18" Doll Size Figure Skates

I am a firm believer in the fact that with a hook (or needles) and yarn, you can make anything. Anything includes these beautiful and surprisingly lifelike figure skates for your doll. With a relatively small amount of white yarn, you can make these even if you do not have the means to make the complex blades by simply being creative with a paperclip. These are amazing skates that will fit 18" dolls. Mine was modeled and made for a Maplelea doll, such as those at maplelea.ca.

Materials:

  • 50 meters (approx.) white yarn, worsted weight

  • tapestry needle, scissors, your basic notions

  • 3.75 mm hook or size needed to obtain gauge

  • paperclips for blades or: (more information in the pattern)

    • metal skate blades and plates

    • leather soles

    • hot glue

  • tape for ends of laces

Gauge:

4 sts, 4 rows single crochet worked back and forth: 2.5 cm

Construction:

The sole is worked, then the tongue, then the sides of the skates, and then the laces and soles/blades.

Abbreviations:

ch chain

sc single crochet

bl(o) back loop (only)

rnd round

sl st slip stitch

dc double crochet

hdc half double crochet

sc2tog single crochet 2 together (done in the front loop only)

sc3tog single crochet 3 together (done in the front loop only)

The Pattern:

Round 1: Ch 11, 2 sc into 2nd ch from hook. Sc 8, sc 3 in last ch. Now continue around, working in back loop of chain left. Sc 9, join with sl st to beg of rnd. (20 sc)

Round 2: Ch 1, sc 1, 2 sc in next st, sc 8, 2 sc in next st, sc 1, sc 2 in next st, sc 8, 2 sc in last st, Join with sl st to beg of rnd. (26 sc)

Round 3: Ch 1, sc 1, 2 sc into next 2 sts, sc 5, hdc 2, dc 1, 2 dc into next 2 sts, dc 1, 2 dc into next 2 sts, dc 1, hdc 2, sc 5, 2 sc in each of last 2 sts. Join with sl st to beg of rnd. (34 sts)

You should have a sole-shaped piece now.

Round 4: Sc in the blo all around. (34 sts)

Round 5: Sc around. (34 sts)

Round 6: Ch 1, sc 12, sc2tog 6 times, sc 10, join with sl st to beg of rnd. (28 sts)

Finish off and weave in ends. Next we will make the tongue.

Tongue:

Start by folding the shoe in half lengthways and inserting your hook in the front center stitch. You will not begin work in this stitch, this is just to save it.

Then, count back two stitches and insert your hook through the back loop only. Here I have placed a stitch marker to show the original middle front stitch.

Row 1: Pull up a loop, ch 1, sc, all in first st. Then sc3tog in front loops over next 3 sts, sc 1 in blo. (3 sts)

Rows 2-4: Sc across. (3 sts)

Row 5: 2 sc in first st, sc 1, 2 sc in last st. (5 sts)

Row 6: Sc across. (5 sts)

Row 7: 2 sc in first st, sc 3, 2 sc in last st. (7 sts)

Row 8: Sc across (7 sts)

Row 9: Sl st in first st, sc 5, do not work in last st. (5 sc)

Row 10: Sl st in first st, sc 3, do not work in last st (3 sc)

Row 11: Sl st in first st, sc 1.

Sc down the side of the tongue to where it joins with the skate base. Then sl st across the bottom inside of the tongue in the back loops left from the sc3tog in Row 1. If these are difficult to work into, try the back loops left from the decreases in Round 6 of the sole. Sc back up the other side of the tongue. Join with sl st to the first sc of Row 11. This rounds out the tongue to look more like a skate tongue. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Leg and Side of Skate

Insert your hook in one of the front loops left by the back loop edge stitches from Row 1 of tongue.

Row 1: Pull up a loop, ch 1, sc all in same st. Sc 10, sc2tog 2 times, sc 11. (24 sts)

Row 2: Decrease 2 at each end. (20 sts)

Row 3: Decrease 1 at each end. (18 sts)

Rows 4-7: Sc across. (12 sts)

At the end of row 7, sc down the edge of the side, by the tongue. Do this: sc, ch 1. This will create holes for laces. It doesn't matter how many you have (I had 5) just as long as it's equal on each side. Cut a piece of strich a meter long for laces and thread it through. You might want to lace the skates with a tapestry needle. Then snip the ends to an appropriate length and cap them any way you like. I used a bit of scotch tape and then filled the ends with hot glue so that they wouldn't fall off.

Then, the blades. You can simply use a paperclip, or go all out like I did. First, I cut some sole pieces (same size as crocheted sole) out of black leather. Then I cut out some blades and blade plates (with the help of a bench grinder and some other tools) out of metal. Make the blade plates quite smaller than the leather soles so you have room to sew.

Then I got the blades welded upright to the plates, which Dad did for me.

I cut blade-length slits in the leather soles, then hot-glued them over the blade plates.

Then, I used a stong needle and black thread and sewed the blades to the bottom of the skate, using the leather that went off the edges of the blade plates. (Remember how I said to make the blade plates smaller than the leather soles? That's why.)

This cute pair of skates is a wonderful addition to your doll's wardrobe! Hope you enjoy!