What each size is actually good for, and why the same character looks different at 6 inches and at 14.
The sizes, and what changes between them
Every doll in the studio is made in five sizes, and the difference is not only how much shelf it takes up. A crochet doll is built from a fixed number of stitches per round, so a bigger doll is not a photocopy — it is a doll with more room for detail.
6 inches
Pocket size. This is the one that goes in a bag, sits on a desk beside a monitor, or hangs on a tree in December. Faces are simplified at this size because there is nowhere to put fine embroidery. If you are buying a first doll to see what the work is like, this is the one.
8 and 10 inches
The middle, and the pair most people actually order. At 8 inches a face has room for a proper expression; at 10 the clothing starts to carry its own detail — collars, belts, layered skirts. If a doll is a present for a child, this is usually the right range: big enough to hold, small enough to carry around.
12 and 14 inches
Display sizes. At 14 inches a costume can be built in layers, hair can be shaped rather than suggested, and a face carries a real likeness. This is the range to choose when the doll is meant to look unmistakably like a specific character or a specific person — see the personalized look-alike crochet doll, where size and likeness are directly linked.
Which size should you pick?
Three questions settle it almost every time.
Is it going to be played with or looked at? Played with: 8 or 10. Looked at: 12 or 14.
Is it joining dolls you already own? Then match the size you have. The patterns do not change, so a doll ordered this year stands beside one ordered two years ago — but only if the sizes agree.
Is the costume the reason you want it? Go one size up from what you first thought. Layered outfits compress at small sizes, and the detail you are paying for disappears.
A note on price
Price rises with size because time rises with size — a 14-inch doll is not twice a 7-inch one, it is several times the work. Every size for every character is priced on the product page, so you can see the difference before choosing. Browse the range in cartoon crochet dolls or start with a full set like the Beddy Byes crochet doll set.