Dear creator, welcome back to the workbench. Today we focus our hooks on a project of profound elegance and striking contrast. The Catrina doll commands attention. We are pairing the rich, dark tones of her gown with vibrant marigold accents, utilizing chunky chenille yarn for the crown to provide that irresistible tactile quality you value so highly. As always, our focus remains firmly on precise shaping. We will build her with the signature Krocheta proportions, ensuring her wide-eyed gaze captures the heart immediately. Let us begin.
About This Creation
This project balances structural engineering with soft, appealing aesthetics. The skirt acts as a sturdy base, allowing the doll to stand independently without internal armatures. We achieve her characteristic expression by placing the eyes low and wide apart, anchoring her face with a beautifully rounded, chubby cheek structure through calculated asymmetrical increases. Every element, from the cascading skirt roses to her golden jewelry, is crafted entirely with yarn to maintain complete artisan integrity.
Project Snapshot
✨ Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
✨ Size: Approximately 22cm tall
✨ Construction: Worked in continuous rounds and joined rows.
Materials
🧶 White cotton yarn (Weight 3/DK) for the head and arms
🧶 Black cotton yarn (Weight 3/DK) for the dress and hair cap
🧶 Orange, yellow, and rust cotton yarn (Weight 3/DK) for the dress trim and cascading roses
🧶 Yellow fine cotton yarn for the necklace and earrings
🧶 Pink cotton yarn for the eye patches
🧶 Chunky chenille or velvet yarn in yellow and orange for the plush crown flowers
🧶 2.5mm crochet hook (for cotton yarn)
🧶 4.0mm crochet hook (for chenille yarn)
🧶 12mm safety eyes
🧶 Fiberfill stuffing
🪡 Yarn needle
🪡 Stitch markers
Abbreviations
➡️ MR: Magic Ring
➡️ sc: single crochet
➡️ inc: increase (2 sc in one stitch)
➡️ dec: invisible decrease (sc 2 together)
➡️ hdc: half double crochet
➡️ BLO: back loop only
➡️ FLO: front loop only
➡️ ch: chain
➡️ sl st: slip stitch
➡️ st(s): stitch(es)
➡️ (): total stitches in the round
The Pattern
Head (Use White yarn and 2.5mm hook)
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: 6 inc (12)
R3: [1 sc, inc] x 6 (18)
R4: [2 sc, inc] x 6 (24)
R5: [3 sc, inc] x 6 (30)
R6: [4 sc, inc] x 6 (36)
R7: [5 sc, inc] x 6 (42)
R8: [6 sc, inc] x 6 (48)
R9-R12: 48 sc (48)
R13: 12 sc, [1 sc, inc] x 4, 8 sc, [inc, 1 sc] x 4, 12 sc (56)
R14-R17: 56 sc (56)
R18: 12 sc, [1 sc, dec] x 4, 8 sc, [dec, 1 sc] x 4, 12 sc (48)
R19: [6 sc, dec] x 6 (42)
R20: [5 sc, dec] x 6 (36)
R21: [4 sc, dec] x 6 (30)
R22: [3 sc, dec] x 6 (24)
R23: [2 sc, dec] x 6 (18)
R24: [1 sc, dec] x 6 (12)
Fasten off. Stuff the head firmly, paying special attention to the cheek shaping created in Round 13.
Pink Eye Patches (Use Pink yarn and 2.5mm hook, Make 2)
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: 6 inc (12)
R3: [1 sc, inc] x 6 (18)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Hair Cap (Use Black yarn and 2.5mm hook)
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: 6 inc (12)
R3: [1 sc, inc] x 6 (18)
R4: [2 sc, inc] x 6 (24)
R5: [3 sc, inc] x 6 (30)
R6: [4 sc, inc] x 6 (36)
R7: [5 sc, inc] x 6 (42)
R8: [6 sc, inc] x 6 (48)
R9: [7 sc, inc] x 6 (54)
R10-R15: 54 sc (54)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Body and Skirt Base (Use Black yarn and 2.5mm hook)
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
R2: 6 inc (12)
R3: [1 sc, inc] x 6 (18)
R4: [2 sc, inc] x 6 (24)
R5: [3 sc, inc] x 6 (30)
R6: [4 sc, inc] x 6 (36)
R7: [5 sc, inc] x 6 (42)
R8: [6 sc, inc] x 6 (48)
R9: [7 sc, inc] x 6 (54)
R10: BLO 54 sc (54)
R11-R13: 54 sc (54)
R14: [7 sc, dec] x 6 (48)
R15-R17: 48 sc (48)
R18: [6 sc, dec] x 6 (42)
R19-R21: 42 sc (42)
R22: [5 sc, dec] x 6 (36)
R23-R25: 36 sc (36)
R26: [4 sc, dec] x 6 (30)
R27-R28: 30 sc (30)
R29: [3 sc, dec] x 6 (24)
R30: 24 sc (24)
R31: [2 sc, dec] x 6 (18)
R32: 18 sc (18)
R33: [1 sc, dec] x 6 (12)
R34: 12 sc (12)
Change to Orange yarn.
R35: FLO [1 sc, ch 2, 1 sc] in each of the 12 stitches around (12 ruffle clusters)
Fasten off. Stuff the body firmly, ensuring the bottom remains flat so the doll can stand.
Bottom Skirt Ruffle (Use Orange yarn and 2.5mm hook)
Join yarn to the front loops left unworked in Round 10.
R1: [1 sc, ch 2, 1 sc] in each front loop around (54 ruffle clusters)
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Arms (Use White yarn and 2.5mm hook, Make 2)
R1: 5 sc in MR (5)
R2: 5 inc (10)
R3-R4: 10 sc (10)
R5: 1 dec, 8 sc (9)
R6-R15: 9 sc (9)
Stuff lightly only in the bottom half of the arm.
R16: Pinch the top flat and crochet 4 sc across both layers to close (4)
Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.
Plush Marigold Crown Flowers (Use Chenille yarn and 4.0mm hook, Make 5)
R1: ch 15
R2: Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, 2 hdc in each chain across (28)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Roll the strip tightly into a flower shape and stitch the base together securely.
Cascading Skirt Roses (Use Orange/Yellow/Rust cotton yarn and 2.5mm hook, Make 6)
R1: ch 11
R2: Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, 2 sc in each chain across (20)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Roll into a rose and stitch the base.
Earrings (Use Yellow fine yarn, Make 2)
R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing.
Necklace (Use Yellow fine yarn)
R1: ch 25
Join with sl st to the first chain to form a ring. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Assembly
➡️ Step 1: Insert the safety eyes through the center of the pink eye patches. Secure the eyes onto the head between Rounds 14 and 15, spacing them exactly 9 stitches apart.
➡️ Step 2: Sew the pink eye patches flush against the head.
➡️ Step 3: Using black yarn, embroider the nose horizontally between Rounds 15 and 16. Embroider a small pink heart on the forehead and a straight black line for the mouth, adding vertical stitches across it.
➡️ Step 4: Sew the hair cap onto the head, positioning it slightly further back to leave the forehead detail visible.
➡️ Step 5: Sew the head to the body at the neck opening (Round 34 of the body).
➡️ Step 6: Sew the arms to the sides of the body just below the top orange ruffle.
➡️ Step 7: Arrange and sew the plush chenille marigolds across the front of the hair cap to form the crown.
➡️ Step 8: Sew the small cotton roses diagonally down the side of the black skirt.
➡️ Step 9: Sew the yellow earrings to the sides of the head beneath the hair cap, and place the necklace around the neck.
