This week was inspired by my first doll I ever got (had). Was a plush, red, patch doll think is called in English, with rubber face. Was one of those you take for sleeping. Soft and cuddly. This week remembered that doll again, and said, why not making one. In my yarn stash had this ball of very old white cotton yarn. Even the way it looked you could say was very old. That was inspiring as well. “Vintage” looking doll, old yarn to go with..could not be better.
Added few details at the end and came up with this little one. 
Little sleeping buddy doll in cow pijama. Topic of this post is sleeping buddies stuffed with rice/lavender. This doll is stuffed with rice and fiber fill stuffing. As I was stuffing the doll, was stuffing her in layers, mixing rice and fiber fill together. Only the head is stuffed with fiber stuffing all the way (but because had this head made some time ago).
The first doll was done! Now I had to try out the pattern and make new doll. Used tiny bits of different colors, to match the yarn weight and gauge. Basically left over yarns I found, but were the same producer. In second try I got the pattern done completely and finished doll looking like this:
Difference at this one is the filling. This doll is mainly stuffed with rice. Fiberfill is added on top of each part for easier closing and sewing the parts later. I must say that this dolls fills great when held in hands, and I like her the most. It is heavy, when you squeeze her you can feel the rice grains inside and is fun to touch and play with. Head I stuffed with fiberfill at this one as well. To be honest, wasn’t in the mood to experiment with rice. 🙂
While working on the second doll, this idea of stuffing the doll with lavender crossed my mind. While having breaks, took a trip to wardrobe in search of the lavender bags hiding there. Picked up fw, took the lavender out and now had to make one more doll to try this out! Lavender stuffed doll!
That is why the third doll is all flowery looking 😀 She is lavender one!
Stuffing it just with lavender doesn’t work. I was using last years lavender, and was pretty dry and light weight. You can’t really “stuff” the doll. Furthermore, lavender breaks and makes dust. To avoid this breaking of lavender and dusting, again used the layers stuffing method. Little bit of stuffing, little bit of lavender and at the end you get this beautifully nice smelling soft doll, what makes ideal sleeping buddy.
Here are all three of the dolls made together 🙂
Think we can start with the pattern. I am giving you the basic pattern, no details on the flowers or cow pijames.
Even the colors I didn’t mention in the pattern, so you can work based on own wishes or yarn availabilities. Important is to keep the yarn weight same or very similar.
Here is the Rice/Lavender stuffed Doll pattern:
Abbreviations (US terms):
Sc: Single crochet
St: Stitch
Inv.dc: Invisible decrease
Ch: chain
Materials used:
5ply or sports weight yarn in different colors
2mm crochet hook
black embroidery thread
embroidery needle
4mm round beads for eyes (if you are making the doll for babies, use safety eyes or sew the eyes on the face. do not use beads!)
Head
R1: Sc6 n magic ring (6)
R2: 2sc in each st around (12)
R3: *2sc in one st, sc1* x6 (18)
R4: *2sc in one st, sc2* x6 (24)
R5: *2c in one st, sc3* x6 (30)
R6: *2sc in one st, sc4* x6 (36)
R7-R10: sc36
R11: *2sc in one st, sc5* x6 (42)
R12: *2sc in one st, sc6* x6 (48)
R13: *2sc in one st, sc7* x6 (54)
R14-R16: sc54
R17: *inv.dec.1, sc7* x6 (48)
R18: sc48
R19: *inv.dec1, sc4* x8 (40)
R20: *inv.dec.1, sc2* x10 (30)
R21: *inv.dec.1, sc1* x10 (20)
R22: inv.dec. x 8, sc4 (12)
Tie off. Stuff the head nice and firm.
Body
Ch12
R1: starting from the secong ch from hook, sc10, 3sc in one st (turn around), sc9, 2sc in one st.
R2: 2sc in ne st, sc9, *2sc in one st* x3, sc9, *2sc in one st* x2 (30)
R3: sc1, 2sc in one st, sc10, *2sc in one st, sc1* x2, 2sc in one st, sc10, 2sc in one st, sc1, 2sc in one st. (36)
R4: sc2, 2sc in one st, sc11, *2sc in one st, sc2* x2, 2sc in one st, sc 11, 2sc in one st, sc2, 2sc in one st. (42)
R5-R14: sc42
R15: sc2, inv.dec.1, sc11, *inv.dec.1, sc2* x2, inv.dec1, sc11, inv.dec.1, sc2, inv.dec.1 (36)
R16: sc36
R17: sc1, inv.dec.1, sc10, *inv.dec.1, sc1* x2, inv.dec.1, sc10, inv.dec.1, sc1, inv.dec.1 (30)
R18: sc30
R19: inv.dec.1, sc9, inv.dec. x3, sc9, inv.dec. x2 (24)
R20: sc24
R21: sc1, inv.dec.1, sc4, *inv.dec.1, sc1* x2, inv.dec.1, sc4, inv.dec.1, sc1, inv.dec.1 (18)
R22-R23: sc18
R24: inv.dec.1, sc3, inv.dec. x3, sc3, inv.dec. x2 (12)
R25: sc12
Tie off and leave long end for sewing the body with the head. Stuff the body well.
Legs (x2)
Ch6
R1: sc4, 3sc in one st (turn around) sc3, 2sc in one st (12)
R2: 2sc in one st. sc3, *2sc in one st* x3, sc3, *2sc in one st* x2 (18)
R3: sc1, 2sc in one st, sc4, *2sc in one st, sc1* x2, 2sc in one st, sc4, 2sc in one st, sc1, 2sc in one st (24)
R4- R6: sc24
R7: *inv.dec.1, sc10* x2 (22)
R8-R9: sc22
R10: *inv.dec.1, sc9* (20)
R11-R12: sc20
R13: *inv.dec.1, sc8* x2(18)
R14-R15: sc18
Stuff the leg. Flatten the ends and single crochet through both sides (two stitches across), making 8 stitches in total.
Cut the tread, log enough for sewing the leg to the body and pull out through the last stitch.
Arms (x2)
Ch6
R1: sc4, 3sc in one st (turn around) sc3, 2sc in one st (12)
R2: 2sc in one st. sc3, *2sc in one st* x3, sc3, *2sc in one st* x2 (18)
R3-R5: sc18
R6: *inv.dec.1, sc7* x2(16)
R7-R8: sc16
R9: *inv.dec.1, sc6* x2(14)
R10-R11: sc14
R12: *inv.dec1, sc5* x2(12)
R13-R14): sc12
Stuff the arm. Flatten the ends and single crochet through both sides (two stitches across), making 5 stitches in total.
Cut the tread, log enough for sewing the arm to the body and pull out through the last stitch.
Hood
Ch51
R1-R18: sc50
Fold piece in the half, and stitch across side, through both stitches, making 25 st along the way.
Cut the thread and tie off at the end.
Ch60, and with needle pass and pull trough stitches on the bottom of hood (as shown on the photo).
Cut off the access yarn, hide the ends, flip the hood inside out and is ready to be placed on dolls head.
I like to fold out one row in the front of the hood. Find it nice looking on dolls head.
Here is how your crocheted piece for hood will look like: 
Now fold it in two like this and stitch 25sc through both sides (two stitches at same time):
Now ch60, yarn over embroidery needle and sew through the stitches at the bottom of the hood, pulling the chain you crocheted thorugh those stitches:
At the end the hood will look like this:
Assembling the parts together:
Sew he body and the head together.
Decide where the front/back will be so can start positioning and sewing the legs. Sew legs between the 4th and 5th row counting from the bottom (first, starting row). Leave one stitch between each leg.
Place arms on the sides of the body. Sew them nicely through 5 stitches we have made while finishing the arms.
Designing the face:
Place the eyes, between between rows, 11-12. Leave 5 stitches between them
Embroider the smiling mouth. Without mouth doll looks great as well.
For any details on the face, or on the body, free your mind and play! 😀
At the end place the hood on doll’s head and your sleeping buddy is done!
Hope you enjoyed reading this and will enjoy making the doll! Make as many as you wish for your family and friends. Let me know what you did for stuffing, how the work went and what was your experience with the pattern.
If you will encounter any mistakes done, let me know, and will correct them immediately.
Thank you all for your time spent reading my post!
P.S.
I have forgotten to mention few details.
Finished size of the doll is 16 (hight) x 8 (width) cm / 6 x 3,5 inches (if done with sport weight yarn and 2mm hook, as I did)
The work is done in continuous round (at least it is how I did it, you do it the way you like and prefer).
After each row is finished, continue without slip stitching or chain one. Mark the beginning of each row for easier counting and pattern following.
I love these “buddies”. I came across them helping someone look for a pattern and decided to attempt them…went for the one in cow pajamas first…my question is can you give me some incite to the ears on the feet? Thank you so much
kathy, please look through comments (my recent replies) I have written the instructions on how to make ears for cow PJ. For the foot, start with flesh or pink colored yarn and stitch until you reach 24 sts (R3). Repeat one more round of same color and then continue with white.
Embroider nostrils on the bottom of the pink part and add tiny beads for eyes on top (where you started with white color yarn).
For the ears, like said, please try to find instructions in one of my recent replies.
Thank you
I have looked through all the comments but can only find additional instructions for the Lavender buddy and the feet for the cow. I can appreciate how many times you’ve been asked to provide the additional instructions but I have honestly not been able to find the instructions for the ears on the cow sleeping buddy.
Thank you so much for the patterns. You are a very talented person.
Hello Mary-Frances, thank you for your message. Sleeping Buddy in cow PJ is very easy to make. Ears, you find difficult to make are simple ovals, in shape of little leaves.
In order to make them start with chain 6. You will need to work around chain, so when crocheting this, around chain round work in back loops all the way.
slip stitch to the second chain from hook, sc to next, 2hdc in next, sc, sl st to the last chain stitch, ch1, and continue working around chain, sl st in the same stitch (where sl st and ch1 are made), sc to next stitch, 2 hdc in next stitch, sc, sl st to last stitch. Fasten off leaving long tail for sewing ear on the head.
Hope it helps 🙂
You say use 5 ply or sports weight. I’m from the UK and not sure what yarn to use. Can anyone advise please?
Try with DK cotton yarn. Perfect for these dolls.
Thank you for sharing pattern . I have noticed by reading posts, you ate a very kind gracious humble lady with a beautiful heart! You always respond kindly warmly apologizing when mistake pointed out . May you be blessed for your kindness.
Thank you Christine for kind message left.
Yes I do apologize often 🙂
From time to time I still experience judgments and crititsism when I make mistakes, but after all I am just a human. I try my best making it easy for everyone, but flaws and mistakes always find their way through 😀
Thank you so much for this lovely pattern! I can’t wait to make it for my niece for Christmas!
You are welcome Angie 🙂
muchas gracias por compartirlo y por el diseño tan gracioso de los amigos dormilones. sigue así deleitandonos con tus diseños