All our patterns give finished sizes, but these are only intended as a good indication. When you are trying to obtain a better fit on a particular doll some adjustment may be needed as suggested below. We do not give stitch gauges on 1:12th scale and smaller, simply because most people can’t see well enough to count stitches in a 1 cm square.
Our patterns are designed to give a good fit to most dolls in the size range, however dolls like humans can vary greatly in size and shape, so it is best to work test pieces or check sizing as you go.
1. Width
If it is the width of the dolls body, or the fact that you are a very tight knitter which is a cause for concern, simply knit a few trial rows to give an idea of fit:
If your knitting is too wide, you may need to change the yarn for a thinner yarn, alternatively if the knitting is too narrow, your yarn may not be thick enough. Yarns can vary greatly within the categories, with 1-ply yarn having the largest spread of sizes.
2. Length
Very often the only way to find out if a garment part will be long enough is to knit that part of the pattern and hold it against the doll. This can often be the case with sleeves as some dolls have longer arms than others.
If the knitting is too short:
1. Provided the width is a good fit you can simply add rows
2. If the width is tight as well you can change to slightly larger needles. Remember that if the needle size is changed this may affect the whole of the garment and increase the width very slightly as well. Some patterns, such as cables, may not show up as well if needles are changed, as the fabric becomes looser.
If you feel the knitting is too long for your doll, you may need to omit a few rows, but do bear in mind some tight fitting jumpers or cardigans, may look long until they are sewn up and placed on the doll, such as shown in the example below:
When this cardigan was sewn up and finished the cardigan fits, as the Aran stitches are stretched when the cardigan is worn, making all the stitches slightly shorter:
Sometimes the only way to get a good fit is trial and error or experimentation.