SAILOR VENUS!

by Clare Heesh
https://www.etsy.com/shop/53Stitches

Materials!
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• Beige Yarn
• Yellow yarn
• Gold yarn
• Orange yarn
• White yarn
• Dark blue ribbon, 9mm width
• Yellow ribbon, 9mm width
• Red ribbon, 9mm width
• Yellow felt
• 2x 8.00mm safety eyes
• 3.00mm crochet hook
• Polyester filling
• Black thread
• Fabric glue
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The yarn I use is an 8ply Australian brand with a gauge of 22
stitches x 30 rows. I believe this is equivalent to Double Knit
(DK) with the American/UK weighting system.

Techniques and Abbreviations!

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ch = chain
st = stitch/stitches
sl st = slip stitch
sc = Single Crochet
MR = Magic Ring
inc = Increase, sc 2 in the same stitch
dec = Invisible Decrease
hdc = half double crochet
dc = double crochet
4sc popcorn = Popcorn Stitch with 4 sc worked into it.
BLO = Back Loop Only
[ sc, inc ]x 2 = repeat 2 times => sc, inc, sc, inc
alternative costume suggestions (e.g. Super Sailor costume)!
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There should be a file available for download with this one that details all of the stitches that I use
and other references. If not, it is available for download here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/
u/63637986/Techniques.pdf
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My patterns are worked in continuous rounds, I recommend using a marker to mark the start of
each round. I like to use a bobby pin, since it’s easily removed and doesn’t fall out or leave fluff as
much as a stray piece of yarn does.
!
To finish off each body part, I do a slip stitch for the last stitch of the round, then chain 1 and pull
the tail into the next stitch to neaten it off.

53Stitches! 1
HEAD!
Beige
!
1. (in Beige) MR 6 (6)
2. [ inc ]x 6 (12)
3. [ inc, sc ]x 6 (18)
4. sc, inc, [ sc 2, inc ]x 5, sc (24)
5. [ inc, sc 3 ]x 6 (30)
6. sc 2, inc, [ sc 4, inc ]x 5, sc 2 (36)
7-12. sc 36 (36)
13. sc 2, dec, [ sc 4, dec ]x 5, sc 2 (30)
14. [ dec, sc 3 ]x 6 (24)
15. sc, dec, [ sc 2, dec ]x 5, sc (18)
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Insert safety eyes between rows 9 and 10, with approximately 5 stitches between them. Leave tail
for sewing, finish off and stuff firmly. Stitch on the mouth using a few threads of black embroidery
or cross-stitch thread. Yarn works as well but leaves the mouth a bit thick.
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HAIR!
Yellow!
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Hair Cap:!
1. (in Yellow) MR 6 (6)
2. [ inc ]x 6 (12)
3. [ inc, sc ]x 6 (18)
4. sc, inc, [ sc 2, inc ]x 5, sc (24)
5. [ inc, sc 3 ]x 6 (30)
6. sc 2, inc, [ sc 4, inc ]x 5, sc 2 (36)
7-12. sc 36 (36)
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Finish off, leaving a tail to attach to head. You may find you don’t need 12 rows, or maybe you
need more. It depends on the head and your yarn. Just add or delete rows as needed.
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Attach the wig cap to the head using the tail. You only need to secure it in a few places for it to
remain on so no need to be overly thorough. Next take a length of gold yarn and a length of
orange yarn. Embroider on the tiara using the gold, and then the gem in the centre of the tiara
using the orange. Use what’s left of the tail of the hair cap to embroider the fringe, or if there is
none left take a length of yellow yarn and use that.

The next part is slightly tricky. Sailor Venus has long hair that for the most part is loose and goes
straight down, however at the side she has parts pulled back into a small ponytail held by a
ribbon at the back of her hair. The easiest and most secure way to replicate this is to first fill the
head with the long loose hair, securing it on the way down underneath stitches on the wig cap,
these stitches will make the line that we’ll later cover up with the ‘pulled back’ hair.
53Stitches! 2
I’ve tried to include a lot of pictures to demonstrate this process. The first picture above shows
going underneath a stitch on the wig cap from where the part or root of the hair is. Pull the yarn
through so that it is tight. The second picture shows the trip back up to the root of the hair, going
underneath another stitch again. Instead of pulling this piece tight, you want to leave a loop that is
a long as you want the hair to be (this is shown in the third picture of above).

You’ll end up with hair that should look something like the pictures above. Next we’re going to take
the yarn from the sides of the head and move it towards the back, covering up the stitches we’ve
gone under to make the hair look more seamless. Then the last step is to take a length of ribbon
(15-16cm or 6 inches will be plenty, I use one that has a 9mm width), tie it into a bow, and secure
it over the hair.

Then cut the loops and the hair and head should be finished! It might need a bit of a trim but I
usually wait to do this until the head is attached so I can have a better idea of how the hair sits.
!

53Stitches! 3
ARM (make 2)!
Beige, White & Orange!
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1. (in White) MR 6 (6)
2. [ inc, sc 2 ]x 2 (8)
3-4. sc 8 (8)
5. sc 3, 4sc popcorn, sc 4 (8)
(on the second arm, row 5 is:
sc 4, 4sc popcorn, sc 3 (12) The popcorn stitch in the arm is
this gives a right and left arm. It can the thumb, if you prefer straight
be easy to lose a stitch here.)
arms, simply replace the
6-9. sc 8 (8) popcorn stitch with a sc.
10-15. (in Beige) sc 8 (8)
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No need for stuffing, leave tail for sewing and finish off. Take a length of red yarn and embroider it
so that it goes three times around where the colour changes from white to beige (between rows 9
and 10). See pictures.
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LEG (make 2) !
Beige
!
1. (in Beige) MR 5 (5)
2. [ inc ]x 5 (10)
3-13. sc 10 (10)
14. [ inc, sc 4 ]x 2 (12)
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Finish off, no tail is necessary as they are not sewn
onto anything.
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53Stitches! 4
SHOES (make 2)!
Orange!
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1. (in Orange) MR 6 (6)
2. [ inc ]x 6 (12)
3. [ sc, inc ]x 3 (15)
4. BLO sc 15 (15)
5-6. sc 15 (15)
7. sc 3, dec 3, sc 6 (12)
(on the second shoe row 7 is:
7. sc 6, dec 3, sc 3 (12)
this gives a left and right shoe)
8. ch 12, sl st into 11th stitch of the previous round
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Finish off.
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BODY!
White & Beige!
Take the two legs and position them so that the feet are pointing correctly, I like to place two
bobby pins in the stitches where the legs will join to make it easier to manage. Make a slip knot,
insert hook in the stitch you are going to begin the round with, make sure to begin the round at the
back of the doll so that the colour changes are kept out of sight. Put the slip knot on the hook, and
pull it through.The next stitch will be a regular single crochet and will begin the round.

Join with two bobby pins, this is Make one sc in the right leg in Do the same thing when you
where you’ll go from one leg to the stitch the bobby pin marks. reach the next bobby pin. This is
the other The next sc will be on the left what it should look like after one
leg, in the stitch the bobby pin round.
marks.
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1-2. (in White) sc 24 (24)
3. sc 3, dec, [ sc 6, dec ]x 2, sc 3 (21)
(at this point stuff the legs)
4. [ dec, sc 5 ]x 3 (18)
5. FLO sc 18 (18)
6. [ inc, sc 2 ]x 6 (24)
7. sc 24 (24)
8. sc 3, dec [ sc 6, dec ]x 2, sc 3 (21)
9. [ dec, sc 5 ]x 3 (18)
10. sc 2, dec, [ sc 4, dec ]x 2, sc 2 (15)
11. (in Beige) [dec, sc 3 ]x 3 (12) Stuff firmly, but make sure
12. sc 12 (12) that the boots can still fit.
13. [ sc, inc ]x 6 (18) You may prefer to put the
! boots on first and then stuff
! the legs.

53Stitches! 5
SKIRT!
Orange!
This part can be difficult. You want to pick up 21 stitches, in the third row of the white rows. In between rows
3-4 of the body. There will have to be one stitch you pick up which goes from one row to the one above it, I
usually make this stitch the first one I pick up, and I try and position it so that it is at the back and lines up
with the colour change unevenness. I’ve put this process below with pictures and a matching description.
I’m right handed and so I find it easier to turn the doll upside down, inserting the hook from right to left to
start.

This is where we’ll start. You
want to insert your hook into
the stitch the blue pin marks
and bring it out at the stitch
the red pin marks.
This is what you’ll have. Now You now have a loop coming
yarn over using the orange up through where the blue
yarn, and pull this loop pin was. Yarn over and pull
through both stitches. through this loop (chain 1).

This is what you’ll end up Now you’re going to put your Like this.
with. This will be our first hook back into the stitch the
stitch when we finish the red pin marks and come out
row. where the green pin marks.

Yarn over, and pull through.
53Stitches!
You now have two loops on
your hook. Yarn over and
complete a single crochet
as normal. This is the
second stitch.
Repeat this pattern. Insert
into red pin, come out green
pin, yarn over, pull through,
yarn over, complete stitch.
6
 Do this approximately 21 times until Now you can continue to sc as
! you reach the first stitch you picked normal, it can be a bit difficult to
! up. This is the beginning of row 2. manoeuvre your hook but once the
! skirt widens it becomes easier.
!
1. (in Orange) Pick up 21 stitches
2. sc 21 (21)
3-5. [ sc, inc ] x (keep repeating all the way around. The exact number of stitches isn’t important, just
mark the beginning of the round)
6. BLO sc all around ()
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Finish off, leaving a tail. The skirt will seem too big and probably curve upwards. Taking the tail,
pin it to the legs at even spaces, making the skirt wavy.
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Attach the arms. I like to pin them in place to get an idea of where they should be placed, then
they are attached as a flattened piece using the tail. After the arms are attached take a piece of
white yarn, and coming out underneath the arm (in the armpit) wrap it around the shoulder three
times, doing the same to the other side.

!
!

53Stitches! 7
COLLAR!
Orange & White!
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1. (in Orange) ch 9
2. (start in second chain from hook) sc 8 (8)
3-4. ch 1, turn, sc 8 (8)
5-9. ch 1, turn, sc 2 (2)
10. ch 1, turn, sc (1)
!
Finish off, leave a tail. Then insert your hook in the 8th stitch of row 4, yarn over and pull the loop
through. Then ch 1. Going back into the same stitch (the 8th), complete 1 sc. This is the first stitch
of row 5 of the other half of the collar. Complete 1 sc in the next stitch (the 7th), ch 1 and turn.
Now you should be on row 6. Repeat rows 6-10 for the other side of the collar. I find that it tends to
curve a bit so I iron in to make sure it sits flat. Then embroider on the white stripes using a length
of white yarn.
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You could also choose to make the collar out of felt or material. Stitch the collar into place using
the tails. I pull them both through a stitch in the centre of her chest and then use the end to pin
down the back which tends to curve.

Cut out a small heart out of orange felt. Next you want to take two lengths of navy blue ribbon
about 9mm in width: one approximately 6 inches long (15-16cm) and the other approximately 8
inches (20-21cm). Both need to be tied into bows. The smaller one will be in the centre of the
chest and the larger one the centre of her lower back, where the skirt begins.
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Attach the bows so that they don’t move and don’t come undone when they are pulled. I do this
using a combination of glue and thread. I then glue the yellow circle in the centre.
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All that’s left is to attach the head. There should have been 18 stitches in the last round of the
head and the body, so they match up evenly. Simple align the head properly, and whipstitch
closed. Trim the hair if necessary.

53Stitches! 8
Finished!

Hope you had fun and if there are any questions or problems don’t hesitate to contact me through
my etsy shop, http://www.etsy.com/shop/53stitches/ or my tumblr http://53stitches.tumblr.com If
you have any suggestions or designs you’d like to see in the future, drop a suggestion in my ask
and I’ll see what I can do!
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Please don’t copy or resell this pattern or the dolls made from it online, but feel free to make as
many as you want and distribute them amongst friends or sell them at markets. Thank-you! :)

53Stitches! 9