Two new dollies - one pattern which includes both the Wolf and the Little Piglet.

BUT…
I’m not just introducing a new pair of patterns, I’ve also discovered a much easier way of adding an armature!

A month or so ago, while browsing Etsy, I came across these ready-made felted doll armatures from a shop called Handisky. They’re designed mainly for fairy-making and come in two sizes: 3-inch and 6-inch, as well as three different colours. Naturally, I bought one of each size to experiment with, and decided to design a couple of animal dolls to fit over these basic head-and-body forms.

I have to say, I’m absolutely thrilled with the results.

However, the little mannequins may be too pricey for some so, in time, I’ll recreate one and pass on the directions… I have also given the actual diamensions of the ones I bought if anyone wants to make one from scratch.
so only a small amount of stuffing is needed in the snouts. It is important to stick fairly closely to the recommended tension gauge, although there’s still a little flexibility because yarn naturally stretches to some degree. If your stitches are slightly looser, you can simply add a tiny bit more stuffing where needed.

As for yarn choice, I’d definitely recommend using something with a bit of give (I have listed what I used in the pattern and all links to the yarn and eyes etc): wool, wool blends, alpaca and similar fibres work beautifully. I did try a cotton blend, but it was much trickier to fit over the form and didn’t look nearly as good, so I’d avoid cotton for these projects.

You might also be interested to know that the Etsy shop sells kits for making your own armatures, which opens up all sorts of possibilities for creating custom sizes. I haven’t tried those yet myself, so I can’t offer any feedback just yet.