Ken Shorts and Shirt

I made this back in 2022 when I was using the smaller Ken Dentist.

Lately I've fallen back to my newsprint and other older magazines for the Barbie dolls because many of them have quick to make outfits that are more designed for play than display. I admire the people who collect, dress, and display their dolls. The hand made outfits can be amazing to look at but for little hands and someone looking to fill a room full of donation bags those patterns just aren't as practical a choice.

This pattern comes from the out of print newsprint title House of White Birches Crochet Wardrobre for 11 1/2 inch Fashion Dolls Including a Complete Wedding Ensemble and Trousseau. I try to include titles even for out of print stuff because it's easier to find something if you have the information to look. I learned this recently when I came across a new line of newprint titles I'd never seen before.

I used a C hook for both the shirt and shorts despite the pattern calling for a D hook. I suspect doll size and yarn create different needs.

I used a no longer available Red Heart Baby sport yarn for the pants and Bernat Big Baby Sport White for the shirt.

I rather liked this version of Ken beecause he fits many of my old vintage patterns much better than the dentist. However, I misjudged purchasing extras and if my inventory is correct I only have him through 2025 before I will need to find a new Ken model.

While I've replaced Barbie with the camping Barbie nothing on the market for Ken right now appeals. I got stuck this time because by the time I ordered a couple and started making something for the model he was already disappearing from the market. This time I have to make testing a priority regardless of where I am in the current year's donation.

Our Generation Boy Hockey Sweater and Pants

When possible I do try to recycle items into other outfits to stretch my donations. This was the test hockey sweater I made prior to making the hockey uniform because I had no idea what adjustments would need to be made and using one color with a bit of trim seemed a great option for figuring out the details of the sweater without having to manage color changes. I actually went back and finished this sweater after the hockey uniform and thus benefited from knowing I needed to stay consistent with the bottom stitches in order not to have shrinkage at the bottom of the sweater.

I used Darski's free Detroit Red Bunnies pattern found here for the sweater. These are the directions I made up for the hockey pants. I just added rows to the legs to get them to be full length for this outfit.

The pattern directions called for two strands of yarn and K hook. I used Red Heart Super Saver black and crocheted over a pony tail holder to give the pants an elastic waist to make sure they stayed on the doll. I continued crocheting in the round until I needed to split for the crotch making sure I had decreased the total number of waist stitches to 40 before splitting. Sometimes it takes more stitches to cover the pony tail fully. It wasn't as much of an issue with the double strands.

Row 1 sc around elastic band to cover it.

Rows 2-6 hdc in 40

Row 7 split for legs adding 3 chains to join crotch.

Rows 8-11 on each leg crochet around 23.

Shirt:

I didn't need to change colors but I did add a trim row of white to the torso and the sleeves. I reduced the sleeves with a hdc 3 hdc 2 together around. Then I followed with a row of sc trim and another with main color to decrease the sleeve size at the wrist.

Row 1: 2sc in 3 (1 sc followed by 2sc) until last 3 stitches, 2sc in last 3 stitches.

The stripes on the bottom of the sweater need to be hdc or dc. I chose sc and the sweater gets a bit smaller as a result. I would likely choose the hdc option to keep it even with the rest of the sweater.

Glitter Girl Fun in the Sun

I purchased several of Little Bitty Boutique's patterns to make for the Glitter Girl donation. While designed for the Wellie Wisher Doll they are close enough that they work for the Glitter Girl doll as well.

The dress for this pattern is from her Fun in the Sun pattern that can be purchased here. The shoes have become my go to pattern for any Glitter Girl pattern without shoes and comes from an Adoring Doll pattern set that can be purchased here.

This was made with Bernat Big Ball Baby Sport Yarn Yellow and an F hook. I had a slightly odd back so I ended up using a snap rather than the suggested button.

The shoes were made with Red Heart Super Saver Lemon and an E hook. I'd try Herrschners Worsted 4 next time but I found the light yellow Red Heart first. I didn't think to check the lighter yarn first.

Lots to Love 8 Inch Baby Doll Playtime Romper

I purchased this pattern back in 2021 from Amy Carrico's Etsy shop, which is no longer open. It is showing available to purchase on Ravelry here.

Looking at my inventory list I realized while I've been rotating around the different types of dolls many of the baby dolls have been neglected and I need to focus on filling their bags for the donation. That led me to searching for my Carrico patterns that I knew I bought but had yet to make.

This came out a bit fluffier than I had wanted for the top. The first row doubles the chain stitches and since I intend to make a 2nd outfit this year I think I'm going to try a double followed by a single and see how that brings the size down a bit. It's supposed to be an oversize top but this top is just big.

I used Bernat Big Baby Sport Yarn Pink and White for this project. I used a C hook for until finishing the arm holes as it was a bit tight with a B. I will revert to B hook when trying changes for next outfit.

The pants and booties fit as written. I thought the hat was going to be tight so I added 2 increase rows. I'd try going as written next time as the end product is a little larger than I wanted.

Our Generation Boy Hockey Player

Back in March I asked some of my friends over on Crochetville to help me find patterns I could use with the Our Generation Boy doll for the donation. I was open to free or paid patterns but while I hadn't worked through my library of available patterns specifically for the male dolls, I knew my supply was limited. That's when people challenged me to think about how to adapt patterns to fit the male doll.

This is Darski's free Detroit Bunnies pattern which was designed as a hockey outfit for the girl dolls. You can find the pattern here. There are a number of sport patterns originally designed for the girls that I'm looking to adapt for the boy doll before he leaves for the donation. This was my first attempt.

Notes:

The skates were purchased from CR Crafts. So I can find them and buy them again they were listed as Skates - Ice - 2 5/8" Black Item 69151. You can purchase them here. I've not purchased many shoes for either the Our Generation or My Life doll. Making shoes for them has told me the My Life dolls feet are a bit larger based on hook sized required to get the crocheted shoes to fit. This is something to remember when ordering shoes for them in the future perhaps.

Hockey Pants:

When ever possible I avoid making the legs and joining. It just rarely works out for me so unless it's something like footed PJ's I try at all costs to avoid this method.

The directions called for two strands of yarn and K hook. I used Red Heart Super Saver black and crocheted over a pony tail holder to give the pants an elastic waist to make sure they stayed on the doll. I continued crocheting in the round until I needed to split for the crotch making sure I had decreased the total number of waist stitches to 40 before splitting. Sometimes it takes more stitches to cover the pony tail fully. It wasn't as much of an issue with the double strands.

Row 1 sc around elastic band to cover it.

Rows 2-6 hdc in 40

Row 7 split for legs adding 3 chains to join crotch.

Rows 8-11 on each leg crochet around 23.

Darski includes directions for suspenders for her uniform. I chose not to include them.

Hockey Hose:

This was Darski's wording not mine. I'm not an expert on hockey uniforms. I made one and then remade it as it was larger than I expected. I stuck with my original yarn choices although Darski mentions using baby yarn. The color options were not going to work for me with baby yarn.

I started making 20 rather than 25 rows of chain 4 ribbing. This helped it stay up on the doll's leg.

When I crocheted on top of the ribbing adding the suggested extra stitches I ended up with 26 both times so that seems to be the number.

Shirt:

I played with the colors a bit so I had to change some of the pattern to accomadate additional color changes.

I started with 2 strands of yellow as while this is a worsted 4 yarn it is lighter than the white and black. I also changed the directions to get the stitch count to work for me.

Row 1: 2sc in 3 (1 sc followed by 2sc) until last 3 stitches, 2sc in last 3 stitches. The stripes on the bottom of the sweater need to be hdc or dc. I chose sc and the sweater gets a bit smaller as a result. I would likely choose the hdc option to keep it even with the rest of the sweater.

I used snaps to close the shirt. I had planned on buttons but with the shrinkage at the bottom I finished the edges in blank and used snaps to close.

Helmet:

The helmet is worked in two strands of black and a K hook. I worked as written until row 7 when I needed to add increase rows because this doll needed a larger helmet before moving on to the fp sc of rows 9-10.

I found the shaping directions confusing so I marked the temples of the doll on the helmet and proceeded with rows 11-13. If you don't stop for these locations and turn you end up with a hat not a helmet.

I found the first side of the chin strap worked well I'd be more careful looking at the way the first one sits before placing the second one. I'd pulled out the helmet a few times to get the face to work by the time I reached the strap so I had less patience than perhaps was best for this type of project. However, hopefully with these hints I'm hoping my next attempt at the helmet will prove easier and I can focus on a better second strap joining.

16 Inch Baby Doll Nightgown

I'm not sure what happened to the link for Darski's Easy Dolly Nightgown for the JC 16 Inch Baby doll. As updates have been made to Crochetville over the years some things have not made the upgrade. Darski also listed some of her patterns on her own platform but most were also cross listed at Crochetville. So I can't give a link for this pattern unfortunatly. If I do find one I will update it.

This is a simple open nightgown pattern that ties in the back with a cute trim at the bottom.

I've been trying to dig into my stash to use up yarn that has been there way to long. The hat is made with no longer available Bernat Softee Spring Flowers. The nightgown is made with Herrschners Baby Fairytale. I hadn't purchased any dark pink from them in a bit so I wasn't sure it was still available until I checked the site but Fairytale is still sold.

I used a g hook for this outfit. It calls for a 4.5 which I have somewhere but not readily at hand. I tried the H hook but the nightgown was baggy so I went down to a G hook and was happy with the fit. After making the ties for the top I finished the back.

There is no pattern for the hat so I played with fp and bp stitches for the hat finishing with alternating 5dc skip 1 sc around.

I will be making a second nightgown for the other JC 16 inch Baby doll donation soon. I just need to choose different colors.

Ken Ski Outfit

I previously made this outfit for Ken back in 2021 using the pattern found in the out of print House of White Birches Crochet Wardrobe for 11 1/2" Fashion Doll Including a complete Wedding Ensemble and Trousseau.

This is a black and white newsprint leaflet but I love it for this project because for the most part the patterns are designed for people who want to make a wardrobe for a child to play with rather than an adult who will display the dolls. I have been exploring the patterns a bit more this year and returning to some like this one I hadn't used in a few years. I'm trying to get better about notations so when I do return to a project I have a starting point.

One challenge I have had is that the sizes on the model dolls change. Sometimes significantly and sometimes in a minor way. The first Ken I used for the donation is more similiar to the current model I'm using now. The middle one, the Vet was smaller and required significantly more changes to the old fashion doll patterns to get the clothing to fit. Sadly, this Ken looks like he's been discontinued so I will have to start searching for a new model. I'm hoping to find one similiar in size to this one because so far the old patterns fit him pretty well.

Notes:

I used Knit Picks Fingering Palette and a C hook for all items I would suggest using a D or E hook for the hat as it is tight.

Sweater:

I've played with changing colors at the top. I like this look better than the previous look. The single strand stripe got lost at the top. The double stripe looks cleaner.

Don't decrease sleeves at row 11. While it gives a more realistic cuff look the hand does not fit through the cuff once the count is reduced. I think I realized this before but without notes I tried the reduction and pulled it out. Pallete doesn't always love being pulled out.

Pants:

I end up crocheting around to cover the elastic and then reducing. I waited to reduce after making the legs. I think in the future I would experiment with reducing after finishing the elastic row as the pants get puffier the longer the additional stitches remain. I did get down to 15 stitches for each leg and that was a good fit once I reached it to get them easily on and off.

As I mentioned earlier these dolls seem to be slightly different in size. I needed to add rows to 18 to get the legs long enough for Ken's pants.

Hat:

After realizing Ken's hat was tight I went back to see if I left any instructions for Skipper's hat I'd made earlier and sure enough I had so for next year's project I leave myself the reminder from Skipper's project. I'd also seriously consider going up to a D hook as this was snug.

I added one 2 dc in one dc in next row for the hat after reading my previous project notes and I found this made the hat fit better with the doll's hair.

Glitter Girl Easter Morning Dress

I added the Glitter Girl doll to the donation as a smaller alternative to the bigger 18 inch dolls. Not everyone has space for a larger doll but it gives a similiar experience to the larger dolls with a more compact storage potential. I looked at the Glitter Girl as an alternative to the American Girl Wellie Wisher as it was at a price point that made sense for my donation project budget. I can find the dolls both locally and online and often get them on sale which makes adding them to the donation easier.

As with the off brand 18 inch dolls you rarely find patterns designed for the off brand named dolls but you can find patterns for the "brand" doll or sometimes a generic sized doll close to the "brand" doll. In the case of the Glitter Girl the brand that most often pops up for patterns that will fit is the Wellie Wisher doll. I've also seen patterns listed for the Hearts for Hearts dolls but while I've seen pictures of the Wellie Wishers dolls I've never looked up the Hearts for Hearts dolls.

The pattern for this dress comes from Littly Bitty Botique the same designer as the Kennedy dress I made previously for the Glitter Girl. You can purchase the pattern here. The shoes are from an Adoring Doll pattern set you can purchase here. If you have read this blog at all you know that once I find a shoe pattern that fits it tends to show up frequently when patterns don't come with shoes for the outfit.

Notes:

The pattern calls for Caron Simply Soft yarn. I tend to avoid Caron Simply Soft unless I'm making a shawl. I find it tends to split which is less than joyful while crocheting, however for doll clothing it has an additional challenge that it gets caught on hands, feet, etc. causing further splitting. When possible I try a substitute yarn first. I also find it more pricey than other options.

For this outfit I used Herrschners Baby Yarn Soft Lilac and Bernat Big Ball Baby Sport Yarn White with an F hook for the dress and a H for the bow.

I love the texture this pattern creates for the skirt. There is a alternate pattern suggestion without stripes that I hope to make to add to the donation included with this pattern.

Row 9 overlaps the stitches to create a flap, but I found out previously making the Kennedy dress this makes the outfit too tight for the Glitter Girl doll. Perhaps with the heavier Caron it may not but I had no issue leaving out the flap.

As with the Kennedy dress it was short and I needed to add rows to get to the desired length. I added an additional section of white and lilac. This meant repeating rows 21-23 and 24 and 25.

I used Herrschners Worsted 4 the last time I made shoes for this doll. These were made with the Baby 3 weight so I wasn't sure if I'd need to adjust the hook size but the E hook still worked.

My Life Sailor Dress

This is my go to shoe pattern and I was pleased to discover when I decided to make the complete outfit the pattern is available for purchase again here. This pattern has a habit of leaving her Etsy page so if it interests you, I'd suggest picking it up before it leaves again.

I'm very fortunate to have acquired several binders of patterns for the 18 inch dolls. Some patterns appear yearly, some less frequently, and some I keep on my some day I will make list. I seem to get a few of those every year or so. This one seems to alternate every few years. I checked my blog history and I last made it in 2021 despite the shoes making frequent appearances for other outfits.

I have gotten better in the last few years about listing more specific notes about making outfits for the dolls which are specific to my needs and make repeating patterns for future doll projects much easier.

Notes:

Dress:

I used Bernat Big Baby Ball Sport White and Red Heart Super Saver Soft Navy. I was pleased to find the Navy as I had looked last year and couldn't find any locally or online.

I started with an H hook for the bodice and switched to a G hook for the skirt. I didn't end for the sleeves so this changed the count for my bodice rows. I made sleeves skipping and joining rather then ending and starting up again. This means playing with row counts but it works. In the past I've said I had to add rows which confused me. The reason the rows are different is I choose a different method for creating the arm holes.

I don't have acrylic sport navy yarn so navy trim for the dress is the Red Heart Super Saver Navy.

Hat:

I used an H hook for the hat with Red Heart Super Saver White and Navy. The sport yarn was too light for the hat although I did try it this time as my notes were not clear the last time why I went to the worsted. The hat was too small with the sport yarn. It also didn't hold the shape as well as the worsted.

Shoes:

I used an H hook for the shoes with the Red Heart Super Saver Navy.

Our Generation Let the Sunshine In

Let the Sunshine in is part of Darski's free Weatherby pattern set found here. The shoes are made with Sweet Silver Creations Sailor pattern which I noticed recently was available again for purchase here.

Notes:

I am pleased to say I was able to find Navy Red Heart Super Saver locally again. I looked last year and even online I couldn't get navy when I went to make this dress last fall. I go through phases with Navy so when I stock up it takes me a while before I need it again. Sure enough when I ran out last year I couldn't find it. I have a Jumbo so it should last me a while as doll clothes are small.

I used a K hook on the dress for the bodice and an I hook for the skirt. I used a K hook for the Bolero jacket.

I suspect I took out some of the increases in previous years and failed to note it so for my next attempt I'm noting I make want to take out some of the increases in the skirt as it was fuller than in previous years.

There is a mistake in the hat and next year I want a reminder that the brim should be wider and if it isn't than I've made a mistake and should repair before finishing.

I took these pictures back in 2022 and continue to include them in posts about this project as a reminder to myself because while I didn't need them this year. When I stop putting them in my project notes I may not look back several years to figure out why it is so hard now when it wasn't before.

Skipper Poncho and Pants

I don't have lots of patterns specifically designed to fit Skipper. Those that I have aren't always designed to fit the modern Skipper so when possible if I find a Barbie pattern that seems like it would adapt well to Skipper I try to make it work.

The poncho for this pattern is made using Michelle Ratman's design that can be purchased here. The pants were made using an out of print House of White Birches leaflet Crochet Wardrobe for 11 1/2 inch Fashion Dolls.

Notes:

I used Barbie's pants pattern which fits Skipper but I still needed to add rows to the legs to get it to fit. The pants are made with Knit Picks Palette Fingering Yarn and a C hook. I used 1/8 inch elastic measured cut and sewn together prior to crocheting around it for the waist band.

When I made Barbie's poncho I commented that I didn't have any sport weight cotton. I did find some and used it for Skipper's Ski outfit. However it was too light for the poncho. During my search I did unearth a skein of Knit Picks Shine Worsted that I also want to finish off so this became the yarn for Skipper's poncho.

This Skipper with her hair seems to have a larger head than than Barbie or it could be the cotton yarn is stiffer. Anyways I started with a G hook until I went to the mesh where I went back to the e hook I had used for Barbie's poncho.

Barbie Strapless Dress

I'm working my way through the out of print House of White Birches Crochet Wardrobe for 11 1/2 inch Fashion dolls. The patterns are allowing me to use up yarn on hand while filling up my donation bags.

There are two strapless dress patterns in this leaflet for Barbie. This one is found on page 17 for my future reference as I suspect I'll be back to make this one again. I liked the approach to fitting the bodice on this gown even when I was unsure how the current Barbie compared to the vintage one the pattern was designed to fit. I was pleasantly pleased to find I could make it work.

Notes:

This was made using the same Babe yarn I used for Skipper's winter outfit. I still haven't used it off. I think there is enough for one more fashion doll item.

I chose not to make this a full length dress. I don't currently have many casual items for Barbie and I thought it would be more practical for this to be a shorter dress. I mentioned the page number because there is a second outfit in the booklet with the same name that is shorter, looks similiar but the directions are different. I might try that later but if I decide to repeat it would be helpful to know which pattern I tried considering the picture won't help since I changed the pattern length.

The D hook worked for this outfit but I needed to finish the back in order for their not to be a gap when I used a snap to close it. This is a slightly heavier yarn than the Knit Picks Fingering Yarn I normally use for these outfits so when I make this again hook size may need to change. I did try making this with an old A.C. Moore sport weight yarn and it was too thick. I'm thinking it likely needs to be a DK weight or lighter.

Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll Sun Suit

This is the last of my projects for the Lots to Love 14 Inch Dolls from Darski's free Sweet Baby Mine pattern found here.

I realized as I checked my notes I'd only made this as a gift for the JC 16 Inch Baby doll. I'd never actually attempted it for the smaller doll so my notes were not as helpful as I'd hoped. That being said I'm not sure how helpful these notes will be as I tried some items I'll likely not have around for the next time I may this projects but I will write them as I'm never sure later what will help to know.

Notes:

This is made with Big Twist Bulky 5 in a color no longer available. I hadn't realized it was a bulky yarn when I pulled it out of my stash as it has the feel of a worsted 4. My experience with Big Twist is that while I love the color options it does tend to be a bit lighter than listed. If you know this going in and choose the right project options it tends to work out. In this case I wanted a bright happy variegated color for the project and the slightly heavier weight wasn't a huge issue.

In order to get it to fit around the waist I needed a J hook. In the future regardless of yarn I'd reduce what ever hook I chose prior to splitting for the legs. The chubby doll can have a waist challenge sometimes but once past the tummy the size reduces dramatically and things can get bulky.

The contrasting yarn is Red Heart Super Saver Spring Green. I used an I hook for the Suit and an H for the hat. The hat was made as written.

The shoes are from an out of print Amy Carrico pattern Spring Jacket and Dress. I used an e hook and Baby Bernat Sport Pink and White.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll Sweater Set

Thanks to Darski's free patterns for the Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll I've gotten a good start on the donation bag for 2024. This is the sweater from her Sweetly pattern set found here.

In years past this sweater has come out large enough to fit the Rag Doll and the Lots to Love 14 inch Baby doll so this year after realizing I was headed down that path again I decided it was time to make changes and record them.

Notes:

I used Bernat Big Baby Sport Pink and Baby Baby. Sweater:

The pattern changes from a G to an F hook I stayed with the F hook for the entire sweater.

Row 1 as written.

Row 2 skip one skip one stitch between pattern directions this reduces overall stitch count making sweater less bulky and a better fit on the doll.

Row 3 dc in every dc 2dc in every chain space. This adds stitches back to original pattern but not nearly as wide as original.

Row 4 dc in 3 2 dc in next. Slows down increase from original pattern.

Row 4a as written with different number of total stitches.

Row 5 I had to fudge row 5 to make the numbers work for the armholes based on new number of stitches. I didn't record because it took me a few tries to make it work.

Rows 6-8 were worked as written based on the new stitch count.

Pants:

As I mentioned in previous posts I've been using my own basic pants pattern. I finally recorded the chains required for this doll's waist.

Chain 44 for waist. For this set I did a row of sc prior to finishing rest in dc. I would do that again it made for a better waist. I did not use elastic for these pants. I did a chain 3 and join to split for legs.

Booties:

I keep playing with the adaptation for this pattern trying to get the best fit but this is what I've been working on recently

Complete row 1-3 of the booties.

Row 4: sc in back loops around

Row 5: sc reducing 4 times at toe

Row 6: sc evenly

The headband is a work in progress. Still a little larger than I wanted. I'd likely go down to a D hook the next time. I did a row of sc to fit the doll's head and then crocheted around the row on both sides finishing with a sc chain 3 edging.

My Life Artist Print Dress

This is another one of Michelle Ratman's designs that can be purchased here. Just for my reference this is the Military Dress pattern 1101.

Notes:

Generally I love when I don't have to add buttons or snaps because the outfit can slide on and off the doll but after having made another one of her patterns for the Our Generation doll and finding it some what challenging to remove and put and not being able to get it on the My Life doll I decided I needed to redesign so I could add a back opening to make it easier to slide on and off the doll. My first priority is making it easy for a child to use, even though I really do love simplicity for myself. It is a waste if the child doesn't end up using it because it is too hard to dress the doll.

I used an f hook and chose Red Heart Super Saver Artist Print for this outfit. The pattern calls for sport weight 3 cotton yarn but the only place I found was loose after going down to the f hook was the shoulders which I tightened by finishing the back and the top at the end.

I followed the directions for the first 8 rows with the exception of not joining until I completed the 8th row. This created a back opening which made the dress easier to slip on and off. I joined after completing row 8 and continued with the directions as written.

When I finished the dress I finished the back and dealt with a slightly looser top when I reached the top by sc in 3 decreasing in the next across. This gave the top a better fit through the chest and shoulders.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll Sweetly Pants and Top

I've been working on a series of Darski's free baby doll patterns to fill the baby doll donation bags. The Lots to Love 10 inch Baby doll has two pattern sets to work from. This pattern comes from her Sweetly pattern found here.

While I haven't restricted myself from getting new yarn I've really been pushing myself to use up the older orphan yarns in my stash some of which seem to magically appear when I think I've used them all up. The yarn for the shirt is an old skien of A.C. Moore's sport yarn that I'd stocked up on before they'd closed because it was a good doll weight yarn. I am really trying to finish off these older skeins to reduce the look of a hoarding yarn room.

Notes:

For the top, I used the suggested F hook with the A.C. Moore yarn which is a slightly heavier sport yarn than the baby yarn I generally use with the baby doll patterns. I used one button to close the top in the back.

Another challenge I've given myself is to try some of the designs I've avoided over the years because the techniques bother me. So I did attempt to make the pants legs up rather than waist down using Bernat Baby Sport yellow. I found the legs were both tight and short so I changed to making the pants waist down as I always do and added a trim at the bottom of the pants. Sometimes it just isn't worth fighting with my preferences but I did try. I did not use elastic in the waist for these pants.

I keep playinng with the booties but this seems to be the best fit yet.

Complete row 1-3 of the booties.

Row 4: sc in back loops around

Row 5: sc reducing 4 times at toe

Row 6: sc evenly

I did a sc ch 3 around the top.

I thought I'd worked the the bonnet worked as written last time but this is actually closer to what the bonnet is designed to look like. Not sure I mind as this way the doll has two different bonnets.

Skipper Ski Outfit

I've been revisiting my pattern binders and pulled out the House of White Birches leaflet Crochet Wardrobe for 11 1/2 inch Fashion dolls to try Ken's pants for Barbie to go with her poncho. I discovered I needed Ken's pants while reading the 2021 post about Skipper's Ski Outfit and it reminded me this could be a quick set of outfits for the older members of Barbie's family. Since I'd pulled up the notes I had for Skipper I decided to start with her outfit.

Notes:

I used a C hook for this outfit.

The purple is a no longer available Babe cotton yarn that I'm trying to finish off. I'm thinking of using this on Barbie's poncho pattern for a smaller version for Skipper as well. The yellow is Knit Picks Pallette yarn.

I added an additional row to the pant legs. These seem to be short on both the Barbie and Ken patterns for the modern dolls.

I added one 2 dc in one dc in next row for the hat after reading my previous project notes and I found this made the hat fit better with the doll's hair.

Due to the change in yarn I needed to finish the back and neck which added more of a mock turtleneck look than the sweater I'd made previously. I liked the look.

Water Bottle Carrier

This carrier is based on the water bottle carrier I made several years ago from Leisure Arts All About Cotton book.

One of the biggest changes that has occured since I made the last round of these carriers is that refillable water bottles have gotten quite a bit larger than the disposable water bottles that this pattern was originally designed to carry. It makes sense people are focused more on hydration so carrying more water is important. However, the original pattern needs a wider bottom to accomadate the larger bottles.

For this particular bottle I did a base of 32 stitches. I worked Rows 1-3 as written. DC2 Dc in next 6. This gave me my 32 stitches to start and then I followed the pattern accounting for the extra base stitches until I reached the height I wanted for the larger bottle.

Since this was a gift and I didn't have access to the bottle, I used a food canister I had that was about the same size to make sure it was forming the size I wanted and checked it before adding the strap.

I have two types of straps I make for these bottles. The pattern starts with 100 chains which works as an over the shoulder or hand carry strap. However, when I made mine I wanted a cross body strap as I find stuff tends to fall off my shoulder when I most need my hands free. I settled on a starting chain of 160 and that is what this bottle has as the person getting it wanted a cross body option.

I used an I hook for this project and Lily Sugar and Cream Psychedelic. I've started on a second one that is still larger than the original pattern but smaller than this one so we will see how it works out.

Barbie Poncho and Pants

I have written about several of the Michelle Ratman patterns I purchased for both the Barbie and 18 inch doll donation. I'm slowly working my way through them adding new items to the doll bags.

This outfit combines Michelle's poncho pattern that can be purchased here with a pants pattern found in an out of print White Birches leaflet Crochet Wardrobe for 11 1/2 inch Fashion Dolls.

Notes:

While the pattern calls for cotton 4 weight yarn for the poncho I went with acrylic because I either have "kitchen" cotton or sport weight for my ami's on hand. I don't have a brand or color because this was a great project to work on using up a left over ball of yarn from a previous project.

The worsted acrylic required a change to an e hook to fit this Barbie model.

The last time I made the pants from the House of White Birches pattern for Barbie in 2021 her sister Skipper ended up with them and I made a note to try Ken's pants to see if the fit would be better. Barbie sizes change over time and this Barbie fits the Ken size better than the pattern written for Barbie. I'm hoping to make the complete winter sets for Ken, Barbie, and Skipper in the near future.

I used a C hook for the pants crocheting over an elastic band. The pants are made with Knit Picks Palette fingering yarn.

Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll Sweet Baby Mine Dress

I've been working my way through Darski's free baby doll patterns for the various sized dolls. The Sweet Baby Mine set for the Lots to Love 14 inch Baby Doll can be found here. The shoes are from an out of print Amy Carrico pattern Spring Jacket and Dress.

Each year I try to use up orphan or abandoned yarns that I purchased and never used. This is Mainstays Acrylic Pink blend. I think I orginally picked it up to make scrubbies but it lost its way in my yarn stash and was repurposed for this outfit. The need for solid pink worsted help me finish off a ball of yarn left over from previous projects. The shoes are made with Baby Bernat Sport pink and white.

Notes:

I followed the suggested hook size but ended up adding rows to the skirt to get it to knee length.

The headband also required additional rows to get it to fit around the dolls head.

I joined the row after the arm holes were made and finished back before adding one button to the back.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll Sweetly Dress

I've been trying to rotate through the baby dolls to make sure they all leave with wardrobes. I mentioned previously Darski wrote 2 pattern sets for the Lots to Love 10 inch Baby doll. This doll dress pattern is from her free Sweetly set found here. I used Bernat Big Ball Baby Sport in Pink and Baby Baby. Notes:

The suggested hook sizes worked for me.

The panties ended up a bit longer than I wanted as it took me an extra row before I could join the crotch. It works but I'd combat this by adding and additional row to the dress before adding the trim next time. I did row 10 inn a contrast color and I'd do that again for a future project.

I changed the shoes to make them fit better. I would suggest an e hook next time as I had to sew around the top to tighten them.

Complete row 1-3 of the booties.

Row 4: sc evenly

Row 5: sc in back loops around

Row 6: sc reducing 4 times at toe

The bonnet worked as written.

Lil Cutesies Nightgown

Darski created two free pattern sets for the Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll. The first she called BBL which is where this outfit came from and the second is Sweetly. Both pattern sets have nightgown patterns but I find one fits the Lots to Love doll better than the other. I guessed wrong and the Lil Cutesies doll ended up with a nightgown this year.

For future reference this is the nightgown from the BBL pattern made with a G hook. Since I will likely adapt it again for the Lil Cutesie doll I'd likely use an F hook the next time. I'd gone up to a G trying to get it to fit the Lots to Love 10 inch Baby doll in the back but it just wasn't working for me. I decided to see if I could save the time and resources invested by adapting it to the smaller doll. I'd never used it for the smaller doll and it with some adjustments the pattern fits. I just think the smaller hook would make it a bit less bulky.

Notes:

I believe this is made with Bernat Baby Big Ball Baby Baby. I've been collecting the sport yarn as I can find it and the colors seem to be disappearing. It's a great weight for the doll clothes. I don't always keep the labels once opened so I try to make a good guess at the colors. I prefer the variegated/striped yarns for some of the doll projects. It's not always easy to find a great selection so I'm hoping this line isn't being discontinued. I picked up a lone Lavendar at Walmart even though I didn't really need it as I noticed it was the last one they had and I haven't found it online.

As I mentioned above I used a G hook but I'd likely go with an f for a future Lil Cutesies nightgown. I'm working on how to adapt this for the smaller Lots to Love 8 inch doll.

To finish the outfit I did a row of sc around including the collar prior to adding the ties using the directions. I chained 30 rather than 20 for the ties. Mine tend to be short and I find them harder to tie. After I finished a complete sc around in pink I finished the pink and followed the directions for the ties changing from 20 to 30 chains. I decided to add a chain 3 decorative collar. I did a sc in first sc ch 3 sk 1 than sc in the next. This was done in the front loops of the previous row of sc. When I reached the end I finished with chaining 30 for the second tie.

The sleeves are also finished with a row of constrasting color sc and then an additional row of sc chain 3 skip 1 sc around.

I wanted a finish for the bottom I chose a sc skip 1 sc 5 dc shell in next stitch around.

Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll Spring Dress and Jacket

This year I've been seeing old patterns I haven't used in years, patterns that get used almost every year, and new patterns that I've either purchased or have found as freebies on the Internet. It makes for a change of pace to keep the project engaging. I enjoy revisiting favorite patterns like this out of print Amy Carrico pattern but I also enjoy trying something I either haven't done in a while like the Barbie Winter formal or the free dress pattern I adapted for the Lots to Love 14 Inch doll and the Rag Doll.

This year I've done probably the best job in tracking items made for the dolls but one hole in my system in color tracking. I have pictures of the items but I don't always think to check accessories for colors. This doll now has two sets of purple shoes as I had forgotten I used this pattern to make shoes for the free dress pattern and used a solid purple rather than the striped yarn I used for the dress. Not a huge issue as shoes tend to be some of the fist items lost when kids are playing with dolls, but I do try to vary the colors so they can mix and match. Something to note for my future lists.

Notes:

I used Bernat Big Baby Sport Lavendar. Oddly I have the best luck finding this at our local Walmart. I can get pink, white, and blue almost anywhere but they always seem to have the colors like purple, yellow and the variageted there as well. I know each Walmart supply is different but I mention this as I was struggling to find purple online as I buy most of my yarn online but stumbled upon it at Walmart and I try to get the hard to find colors there because they are helpful for my doll projects.

The jacket/sweater and headband are made with Lion Brand's Ice Cream Yarn Black Cherry. I've been using Ice Cream yarn quite a bit recently for the baby dolls and the Rag Doll for various outfits.

Changes:

I use a G hook for rows 1 and 2 for both the dress and the the sweater finishing both projects with an E hook.

I added finishing rows to the arm holes inner and outer this year for the dress.

I did a sc row around the arm holes prior to adding the dc arms for the sweater.

The panties need to be worked to 32 stitches at both ends before joining. This year I added a few extra rows to the top once joined to make it fit up and over the diaper. I finished with a row of hdc. I did a row of sc around the legs to finish the leg holes and then did sc chain 3 skip 1 around the leg openings.

Our Generation Monet Dress

A while back I stumbled upon Michelle Ratman's doll patterns on Etsy. I picked up some Barbie and 18 inch doll patterns that were easy to make and inexpensive to buy. A wonderful combo for someone looking to make stuff to donate. While I do like a challenge occasionally to learn something new for the most part my goal is to complete as many outfits as possible for the dolls I donate that kids will enjoy using with their new Christmas dolls.

This was a really straight forward pattern. This is a one piece, no buttons or snaps required. In the future I may experiment with that to see if I can get a better fit for the My Life doll but it worked really well for the Our Generation doll as written. I'm thinking if I don't join I might get a better fit for the shoulders with the My Life. I plan on experimenting with this later to see if I can get an outfit from this for the My Life doll as well.

The pattern does not come with shoes. The shoes are from an out of print Sweet Silver Creations pattern.

Notes:

I used an F hook for the Our Generation Doll.

I mention the Monet Red Heart Super Saver because I've been using lots of striped yarn and this requires more of a variagated yarn than striped. I wanted to remember what color worked for this project.

As with many of my projects I needed to add rows to get to the knee length.

Glitter Girl Kennedy's Sweater Dress

I generally search for Wellie Wisher's crochet patterns to find something to fit the Glitter Girl doll. The dolls are close enough in size that I can generally make the patterns work.

Kennedy's Sweater Dress is the main pattern for this outfit and can be purchased here. The shoes are from and Adoring Dolls dress pattern I made previously that you can purchase here. I am lazy about shoes when I find a pattern that is easy to make and works up quickly it often appears in outfits that don't come with shoe patterns.

Notes:

I used the suggested f hook for this project.

Not having Yarn Bee Hint of Silk I used Herrschners Worsted Aquamarine. A note for myself I would consider ordering grey and other lighter colors duing my next Herrschners order for this dress and a couple of other outfits for next year. This pattern specifically requires a lighter color. I tried it with a dark blue and the texture gets lost and it becomes rather drab so I frogged it and went with aquamarine.

I only needed one button hole for the outfit.

I did add some rows to the skirt to get it to knee length.

I used an e hook for the shoes even with the lighter worsted.

It is time for the Glitter Girl Doll to get some pants so I plan to use one of Adoring Doll's patterns to solve this problem. I have a couple different options for tops but pants have been elusive. I think I have a summer shorts pattern I should tackle during the warmer weather as well.

Rag Doll Hookfully Dress

I mentioned when I made the Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll Outfit that I was interested in seeing if it could be adapted for the Rag Doll as well. I tried it on the doll and while a little long that was easily dealt with by reducing the total rows.

I donate one of these Rag Dolls that can be purchased from Factory Direct each year. I post teh information because I often see cute items that have generic names like Rag Doll rather than a brand name that is easy to search online. So I like to tell people where I find the odder items if they are available so they can decide if it works for them.

There are no specific crochet patterns for this doll so I work on adapting patterns for other dolls that seem like they'd be a good fit. When I finish an outfit and it looks like it might fit or be adapted to fit the Rag Doll I put the pattern aside for future use for the Rag doll.

This is a free baby doll pattern found here.

I followed the notes from the previous outfit I made with some basic changes:

Notes:

I used the suggested G hook for this outfit.

The pattern worked for me through row 7 as written.

Row 8: With row 7 established I worked a row of hdc even.

Row 9: Repeat row 8 joining at the end of the row.

After finishing row 9 I returned to the directions row 9 continuing without changing colors as I was using striping yarn. I wanted this dress to be shorter than the baby doll dress so I measured it against the doll as I worked it.

To finish off the bottom of the dress I did a sc skip 1 followed by a 5dc shell around joining at the end.

The dress was a bit tighter so it required more finishing rows in the back prior to adding a button hole. Using an H hook might be an option for the Rag Doll next year.

I finished the arms with a sc chain3 sc around the arms.

I used Lion Brand's Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Yarn for this project. I'm finding this brand to be rather helpful with the larger baby doll and Rag Doll projects.

Barbie Winter Formal Dress

I went back to look for notes for this project and the last time I made this outfit was in 2011 for a now adult niece. However, I did realize one challenge has remained the same. The original directions for this dress don't fit the Barbie I'm using. The Barbie I used back then and my current model are slightly larger than the Vet model I used in previous years. I'm going to try this with the directions as written to see if it would fit Skipper without changes I needed to make for Barbie.

This pattern comes from an old out of print Annie's pattern club leaflet, Fashion Doll Quick and Easy 87D20. The original pattern uses trim for the skirt, top, shawl, and as an outline for the dress. Oddly there is no mention of what kind of trim or how to attach it. The trim in the pattern picture creates a beautiful illusion of there being an under and overskirt but with the time and resources I had on hand the trim wasn't an option.

When I previously made this dress I made limited mention of the changes I needed to get the outfit to fit the doll. I plan on a more fuller explanation for my own purposes because I will return as Barbie has become a more fixed donation and this is a quick outfit to add.

Notes:

I followed the skirt pattern and the shawl pattern as written with the exception of the trims. I eliminated the trim for the skirt as I've yet to figure out how this can be done easily without directions.

For the shawl I used size 5 crochet thread and a D hook and used a shell pattern of dc ch1 dc ch1 dc (3 dc with a chain between them) around the edge of the shawl spaced as evenly as I could. One change I would make is to make a larger shell at the spike of the shawl. I had ended it off before I realized this would have been a better option and didn't wish to go back. This would work well for next time. The shawl closes with a snap.

I tried a variety of yarns for the dress to see if I could get it to fit the waist line before resorting to my old trick of using elastic for the waist and crocheting around it.

I have an old big ball of Red Heart sport yarn that I used for this project. I picked it up back in the time I was still making Barbie clothes and really haven't touched it since. I'm hoping to utilize it for more Barbie projects and finally send it off.

I measured the elastic around Barbie's waist and sewed it together.

It took 29 sc to cover the elastic join and continue to join for all bodice rows.

From here I worked up the bodice section.

Dc 5 decrease around

DC 4 decrease around (21)

DC 3 decrease around (18)

DC even for 2 rows I might reduce this to one with the added trim.

I would use the size 5 crochet thread next time for the top. I didn't come up with the idea until working on the shawl.

Creating the bodice this way makes the dress slide on and off with no need for snaps or buttons.

I followed the skirt pattern as written although I believe mine was short on rows as the bodice was longer. It's a trade off I need to work on. As I mentioned above I'd likely reduce a row on the bodice which would start the skirt higher giving it a better look.

Stacie Winter becomes Spring

I began with idea of making the sister pattern from JudysDollsPatterns for Chelsea in thread.

I had started down this road with Stacie originally but I couldn't get the waist to fit. It ended up large for Chelsea but by the time I'd finished the edges it fit Stacie this time. I'd decided to go with size 20 thread for the shirt for Chelsea as the size 10 thread was huge. I found the 20 actually worked better for Stacie as well but as with the skirt during the finishing stages I needed to add some space around the neck to close as I'd decided not to add the winter finishing collar. The colors I had on hand just had more of a Spring feel so it seemed a good choice finish it as a Spring outfit.

The Christmas Playtime set can be purchased here.

Notes:

I used a 1.8mm hook for the skirt and a .9mm for the shirt.

I changed multiple rows trying to get it to fit Chelsea so this would be something to explore when making this again for Stacie. I'd start with the larger hook for the skirt but likely reduce the hook size to the .9mm once past the waist line to avoid some of the puffy feel and to get the details of the alternating colors to work better.

Usually I use snaps for Barbie and family but I picked up some tiny buttons and a button hole was a better choice for this project based on the challenge of getting the neck to fit right.

I plan on trying the overalls pattern for Stacie. I had hoped it would work for both dolls but after this experience I don't think it will work as hoped.

My Life Rivulets

I discovered I'd missed this Darski pattern last year and wanted to make sure I included it again in this year's donation.

I struggled a bit with yarn thickness this year. I made this with left over Red Heart yellow yarn last year and had no issue. I started with Red Heart this year and the yarn wasn't heavy enough to hold the pattern. I tried a different color thinking I might have grabbed Joann's Big Twist which generally is lighter but having grabbed a skein right from the labeled package I was sure it was Red Heart I was struggling with and was some what confused as I had no problem the prior year.

Then I pulled an old Caron Pounder out of my stash and it was thicker than my current stash of Red Heart. No idea why but it was holding the format of the dress so while my intention wasn't to go with dark green for the dress, it was the only shade of Pounder I could quickly lay my hands on for the experiment. The white is left over Mary Maxim yarn from a baby afghan I've been slowly using up on projects like this one.

One thing I've started doing for myself is documenting more details of how I adapted patterns to get the outcomes on my blog enteries because I'm finding I come back to these and there is more room to document here than on my pattern sheets sometimes. I also find I take more time to clarify for myself here than I do on my quick pattern notes.

Notes:

I went with a Caron Pounder for thickness this year. I'll experiment further to see if I my issue with Red Heart can be adjusted. When I run out of the Mary Maxim yarn for trim I think I can substitute Bernat's Big Baby Sport Yarn which I always keep here for the baby doll projects.

I used the suggested I hook for everthing but the top trim. I used a g hook for the trim on the top as it tended to poof with the larger hook and the lighter yarn. I might use a g hook for the trim on the bottom next time as well as it got a bit bulky with the I hook.

Don't increase beyond four dc between the post stitches as the skirt gets to be huge. The last row is all dc before adding trim. I missed this and the trim sits better from dc row.

The bottom trim rows need to adjust for reduced number of increases.

After finishing the dress directions I finished the back and top of the dress with the primary color yarn before adding the white trim. This made for a cleaner back and made adding the trim easier. It also makes the arm holes look cleaner when completed.

Be careful not to split yarn changing from chains to dc for arm holes. The white yarn is soft but it needs to stay strong for the arm holes.

I need to do a V stitch in the end stitch of each end for each row of the shawl, not in the chain stitch. I struggled with this last year and caught the direction this year.

Last year I didn't make shoes for this outfit as I was crushed for time. These were made with an out of print pattern from Sweet Silver Creations.

Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll Hookfully Dress with Add Ons

I'm always happy to find free patterns for the doll donation. Over the years I've learned even when a doll pattern is written for a doll of a similar length it doesn't always fit the doll you have because length doesn't include other measurements when you are are making doll clothes. However, if you are willing to adapt you can find something new to try.

You can find the free pattern for the dress here. The shoes and panties are from a no longer available Amy Carrico Spring Dress pattern. The hat is a work in progress design I haven't quite mastered yet of my own making.

I chose to adapt this pattern in several ways because the Lots to Love 14 inch doll is likely more chunky than the doll the designer was using.

If you check out the website you will discover this dress is made in solid colored stripes. It is an adorable look. The challenge with this format for me was I had no idea what modifications I was going to need to make to the pattern so it was difficult to know where to make the color changes to keep the pattern even. I chose instead to go with a self striping yarn Lion Brand Ice Cream Black Cherry.

I had originally purchased this yarn for doll blankets but have found it to be a great yarn for both the baby dolls and the Rag Doll dresses. I tried this dress on the Rag Doll and while I'd choose to make it slightly shorter it is a good fit for her and I have another pattern that will work for her donation as well.

Notes:

I used the suggested G hook for this outfit.

The pattern worked for me through row 7 as written. It got to be too big after row 7 so I made adjustments.

Row 8: With row 7 established I worked a row of hdc even.

Row 9: Repeat row 8 joining at the end of the row.

After finishing row 9 I returned to the directions row 9 continuing without changing colors as I was using striping yarn. I don't remember if I finished all 19 rows. I kept measuring it on the doll for length.

To finish off the bottom of the dress I did a sc skip 1 followed by a 5dc shell around joining at the end.

I finished the back of the dress and added a button hole.

The shoes and panties are from a currently unavailable Amy Carrico's Spring Dress pattern. The hat is based on dc increases with a fpdc row to set for the brim. The brim is made with one row of dc in front loop of fdc stitches.

The panties were made with an e hook and Baby Bernat Sport Pink I need to work to 32 stitches for both sides of the panties for them to fit this doll.

The shoes were made with an e hook and Baby Bernat Sport Pink and White.