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My First Izzy Dolls (a bit wobbly, but made with love)

All Izzy Dolls are created in memory of Master Corporal Mark Isfeld, and intended for distribution to children in need as part of the Izzy Doll Initiative. They cannot be bought or sold, they must always given freely to children in need of comfort.

Please remember that Izzy Dolls must represent humans with natural skin tones from dark brown through to soft pink (sorry, no animals) and that they should be 5 to 6 inches in size as their original intent is to fit in the pockets of soldiers. Feel free to get creative with dress, hair length and colour, and accessories such as hats, scarves and belts!

Meet my very first two Izzy dolls! 🧶❤️ I followed the official pattern and knit these little companions as a practice run — a trial-and-error journey into soft sculpture, seam-wrangling, and the art of stuffing (which, it turns out, is trickier than it looks!).

I’ll admit, the seams are a little… unseemly. I used needles that were probably too big, so the stitches aren't quite tight enough — next time, I’ll go down a size or two to keep everything snug and smooth. As for the stuffing, let’s just say I now have a much deeper appreciation for symmetry and subtle shaping.

Even though they’re not perfect, I kind of love them — they’ve got personality, a bit of spunk, and a look that says, “We’re trying our best!” I won’t be giving these two away (they’re more of a learning milestone than a finished gift), but I will absolutely keep practicing until I can confidently make dolls that are ready to be loved by others.

My next batch coming soon — tighter stitches, better stuffing, and hopefully just as much heart. 💗

here is the link to the pattern

my first rather wonky Izzy dolls: