Mrs. & Mr. Yarn Dolls (Martenitsa)

When I was little I loved to make things to play with. I had made it recently for a friend of mine.

No big crochet techniques involved. A "Yarn magic" creation!

I made these doll after I came across a picture and I never knew there is a wonderful tradition behind them. Thanks Rldkfl.

So coming to the tradition -

A Martenitsa is a small piece of adornment, made of white and red yarn and usually in the form of two dolls, a male and a female.

To know more please do click the link.

I have added few crochet embellishments to give it a small difference from the traditional dolls.

So let's get started.

Yarn - Red and Cream (4ply) - You might need a full ball of them.

Yarn - Red and cream (3Ply)

Black beads

Needle

Glue

Cardboard

Take a cardboard of desired length. Start warping the yarn around the cardboard really well. I am using a 4ply yarn. Hence I wrapped around 75 turns.

After wrapping just take it out carefully. You might need the help of someone. Hold the yarn tight and with another yarn tie around the neck. This will form the head.

It is all about wrapping and tying. By now you would have understood how the rest of the body is done. In the same way wrap around the cardboard the cream yarn. Again this would require about a 30 turns. Remove it carefully from the cardboard and insert in the middle of the body of the red yarn wrap horizontally. This would form the hand.

With the same color yarn tie near the edge of the cream yarn wraps. Shape the pom poms at the end with you scissors.

Now another yarn to be tied around the waist. All the ties should be very secure. Thus you get the skirt. Trim the skirt with the scissors.

Flower:

1: Start with a Magic Circle; SC 10 in the circle. Join with Slip Stitch into first SC and pull center tight to close the gap.

2: *Slip Stitch into next SC. In same stitch, ch2, 3DC, 1HDC, ch1. Slip stitch into next SC* around.

You will end up with 5 small petals.

Cap:

1. 6 DC in magic circle.

2. Ch2, 2 DC in each stitch around.

3. Ch2, *1 DC, 2 DC* around.

4. Ch 2, 1 DC around.

5. *3HDC in same stitch, ch 1 and slip stitch on to next stitch* repeat this around.

Fasten off.

Glue or sew the flower and cap onto the doll.

Follow the same procedure as the Mrs. Doll. Here the colors are interchanged. The cream yarn wraps at the bottom are split into two and tied again to form the legs.

Now the pic is self explanatory. Do the same you have done for the girl doll to get the pom pom.

You can add on any embellishments you like. I just added a bow and a clown hat.

Add on the beads to form the eye. Tie the Mrs. & Mr. Yarn dolls together. They would look lovely together.