Happy Black History Mon—WTF?

Pappy and Mammy dolls from Gallery of Crochet and Knitting, 1952

One day your child will ask you, “Mommy, what’s institutionalized racism?”, and you’ll be able to point at the photo above. Because the patterns for the Pappy and Mammy dolls aren’t from Racist Crafts Monthly or KKK Knitting and Krochet. No, these dolls are from the 1952 Star Book, Gallery of Crochet and Knitting, which also gave us the innocuous, if ugly, flower pot covers.

Worse still, this crochet booklet’s cover boasts that inside you’ll find “New Easy to Make Gift Ideas”. That’s right, Pappy and Mammy were intended to be gifts. Take a moment for the horror to set in. Then try to imagine an occasion when these dolls would have been an appropriate gift.

I guess they would’ve been one way to make your daughter’s new boyfriend feel especially welcome.

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Not.

For NOT the complete pattern (and more dismay):

 

Yikes!

At least, they look like they will drag you to hell if you even think of making their patterns.

Materials Required: AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY “STAR” RUG YARN, Article 44
2 skeins Red. 1 skein Black. 1 skein White. Will make both dolls.
Steel crochet hook No. 00.

Nowadays, you’ll also need a lack of basic human decency to make these patterns. At least, the 1950s housewife could argue she didn’t know any better.

MAMMY
BODY: Over a 4½ inch cardboard wind Black 50 times and tie at one end (top of head). Remove from cardboard and tie again about 2 inches down for neck.

ARMS: Wind Black over a 4 inch cardboard 15 times, remove from cardboard and tie each end about ¼ inch in for hands.

A 4 inch cardboard what? Cardboard box, cardboard roll, cardboard sleeve, cardboard moose?

Place through body and tie again under the arms for waist. Using a double strand of White work eyes as illustrated. Using a double strand of Red work mouth as illustrated.

No, no, no and no. Don’t do it. Remember going to hell?

SKIRT: With Red ch 19, s c in 2nd st from hook, 1 s c in each remaining st of ch, ch 1, turn.

2nd Row. Working through back loop of sts only for remainder of skirt, work 1 s c in each of the next 13 s c, ch 1, turn.

3rd Row. 1 s c in each of the next 13 s c, ch 1, turn.

4th Row: 1 s c in each of the next 13 s c, 1 s c in each of the remaining 5 s c of 3rd row below, ch 1, turn.

5th Row: 1 s c in each of the next 18 s c, ch 1, turn. Repeat from 2nd row twice.

14th Row. START APRON: 1 s c in each of the next 3 s c, insert hook in next st, yarn over and pull through, drop Red, with White pull through both loops on hook (when changing color always complete last half of last with next color), with White 1 s c in each of the next 9 s c, ch 1, turn.

15th Row. 1 s c in each of the next 9 s c, drop White, pick up Red, 1 s c in each of the next 4 s c, ch 1, turn.

16th Row. 1 s c in each of the next 4 s c, drop Red, pick up White and work 1 s c in each of the next 9 s c, 1 s c in each of the remaining 5 s c of 3rd row below, ch 1, turn.

17th Row. 1 s c in each of the next 14 s c, drop White, with Red 1 s c in each of the next 4 s c, ch 1, turn.

18th & 19th Rows. Repeat the 14th and 15th rows.

20th Row. Same as 16th row but ch 5 at end of row for apron bib, turn.

And not the fun one in Michigan.

21st Row. S c in 2nd st from hook, 1 s c in each of the next 3 sts of ch, 1 s c in each of the next 14 s c, drop White, with Red 1 s c in each of the next 4 s c, ch 1, turn.

22nd & 23rd Rows. Repeat the 14th and 15th rows.

24th Row. 1 s c in each of the next 4 s c, with White 1 s c in each of the next 9 s c, 1 s c in each of the remaining 9 s c of 3rd row below, ch 1, turn.
25th Row. 1 s c in each s c working White in White and Red in Red, ch 1, turn. Repeat the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th rows.

30th & 31st Rows. Same as 14th and 15th rows, cut White.

32nd Rows. With Red 1 s c in each of the next 13 s c, 1 s c in each of the remaining 5 s c of 3rd row below, ch 1, turn.

33rd Row. 1 s c in each s c, ch 1, turn. Repeat the 2nd, 4th and 5th rows 3 times, cut yarn leaving an end. Sew back seam.

Dear God, why am I transcribing this pattern?

TIES: Cut a 3/4 yd. length of Red and thread into needle, insert through right hand side at top of bib, remove needle, pull yarn even and thread through needle double, insert needle through back of skirt at waistline with apron toward you, lack through top of skirt on left hand side at top of bib and lace through opposite side of top of skirt in same manner crossing yarn at back. Place on body and tie at front.

BANDANNA:

Nope, I can’t do it. That Bandana is so much a part of the Mammy Caricature; I cannot in good conscience provide the instructions.

So any Neo-Nazi or White Power nutjob who thought making a Mammy doll would be funny, I’m not going to help you. At this point, you’ve made a doll of a proud black woman wearing an apron to protect her gorgeous red dress.

In your face, skinhead.

PAPPY
Work body, eyes, arms and mouth same as mammy.

I wonder if these patterns would be okay if the dolls were white instead of black. After all, that’s what people are doing to lawn jockeys to make them more socially acceptable.

No, I’m thinking shred the doll patterns, and stick to garden gnomes. Thankfully, they never cause any controversy.

But I will provide Pappy’s Pants instructions, because they have a groovy 70s vibe.

PANTS: With Red ch 15, s c in 2nd st from hook, 1 s c in each of the next 13 sts of ch, ch 1 turn.

2nd Row. Working through back loop of sts for remainder of pants, work 1 s c in each of the next 11 s c, ch 1, turn.

3rd Row. 1 s c in each of the next 11 s c, ch 1, turn.

4th Row. 1 s c in each of the next 11 s c, 1 s c in each of the remaining 3 s c of 3rd row below, ch 1, turn.

5th Row. 1 s c in each s c, ch 1, turn. Repeat the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th rows 4 times, then work 1 row even in s c (1st leg), ch 15 for next leg, turn. S c in 2nd st from hook, 1 s c in each of the next 13 sts of ch, ch 1, turn.

Next Row. 1 s c in each s c, ch 1, turn. Repeat the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th rows of 1st leg 4 times, then repeat the 2nd, 3rd and 4th rows once, ch 1, and working across top of each leg for waist band, work 9 s c across each leg and 1 s c at center (19 s c), ch 1, turn.

Next 2 Rows. 1 s c in each s c, cut yarn.

These pants could also be used to make a cool zoot suit doll.

BIB, TIES, HAT, and TRIMMING

Nope, nope, nope, and nope-ity nope.

And there won’t be a printable pattern for these dolls either.

Place twig in hand if desired.

I’m not touching that with a 9 foot twig. Instead, I’m off to scrub myself with soap until I feel clean. For hours, if necessary.

Meanwhile, Happy Black History Month, for real!