Carla Mitrani - Crochet Iconic Women: Amigurumi Patterns for 15 Women Who Changed the World

Not long ago, crochet was considered outdated and traditional in a negative sense of the word, between potholders and crochet doilies and, to be honest, it was rarely associated with the self-determined modern image of women.

And yet it is just that!

Perception has changed and crochet has rediscovered itself, just like all the brave women in this book who impressively demonstrate that its possible to break through dusty thought patterns, reinvent yourself and remain true to yourself nevertheless. Modern role models for generations of subsequent women and girls.

We owe the concentrated yarn-incarnate emancipation gathered in this book to the wonderful Carla Mitrani, who loves and lives all the contradictions of a modern woman and goes her own way with this fabulous book.

Just as Audrey Hepburn said: Nothing is impossible, the word itself says Im possible!

Lydia Tresselt

Lydia Tresselt is the talented designer behind the Lalylala brand of crochet patterns, and the author of Beetles, Bugs and Butterflies www.lalylala.com

Hello my fellow crocheters and friends! Its a real pleasure to welcome you to this collection of crochet tributes to some of the most extraordinary women who have shaped our present or who are currently building our future.

Of course, we had to narrow the list down to 15 dolls and I am sure you will find that many are missing (Crochet Iconic Women Vol. 2, maybe?), but this is just a starting point; I strongly believe that the lives of these ladies are representative of the power of women and will be an endless source of inspiration. However, I wish that they should not only be taken as examples of successes and triumphs but mostly as stories of resilience, of overcoming impossible obstacles in the quest of the most amazing dreams.

The women in this book were not perfect but, with their complexities and flaws, they were all visionaries, brave, talented, smart, courageous and strong. Some of them had minds ahead of their time by many decades. Others sparked movements that became global and gave a voice to the voiceless.

I would love to see these dolls decorating your room or workplace, so whenever you look at them, they can be a reminder of what can be accomplished when one dares to dream. Or I hope you crochet them for little ones to play with and thus start the conversation about their extraordinary and influential lives. By the end of the book I am sure you will be able to include some modifications to the patterns, make hair curls longer or shorter and change the colours or skin tones to create your own special icons.

So lets grab hooks and yarns and start crocheting!

Carla

All the dolls in this book were crocheted using a 2.5mm (US C/2) crochet hook and 8-ply DK weight cotton yarn. I crochet really tightly, which is important so that holes are not created and the fibrefill toy stuffing wont show through the stitches. If you tend to crochet a bit looser, then you should probably choose a smaller hook.

I only use 100% cotton yarns because I like the feel and finish of cotton; it runs smoothly in your hands when working and it will not pill as acrylic or woollen yarns do, which makes these dolls more durable when intended for children. Cotton also builds a sturdier fabric for stuffed dolls, which will not stretch and will hold the stuffing better, without distorting the shapes and volumes of the bodies.

Crochet hooks

Sizes 2.5mm (US C/2) and 2mm (US 0). The smaller hook is needed to crochet Jane Goodalls little chimpanzee friend Flint, and for Marie Curies Erlenmeyer Flask and Florence Nightingales lamp.

Cotton yarn

8-ply DK weight 100% soft cotton. I worked with the following yarn by Hobbii:

88 Rainbow Cotton

• Fibre: 100% soft cotton
• Ball weight: 50g (1.8oz)
• Length: 75m (82yds)
• Yarn weight: DK (light worsted)

For Janes friend Flint, Marie Curies Erlenmeyer Flask and Florences Lamp I worked with the following yarn, also by Hobbii:

84 Rainbow Cotton

• Fibre: 100% soft cotton
• Ball weight: 50g (1.8oz)
• Length: 170m (186yds)
• Yarn weight: Fingering (super fine)

How much yarn is needed?

One of the best things about making the dolls in this book is that none of them uses an entire 50g ball of yarn. In fact, you can use one ball of skin colour to make two dolls. So save all your leftovers and scraps, because they can become skirts, purses or hats!

Toy safety eyes

Plastic, black, size 8mm (13in) for the dolls and 6mm (14in) for Flint, Jane Goodalls chimpanzee friend.

For safety reasons, if you are planning to give the doll to a small child, you should embroider the eyes using black, dark grey or brown yarn instead.

Stuffing

Polyester fibrefill stuffing you will need to stuff firmly!

Scissors and seam ripper

Sometimes we just need to unravel and start over and there is nothing wrong with that!

Stitch markers

When crocheting in a spiral, its important to mark the beginning of each round with a stitch marker and move this stitch marker up as you work. You can use paper clips, hair clips or safety pins too.

Tapestry/yarn needle

Use this to sew the arms, hair and other accessories to your dolls. Find one with a blunted tip, so it wont split the yarn and with an eye big enough to fit your choice of yarn.

Pins

These can be very helpful to hold certain pieces, like hairbuns, while you sew them. Choose those with coloured plastic or beaded heads so they wont slip inside the doll. Ouch!

Wooden chopstick

This is the secret weapon there is nothing better than a broken chopstick to evenly spread the stuffing in complicated, hard to reach places!

Craft bag and pencil case

The best thing about crochet is that you can take your current project everywhere! So be ready to pack your hooks, needles and yarns and continue your work in waiting rooms, on public transportation or in parks!

The patterns in this book are written using US crochet terms. These are listed here, along with their UK equivalents (where applicable):