I was looking at descriptions again because in my mind I was thinking “huh, I thought kidcrack (kidsilk haze) was laceweight and had no idea it came heavy”
So full disclosure, my brain is in renfair-mode and I read that too fast. Most of what I replied stands, but to clarify…
What it actually says on the first cutie is the kidcrack is carried along with another thicker thing. So that’s two strands together. Basically it’s laceweight silk/kid mohair for softness/sheen/fuzz with a larger stronger base wool. Combines properties and colors.
So you can mimic this effect with either similar acrylics combined, or find a single yarn with similar properties.
And yeah, she’s basically designed these as heirloom quality shelf-dolls. But that can be adapted to an actual kid’s lovie-doll with changing the yarn.
Another few comments on substitutions…
The pattern may have a thing in the start where yarn info is about recommended substitutions.
The good news is that unless you’re trying to match exact sizes of finished item, gauge is less important than consistency between all the colors. Meaning, you’re not trying to make a people-sweater that ends up a specific size (more complicated substitution), but more approximation, like say, a scarf that ends up 7" wide vs 6" wide because you swapped a yarn that was close but not exact. But it doesn’t matter much because it doesn’t have to fit. So what if the doll is slightly larger/smaller? So that’s easy.
What your priority then is finding something more with your important properties…texture, washability first. And a more distant care, that it’s roughly vaguely similar size as that combined yarn if you want a roughly similar size doll, but that depends on if you care or not.
So to that end, find a candidate yarn at the store and interview it (get one skein and test-drive a swatch, see if you like it).
The other priority you’re gonna wanna look for with the yarn is a brand that has a lot of colors in the range you’d want for your project sitting there since there’s a lot of colors in those dolls. No bueno finding the right texture yarn if it only comes in five colors.
***Speaking of yarn, open the fiber cabinet and the bottom center box labeled for Active Weaving class project…open that up and see if you like the feel of that. I got that stuff for the current project from Hobby Lobby. I like it because it’s very soft, pleasant texture, and comes in a HUGE assortment of colors that have nice subtleties within each color range. It’s easy to find colors that play nice with each other. Buy a skein from the store if you wanna test-drive (don’t use stuff in box since active class).
Pro-tip, Hobby Lobby, the yarn brands tend to run on sale-pattern cycles of six-weeks or so with two-weeks on sale. So if no hurry, get your yarn figured out and wait for a sale if needing lots of skeins to get your color variety. Joanns and Michaels are the other bigbox store options, but Hobby Lobby has best selection if you want to shop there.
One possible hiccup (not insurmountable) is it looks like there are different yarns for different parts (body of doll from kidcrack combo, clothes are cotton on first dollbaby, others vary). What this can mean on your project is get the body made, but might have to do a different substitution for clothing.
It could be a straight swap (use worsted for all), but need to swatch. Get doll made then play with clothing yarn next. I like the contrast of cotton clothing on softer doll, plus the cotton will show off color work differently than worsted might. Some dolls have sweaters out of soft similar to bodies.
I couldn’t find specifics without a pattern, but it’s possible some clothing is a finer yarn than worsted. It might vary by pattern. But that being said, there’s lots and lots of cotton/acrylic in sport-weight or sock-weight (next size down from worsted). Just be prepared to swatch the clothing before blazing on…
In the end, the takeaway is, if you wanna make it from wash/kidlove friendly yarn, it’s doable and the yarn is easily available out there. A little fiddling but nothing that’ll make you crazy.
Also, a huge tool in your endeavor is Ravelry. That designer is on there and if you click on the project, there are the usual tabs with hundreds of personal projects, comments on the yarn substitutions, pics of folks’ finished objects (good ideas for colors you’re considering). Plus if you download the digital through them, it looks like it’s on the site (not outside) which makes it waaaay convenient to keep track of your digital pattern in your Ravelry library.
The general pattern info says “worsted” so I think you can guilt-free plunge headfirst and figure out the other stuff as it comes up. The reviews and comments were complimentary of the pattern usability and clarity.
Here’s link to Ravelry for that designer. Can’t recommend enough this resource for this project if you haven’t explored it.
https://www.ravelry.com/designers/julie-williams-2
One last comment on choosing which pattern. In addition to what initially appeals (I think the strongest reason since it’ll keep you excited working on its adorableness, aka squee factor)
is if there’s a technique you do/don’t want to do. The bodies appear to be knit flat in various parts as seamed, then the clothes, some are in the round and have various color work techniques. Some have an alternative option. Like first option is Fair Isle, but if you hate stranded-knitting, it had a different pattern technique of colorwork for the doll’s sweater.