KNITTED GINGERBREAD MAN
The picture of this little fellow looks like he was left in the oven a bit too long, but he showed up better in a scan than with my not-so-high-tech camera.
I knitted him many years ago (at least 20) based on a pattern for little people dolls that was probably published in Canadian Living as that was where I got most of my cute patterns in those days, and he's been on our tree every year since then.
What I love about this pattern is that you can make it with any yarn -- to increase or decrease the size. And of course if you make him in white, he becomes a snowman.
MATERIALS: About 25 g of any yarn the colour of a gingerbread boy. (Worsted weight will give you about a 6" doll).
1 pair of needles that are at least 4 or 5 sizes smaller than recommended on the ball band of the yarn that you're using. (For worsted weight, I would use a 3mm needle.)
Small amounts of white, red and black yarn to decorate.
Polyester fibrefill.
DIRECTIONS:
Cast on 32 sts.
Working in stocking stitch (K 1 row, P 1 row) work 4 rows and tie a piece of yarn at the end of that row to mark the feet.
Work 26 rows and tie a piece of yarn at the end of that row to mark the neck.
Work 12 rows.
Next row: Decrease 5 stitches evenly across row. (27 sts)
Next row: purl.
Repeat these last 2 rows twice more. (17 sts)
Last row: K1 (K1, K2tog) 5 times. K1. (12 sts)
Cut yarn leaving about 18" tail. Draw tail through remaining stitches (I thread the tail through a second time just to be sure) and secure but don't cut.
Using the same tail, sew back seam to neck marker. Stuff head until firm but not hard.
Using another piece of yarn in the main colour on a tapestry needle, weave through the stitches of the marked row for the neck and secure.
Continue sewing up the back to the cast on row. Stuff body until firm but not hard. Draw the yarn through the cast on row and draw up. Secure well and leave a good long tail inside the body.
With matching yarn, define arm by doing a series of back stitches that go from the front of the body straight through to the back, beginning 2 rows below neck and 3 stitches from side (arm will therefore be 6 stitches wide). Continue defining arm for 10 rows.
Define legs in the same manner, from the bottom, following up the centre for 14 rows.
Embroider a row of white "icing" chain stitches along the arm crevices and across the row marked for the feet.
Embroider a red mouth and some black "raisin" eyes and buttons.
