Free Pattern: Lion + Leaf Pocket Doll in Basketweave Knit

Free Pattern: Lion + Leaf Pocket Doll in Basketweave Knit

Introduction

This little lion-and-leaf pocket doll is the perfect first project for anyone who has never knitted before. It is a small, flat, softly stuffed pouch made from one simple rectangle, so you never have to shape a complicated garment or worry about fitting anything to a body. The finished doll is about 4.5 inches wide and 6 inches tall, with a denim-blue basketweave base, a cream basketweave top, a tiny golden lion face with a ruffled mane, and a little front pocket that holds a stuffed autumn leaf. The basketweave texture looks impressive and expensive, but it is made from just knit and purl stitches in a simple four-by-four block pattern. When you finish, you will have a warm, folk-art keepsake that feels soft in the hand and looks charming on a shelf, a desk, or tucked into a gift bag.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Sport weight cotton yarn (approximately 125 yards / 50 g per ball). You will need 1 ball denim blue (Color A), 1 ball cream (Color B), a small amount of golden ochre (Color C) for the lion face, mane, and leaf, and a small amount of rust (Color D) for the leaf tip and vein.
• Knitting needles: US 3 (3.25 mm) straight knitting needles for the body, pocket, face, and mane.
• Double-pointed needles: US 3 (3.25 mm) double-pointed needles (a set of 4 or 5) for the small leaf. If you do not have double-pointed needles, you may use two straight needles instead; the leaf is worked flat.
• Tapestry needle: A blunt-tipped needle with a large eye for seaming and weaving in ends.
• Stitch markers: At least 4 removable stitch markers to mark pattern repeats and hold your place.
• Scissors: Small sharp scissors for cutting yarn.
• Stuffing: A small amount of polyester fiberfill for the doll body, muzzle, and leaf.
• Finished size: Doll body approximately 4.5 inches (11.5 cm) wide x 6 inches (15 cm) tall when folded and seamed. Pocket approximately 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) wide x 2 inches (5 cm) deep. Leaf approximately 2 inches (5 cm) long.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• st / sts – stitch / stitches. A stitch is one loop on your needle.
• K – knit stitch. Insert the right needle into the front of the stitch on the left needle, wrap the yarn around the right needle, pull the loop through, and slide the old stitch off. This makes a smooth, flat "V" shape.
• P – purl stitch. Insert the right needle into the front of the stitch from right to left, wrap the yarn around, pull the loop through toward you, and slide the old stitch off. This makes a bumpy texture.
• St st – stockinette stitch. This means you knit one row, then purl the next row, back and forth. It creates a smooth front side and a bumpy back side.
• Garter st – garter stitch. You knit every row. It creates a stretchy, ridged fabric that lies flat.
• M1 – make one. Increase by one stitch. Lift the horizontal bar between the two needles onto your left needle and knit into the back of it. This adds a stitch without leaving a hole.
• K2tog – knit two stitches together. Insert your right needle into the next two stitches at once and knit them as one. This decreases by one stitch.
• Rep – repeat. Do the instruction again.
• * to * – repeat the instructions between the asterisks as many times as stated.
• Cast on – the very first step that puts loops onto your needle to begin knitting.
• Bind off – the final step that locks the stitches so they do not unravel.
• Right sides together – place the two pieces with their smooth, public faces touching each other, so the seam will be hidden when you turn the piece inside out.
• Mattress stitch – a seaming technique that joins two edges invisibly by sewing back and forth under the horizontal bars between stitches.
• Whipstitch – a simple over-and-over stitch used to join edges or attach a piece to a surface.
• French knot – a tiny embroidered dot made by wrapping the yarn around the needle once and pulling it through to the fabric.
• Straight stitch – a simple embroidered line made by bringing the needle up at one point and down at another.

Gauge

Gauge: 24 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in basketweave pattern, blocked.

Gauge means how many stitches and rows fit into a square of fabric. It matters because it controls the final size of your doll. If your stitches are too loose, the doll will be too big and floppy; if they are too tight, the doll will be too small and stiff. To make a gauge swatch, cast on 32 stitches and work in the basketweave pattern for about 4 inches. Bind off, wet block the swatch, and let it dry. Lay a ruler across the middle and count how many stitches fit in 4 inches. If you have more than 24 stitches, go up one needle size. If you have fewer than 24 stitches, go down one needle size. Always check gauge before starting the body panel.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use stitch markers to track the basketweave blocks. Place a removable marker after every 4 stitches on your first row. This helps you see where each knit and purl block begins and stops.
• Do not pull your yarn too tight. Keep your tension relaxed and even. Tight stitches make the basketweave texture disappear and make seaming difficult.
• Count your stitches at the end of every row. The body panel should always have 52 stitches. If you have more or fewer, you have accidentally added or dropped a stitch.
• Work the basketweave pattern in an 8-row sequence. Rows 1–4 are one block arrangement, and Rows 5–8 are the opposite. Write down which row you are on so you do not lose your place.
• Block the body rectangle before seaming. Wet blocking opens up the basketweave texture and makes the rectangle the correct size for folding.
• Stuff lightly. The doll is meant to be a flat pouch, not a round ball. Use small pieces of fiberfill and keep the blue base flat.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Basketweave Pattern (Multiple of 8 sts + 4)

Rows 1–4: *K4, P4; rep from * to last 4 sts, K4.

Rows 5–8: *P4, K4; rep from * to last 4 sts, P4.

Repeat Rows 1–8 for the pattern.

Body Panel (Worked Flat as One Rectangle)

With A (denim blue), cast on 52 sts.

Rows 1–40: Work in Basketweave Pattern, beginning with Row 1. (52 sts; approximately 5 inches / 12.5 cm of blue.)

Change to B (cream).

Rows 41–64: Continue in Basketweave Pattern, maintaining the established 8-row sequence. (52 sts; approximately 3 inches / 7.5 cm of cream.)

Bind off all sts loosely.

Blocking: Wet block the rectangle to 9 inches (23 cm) wide x 8 inches (20 cm) tall. Allow it to dry completely.

Forming the Doll

Step 1: Fold the rectangle in half with right sides together, matching the cast-on edge to the bound-off edge. The blue section forms the base and the cream section forms the top.

Step 2: Seam the two side edges using mattress stitch, leaving the top cream edge open.

Step 3: Turn right side out. Stuff lightly with fiberfill, keeping the pouch shape flat rather than round. The blue base should sit flat.

Step 4: Fold the top cream edge inward 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) and whipstitch closed to form the doll's head area.

Lion Face (Worked Flat in C, Golden Ochre)

Cast on 12 sts.

Row 1: Purl. (12 sts)

Row 2: K1, M1, K10, M1, K1. (14 sts)

Row 3: Purl. (14 sts)

Row 4: K1, M1, K12, M1, K1. (16 sts)

Rows 5–10: Work in St st, beginning with a purl row. (16 sts)

Row 11: K1, k2tog, K10, k2tog, K1. (14 sts)

Row 12: Purl. (14 sts)

Row 13: K1, k2tog, K8, k2tog, K1. (12 sts)

Bind off. This forms a small rounded muzzle shape.

Lion Mane (Worked in C)

Cast on 24 sts.

Rows 1–4: Work in Garter st (knit every row). (24 sts)

Row 5: *K2tog; rep from * to end. (12 sts)

Bind off. This forms a small ruffled ring.

Assembly of Face

Step 1: Place the mane ring on the cream front of the doll, centered horizontally and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the top edge. Pin and stitch in place with matching yarn.

Step 2: Center the muzzle piece over the mane opening and stitch around its edges, leaving a small opening for stuffing. Stuff lightly and close.

Step 3: With a length of C, embroider two small French knots for eyes above the muzzle, and a small straight-stitch nose at the center of the muzzle. Embroider three short straight stitches on each side of the nose for whiskers.

Pocket (Worked Flat in A, Denim Blue)

Cast on 20 sts.

Rows 1–16: Work in Basketweave Pattern, beginning with Row 1. (20 sts; approximately 2 inches / 5 cm.)

Bind off.

Pocket Assembly

Step 1: Fold the pocket piece in half with right sides together, matching cast-on and bound-off edges. Seam the two side edges. Turn right side out.

Step 2: Pin the pocket to the lower front of the doll, centered horizontally and with its bottom edge about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) above the blue-cream color change. Stitch around the sides and bottom with a whipstitch, leaving the top open.

Autumn Leaf (Worked Flat on Double-Pointed Needles in C and D)

With C, cast on 3 sts.

Row 1: K1, M1, K1, M1, K1. (5 sts)

Row 2: Purl. (5 sts)

Row 3: K1, M1, K3, M1, K1. (7 sts)

Row 4: Purl. (7 sts)

Row 5: K1, M1, K5, M1, K1. (9 sts)

Rows 6–10: Work in St st. (9 sts)

Row 11: K1, k2tog, K3, k2tog, K1. (7 sts)

Row 12: Purl. (7 sts)

Row 13: K1, k2tog, K1, k2tog, K1. (5 sts)

Row 14: Purl. (5 sts)

Change to D (rust).

Row 15: K1, k2tog, k2tog. (3 sts)

Row 16: Purl. (3 sts)

Row 17: K1, k2tog. (2 sts)

Bind off. Weave in ends. Lightly stuff the leaf with a tiny amount of fiberfill and stitch the opening closed. With D, embroider a center vein down the leaf.

Assembly and Finishing

Step 1: Place the stuffed leaf in the pocket, tucking it in so the tip peeks out.

Step 2: Weave in all remaining ends. To weave in, thread the tail onto a tapestry needle and run it through the back of several stitches in one direction, then back through a few stitches in the other direction to lock it. Trim the yarn close to the fabric.

Step 3: Lightly steam the doll to set the basketweave texture. Hold a steam iron about 1 inch above the surface and let the steam penetrate the fabric. Do not press the iron directly onto the stitches, as this can flatten the texture. Let the doll dry completely before displaying.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Use a soft sage green for the base and a warm oatmeal for the top to create a woodland version. Swap the golden ochre for a deep pumpkin orange for a more autumnal lion.
• Adjust the size: To make a larger doll, use worsted weight yarn and US 6 (4.0 mm) needles, and cast on 68 stitches for the body. To make a smaller ornament, use fingering weight yarn and US 1 (2.25 mm) needles, and cast on 36 stitches. Always check gauge and adjust your stitch count to keep the basketweave pattern a multiple of 8 plus 4.
• Substitute the yarn: Any smooth sport weight cotton works well. Avoid fuzzy or textured yarns, because they hide the basketweave pattern. If you use acrylic, steam block very lightly, as acrylic can melt under high heat.
• Add a hanging loop: Before seaming the top closed, stitch a small loop of yarn at the top center so the doll can hang on a wall or tree. Use a 3-inch length of yarn folded in half and whipstitch the ends securely inside the seam.