Where the hours actually go, and why a doll twice the size takes far more than twice the time.
Longer than people expect
A small handmade crochet doll is several hours of work. A large one with a layered costume is a couple of days. Nothing here is assembled from parts made in advance — each order is worked from the first stitch.
Where the hours go
Most people assume the body takes the longest. It does not.
- The body is the fastest part. It is repetitive and predictable.
- The face takes a fraction of the time and decides whether the doll works at all. It is redone if it is not right.
- The hair is often the single longest piece, especially anything long or in two colours.
- The clothes are where a set gets expensive. A plain dress is quick; a jacket with contrast panels is built piece by piece.
- Assembly is slow and invisible. Joining limbs so a doll sits straight takes as long as making one of them.
Why size multiplies
Crochet grows in rounds, so doubling the height roughly quadruples the stitches. Add to that the detail a bigger doll makes possible — and that you would notice if it were missing — and a 14-inch doll is several times the work of a 7-inch one, not twice.
What that means for your order
The processing time on each product page is the studio's real figure, not a placeholder, and it is separate from shipping. A set where you order several characters takes longer than one doll, because they are made one after another.
If a doll is for a specific date, order with room. The refund policy explains the cancellation window, which is short precisely because work starts quickly.
See what a large set involves at the Zombies re-animated crochet doll set, or browse movie crochet dolls.