Happy Hanukkah Doll!

Russian Doll from The World of Christmas leaflet, 1977.

“Hey,” you say, “you’re late! Hanukah started yesterday.”

“Ha, ha,” I say. “Hanukah started yesterday at sunset. I post in the morning, therefore this is the first morning of Hanukah!”

“Okay,” you say, “but this is not a Hanukkah Doll. She’s a Russian Doll! And clearly not happy!”

“Ha, ha,” I say again. “Russian Jews have played a very important role in worldwide Judaism. They were a large proportion of the Second Aliyah (Immigration) to Palestine and they founded the kibbutz movement, paving the way for the state of Israel. Also, the famous musical Fiddler on the Roof was about Jews in Tsarist Russia! And let’s face it, most of what non-Jews in the West know about Judaism is from that movie.

Therefore, this doll is for a Russian Jew and a great Hanukkah gift. After all, it’s not like I picked her out of desperation, because there wasn’t anything remotely Jewish in any of my vintage pattern books.

Ah. I can explain. Um...

Oh, I know! Here’s this poor Russian Jew stuck in the middle of a Christmas pattern leaflet, surrounded by Christian Dolls, not one of whom has wished her a Happy Hanukkah. That’s why she looks so peeved!

No? Er, it’s the thought that counts?

For the complete pattern (and more excuses!):

Doll C

J. & P. Coats “Knit-Cro-Sheen” Mercerized Cotton, Art. A.64: 1 ball each of No. 1 White, No. 10-A Canary Yellow, No. 48 Hunter’s Green and No. 126 Spanish Red.

Steel Crochet Hook, Size 7.

At least, I didn’t just take a standard doll and slap a dreidel on her dress.

Each Doll Requires: 3”, 5” and 9” length of pipe cleaner; 1/4” head with painted face and hair; tissue paper.

Russian (C)

That’s C for Chanukah, not Communist. This doll is a Refusenik!

DRESS With Yellow, work as for Dress A until Rnd 4 is completed. Break off.

Dress A belongs to the little Dutch girl, which is adapted below for the Russian doll. Just keep in mind, this is still a Jewish pattern, not a Christian one.

Starting at neck with Yellow, ch 4. Join with sl st to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 3, 8 dc in ring. Join to top of ch-3.

Rnd 2: Ch 3, 2 dc in next dc, (dc in 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc) twice; dc in last dc. Join.

Rnd 3: Ch 3, dc in 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc, dc in 5 dc, 2 dc in next dc, dc in 2 dc, Join.

Rnd 4: Ch 3, dc in next dc and each dc around. Join.

“Hey, I’m not Christian, I’m Jewish too! Jews have lived in the Netherlands since 1593. Spinoza was a Dutch Jew.”

Awesome! This Christmas leaflet is now officially 50% Hanukkah.

Rnd 5: Attach White to ch-3, dc in same place; working in back loop only, (make 3 dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc) 6 times; 3 dc in last dc. Join.

Rnds 6-12: Ch 3, dc in next dc and each dc around. Join. Break off, attach Red.

Rnd 13: Ch 1, sc in each st around. Join. Break off. Weave double strand of Red through sts of Rnds 4 and 12 of dress as shown.

“I’m Shinto, but Russian Jews have lived in Japan since 1853. During WWII, Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese consul in Lithuania, saved at least 6,000 Jews from the Holocaust.

PEBLUM Rnd 1: Attach Yellow to front loop of a dc of Rnd 4 and dress, ch 3, 2 dc in same place; 3 dc in front loop of next dc of Rnd 4 and each st around. Join.

Rnds 2-3: Ch 3, dc in each dc around. Join. Break off, attach Red.

Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in each st around. Join, break off.

SLEEVES With White, work as for Sleeves of A until Rnd 5 is completed.

We return to the little Dutch girl. Who reminds me that one of the most famous victims of the Holocaust, Anne Frank, was Dutch.

With White, work as for Dress until Rnd 1 is completed.

After one line, we’re sent back to the dress? Oy vey.

Ch 4. Join with sl st to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 3, 8 dc in ring. Join to top of ch-3.

Rnd 2: Ch 3, dc in joining, 2 dc in each remaining dc around. Join.

Rnds 3-5: Ch 3, dc in next dc and in each dc around. Join.

Break off, attach Red and repeat Rnds 6-7 of same sleeves.

And now we return to Russia. Feel free to take the tour!

Rnd 6: Ch 3, dc in next dc and in each dc around. Join.

Rnd 7: Ch 3; holding back on hook last loop of each dc, dc in next 2 dc, thread over and draw through all loops on hook – 2 dc decreased; (dec 2 dc over next 3 dc in same way) 5 times. Break off.

“I’m actually Christian, but while my country is most infamous for the expulsion of Jews in 1492, there are now 50,000 Jews living in Spain, most of Northern African descent.

I look peeved not because this is a Christmas leaflet, but because we’re stuck here in the snow without any coats! I’m freezing my castanets off!”

HAT: With Red, ch 20. Join to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in each ch around. Join. Break off, attach Yellow.

Rnd 2: Ch 3, 3 dc in next sc, dc in 9 sc, 3 dc in next sc, dc in 8 sc. Join.

Rnd 3: Ch 3, dc in next dc, 3 dc in next dc, dc in 11 dc, 3 dc in next dc, dc in 9 dc. Join. Break off, attach Green.

Rnd 4: Ch 1, making 3 sc in center st of each 3-st group, sc in each st around. Join.

Rnd 5: With Red, repeat Rnd 4. Break off.

Finishing

Bend 9” pipe cleaner as shown on diagram, then loop the 3” length through top as shown.

Okay, this diagram isn’t a Hanukkah gift. But this link is!

Gather tissue paper around waist and secure with thread. Bind feet and legs with thread in colors of your choice.

Slip dress over body. Slip head over doubled 3” length and join ends for hanging loop. Insert 5” length through top of dress for arms. Slip sleeves over arms and sew to dress; bend ends for hands.

And while you’re buying last minute Hanukkah gifts, don’t forget your dog!

For C Only:

Ooooh, this is exciting. Is it some yummy Hanukkah gelt?

Glue on hat.

Well, that was a big let down. As was this modeling job for our Jewish Russian and Dutch dolls.

However, they turned their lives around by following in the footsteps of ground breaking Jewish comediennes like Fanny Price, Joan Rivers and Gilda Radner, and gave us the best gift for Hanukkah: laughter!

Click here for the printable pattern.