I first heard about making comfort dolls–to go to African AIDS orphans–from writer and friend Karen Hesse. Although I'm not a skilled knitter, I can follow this pattern with ease; above is part of my bundle which I'll send off soon.
They are soft and squishy, between 4-6 inches tall, easily held in the hand. More information and pattern at:
http://www.squidoo.com/african-knit-dolls
and
http://creativestitchonline.com/pattern.html
If you're interested, you might also want to google 'comfort dolls' and/or check locally. Some community organizations and churches collect the dolls to send on in bundles, and some focus on sending to other nations, especially post-disaster.
One unexpected by-product of making these dolls is seeing that each one takes on its own character; no two come out exactly alike. I like that.
