Knit a Nurse

The NewLife charity has supporting disabled children and their families for over 20 years and their latest campaigns clals on knitters to make a collectible nurse.  

Here's how you can help:  

- Using the pattern provided, create your own collectable knitted Newlife Nurses.

- Tell your friends and family about the Newlife Nurse knitting challenge.

- Spread the Newlife message by completing the birth certificate (below) and attach it to your Nurse.

- Send the finished knitted Newlife Nurse to the following address:

Newlife Foundation, Newlife Centre, Hemlock Way, Cannock, Staffordshire, WS11 7GF.

For more information take a look on the NewLife foundation website here.  

Legs, body and head

Right leg

Begin at the base of right foot and, using white, cast on 7 sts. Mark the 7th st with a coloured thread, then cast on 10 more sts. 17sts.

P1 row

Next row: Inc K wise into every st. 34 sts

Beginning with a P row, continue in St stand work 9 rows.

Break off white and join flesh colour wool for bare leg.  

Shape foot: Next row: K4, (K2tog) 9 times, K 12. 25 sts

P1 row Next row: K4, (K2tog) 5 times, K11. 20 sts

St st 19 rows.

Break off yarn and leave sts on a spare double-pointed needle.  

Left leg

Begin at base of left foot and, using white, cast on 11 sts.

Mark the 11th st with a coloured thread, then cast on 6 more sts. 17 sts

P 1 row.

Next row: inc K wise into every st. 34 sts

Beginning with a P row, continue in St stand work 9 rows.

Break off white and join flesh colour wool for bare leg.  Shape foot: Next row: K12 (K2tog) 9 times, K 4. 25sts

Next row: K11, (K2tog) 5 times, K4. 20 sts

St st 19 rows.

Break off yarn and join on white for pants.  

Body and Head

Mark each end of next row with a coloured thread.

With right side of work facing and using white, K across the 20 sts of the left leg on the knitting needle, then across the 20 sts of the right leg on the spare needle. 40 sts

St st 13 rows.

Break off white and join blue for upper body. St st 10 rows.  

Shape sides

Next row: K6 (K2tog) 5 times, K8, (K2tog) 5 times, K6. 30 sts

St st 3 rows.

Break off blue and join on flesh coloured wool for head.

St st 4 rows. Inc to shape head

Next row : (K1, inc in next 2 sts) to end. 50 sts

St st 23 rows.

Shape top of head

Next row: K2, (K2tog, K2) to end-38sts

P1 row.

Next row: K2, (K2tog, K1) to end-26sts.

Next row: (P2tog) to end-13 sts B & T loosely.  

Making up legs, body, head

Join row ends of body and head from the coloured threads to B&T sts, leaving a gap for stuffing.

Join row ends of each leg from coloured threads to cast on edges. The coloured thread at each cast on edge marks the centre front of each foot.

Beginning at each of these coloured threads, oversew cast on sts together. The leg seams will now be turned slightly to the inside leg positions.

Turn doll right side out.

Stuff feet, then legs and body through gap in seam. Each leg should measure11cm around. The body should measure 21 cm around the waist.

Close gap in seam.

Stuff neck, then head.

Head should measure 24cm around.

Pull up the B&T length of yarn slightly and continue stuffing to round off top ofhead. Pull up the length of yarn tightly and fasten off.

To shape the neck, use two strands of yarn to match the head and gather round the first knitted row of the head colour. Pull up the gathers very tightly and knot ends of yarn.

Sew yarn ends into neck.  

To shape thumb (doll facing you)

Using flesh coloured wool, take needle through toy, 2 rows down and 2 sts in on the hand.

Make a loop over end of hand and pull tight to make thumb shape.

Make another st in the same place.

Fasten off wool securely.

Repeat for other thumb.  

Face

Using a colour of your choice for the eyes, starting and fastening off yarnend as described in working embroidered stitches.

Mark eye positions with pins, 12 knitted rows above the head inc shaping row, leaving 4 clear knitted stitches between pins.

For one eye work a straight st starting at marked position and ending 2 knitted stitches below the marked stitch.

Work another stitch in the same position.

Work a straight st to make eye into a cross.

Work another stitch in the same place.

Repeat for the other eye.

Please feel free to customise your nurse by adding glasses, freckles, etc.

Use red yarn for the mouth.

Work two small stitches to form V-shape, with lower point of V at centre of face and 4 knitted rows above the head inc shaping row.

Colour cheeks with red pencil.  

Shoe bows

Make to 12cm single twisted white cords. Tie each one in a bow and sew to centre of feet.

Using black yarn, work a back stitch either side of bow knot. Make another back stitch joining top of each black stitch and another joining the bottom of the black stitches. This will form the shoe buckle as illustrated.  

Hair piece

Notes: Use suitable hair colour and 4.5mm knitting needles.

First knitted row is wrong side.

Cast on 16 sts.

1st and 2nd rows: K

3rd row: Cast off 2sts, K to last 3 sts, turn

4th row: K to end

5th row: Inc in first 2 sts, K to last 5 sts, turn.

6th row: K to end.

Repeat these six rows 11 more times. Cast off. Oversew cast on and cast off edges together. Gather round the short set of row ends, pull up tightly and fasten off.

Turn right side out.

Place the piece on dolls head with seam at centre back. Pin each wavy point to the head, then sew in place as pinned.  

Arms (Make two alike)

Begin at end of hand and, using yarn to match head, cast on 8 sts.

P1 row.

Next row: Inc K wise into every st. 16 st

Beginning with a P row, St st 19 rows.

Ending with P row.

Break off yarn and join colour forsleeve. With right side facing G st 2rows.

Next row: K3, (inc in next st,K2) 3times, inc in next st, K3. 20st.

Beginning with P row, continue in St stand work 3 rows.  

Shape top:

Cast off 3 sts at beginning of next 2rows. 14 sts

Dec 1 st at each end of next 4 rows. 6sts

Next row: (K2tog) to end 3 sts. Castoff.  

To make up:

Join row ends of each arm leaving the top shaped edges open. Oversew across cast on sts. Turn right side out and stuff lightly. Pin the open top edges to sides of doll, with cast off edges just below the dolls neck. Sew in place as pinned, adding more stuffing at tops of arms if necessary.  

Sleeve Cuffs (Make two alike)

Using white, cast on 20 sts and st-st 3rows. Cast off.

Oversew row ends of each cuff together. Turn right side out. Place one on each arm, with cast off edge level with lower edge of sleeve and seam at under-arm.

Sew in place.  

Skirt and Apron (Knitted in one piece)

Begin at lower edge and, using blue, cast on 72 sts.

G st 2 rows.

Beginning with a K row, St st 2 rows.

Break off blue and join on white for apron.

G st 2 rows.

Beginning with K row, St st 16 rows.

Next row: (K2, K2tog) to end. 54 sts

Cast off.  

Apron bib

Begin at top edge and, using white, caston 14sts.

St st 11 rows, but K the first and last ston every P row.

Cast off.  

Sew bib to centre front of doll, with cast off edge level with cast off edge of apron.  

Watch

Split a length of dark grey yarn to get a fine strand.

On the apron bib work two small vertical stitches side by side, with two tiny horizontal stitches across top end. At other end, work four tiny back-stitches to form a circle, then oversew through each back stitch.  

Cap

Begin at front edge and, using white, cast on 40 sts.

G-st 2 rows.

Beginning with a K row, st-st 15 rows, but K the first 2 sts and last 2 sts one very P row.

Next row; K.

Shape for back section

Next row: Cast off 12 sts P wise [one stnow remains on the right hand needle], P15 sts, then cast off remaining 12 sts P wise. 16sts remain at centre of piece.

With wrong side of St st facing, rejoin yarn to the first st of 16 sts.

Beginning with a P row, St st 16 rows, for back section of the cap.

G st 2 rows, then cast off.

With right side of st-st outside, oversew each set of 12 cast off sts to the adjacentset of row ends of back section.

Place cap on dolls head as illustratedand sew in place.  

Collar

Begin at lower edge and, using white, cast on 38 sts.

K 1 row [right side], then cast off.

Place cast off edge around dolls neck and catch ends of cast off edge together at centre front.

Sew cast on edge of collar to doll.  

Belt

Using red yarn, cast on 2 sts.

G st as many rows needed to fit around dolls waist.

Cast off.

Loosely sew belt around dolls waist.  

Cape

Using red yarn, cast on 72 sts.

G st 4 rows.

1st row: K.

2nd row: K4, P to last 4 sts, K4. Repeat last 2 rows 7 times.

Next row: K 4, K2tog tbl, K7, K2tog tbl,K7, K2tog tbl, K7, K2tog, K7, K2tog, K7,K2tog, K7, K2tog, K8 K 4. 65 sts

Next row: as row 1

Next row: K4, K2tog tbl,K6, K2tog tbl,K 6,K2tog tbl, K 6, K2tog tbl, K5, K2tog,K6, K2tog, K6, K2tog, K6, K2tog, K6,K2tog, K4. 57 sts

Next row: as row 1.

Next row: K4,K2tog tbl, K5, K2tog tbl,K5,K2tog tbl, K5, K2tog tbl, K3, K2tog, K5,K2tog, K5, K2tog, K5, K2tog, K4. 49 sts

Next row: as row 1.

Next row: K4, K2tog tbl K4, K2tog tblK4, K2tog tbl, K4, K2tog tbl K1, K2tog K4,K2tog K4,K2tog K4, K2tog K4. 41 sts

Next row: as row 1.

With right side facing, cast on 12 sts.

Next row: K.

Next row: K to last 3 sts, cast off 1st,K1.

Next row: K2, cast on 1st, K to end.

Cast off.

Sew small button on left side of cape to fasten.