitch right next to the loop to secure it. Move up and sew a second loop. Secure with a backstitch.
Carry on like this until the head is covered. When you are finished cut open the loops and admire her golden locks.
You could add some hair on the back of her head but remember that you will add wings so you will need a bit of space in the back.
Hat and Wings
Cut a rectangle of white (or pastel) fabric about 5 x 2 “ (13 x 5 cm) and shape the petals by cutting out large rounded zigzags. Use an overstitch and gather to form the top of the hat. Sew the hat onto the fairy’s head.
Using your darning needle again sew a bit of green yarn on top of the hat to create the stalk.
Cut two wings out of your tulle fabric and sew them onto the back of your fairy’s body.
Feel free to play around with hat designs and dress colours to create different flower fairies.
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Halina Rosleff Sorenson lives with her partner and two young children in a small timber hut in the South of Ireland where they spent their days playing, sewing, baking, drawing, knitting, gardening, raising their children bilingually (German/English), laughing and inventing stories. You can read about their adventures at The Cherry Farm.
