Youthful Memories

I'm continuing to finish posting my 2024 doll donation projects while I've already finished a few small items for 2025.

This is one of Darski's free patterns that can be found here.

I finally wrote notes on the pattern as I seem to forget to do so every year. I used an I hook with this pattern except for the hat which was an H. The waist requires an elastic band.

I have never found a way to get the purse to work so I always end up making something as I go.

The shoes are from an Adoring Doll pattern Robbie Lynns Spring Dress that can be purchased here.

Our Generation Cardigan and Pants

Over the years and working with so many different sized dolls for the donation I try to recycle items if they end up too big or too small for the original doll. In this case the sweater is from a Petite Designs Baby Doll pattern that can be purchased here. Clearly it was too big for the baby doll but on further reflection it seemed like it would be a nice selection for the Our Generation Doll. Now she needed pants.

For the pants I freestyled a pair based on a Maggie's Crochet pattern I've used forever but can do without even really reading anymore as I've made them so often. Abby, Allie and Annie pattern that can be purchased here.

I finished this and a Stacie outfit that will post tomorrow around Labor Day and the dolls have been patiently waiting for the pictures to be taken so they can return to the model bag. I've been busy with other things but last week was my week for tackling things I really shouldn't be ignoring anymore. I'm preposting these so they will be documented for my own records.

The sweater was made with Big Ball Baby Bernat Sport yarn. I don't see the purple online much anymore. I still find it occasionally at Walmart of all places. The blue is Red Heart Super Saver.

I was pleased to find two of the JC 16 inch Hispanic Baby Dolls on sale. Doll prices have been crazy with inflation. My solution to this problem has been to put the dolls I'm interested on wish lists at the stores I shop at so I can monitor the prices and purchase when the price is at a price point I'm willing to pay and I have the resouces available for the donation project. The sales are sometimes quick so if there is something specific I'm looking for I will check frequently to see if the price has changed at all. I happened to stumble into this price drop. It appears they've gone up again when I checked while writing this blog.

Thankfully my doll room looks a little like an episode of hoarders as I buy on sale and some years when the prices are high I can go without needing to buy certain dolls. That being said to avoid truly becoming a doll hoarder I donated a Ken and Barbie doll to our Church's free botique as they still have play life in them but they aren't the new standard we look for to donate to Aztec Wishes. These look like they've been doll models. However, I take all the original pieces and store in a baggie until its time to donate so they have all their original clothes and accessories. Ken has plastic hair so he actually looks pretty good. Barbie's hair, well she shows the dark side of life as a doll model.

I am almost finished with remaking this outfit for the intended doll. One more bootie and it will be ready to roll.

My Life Sleeping Bag Part 2

This is the last of the sleeping bags I'm making from Suzie's Blog free pattern for the donation this year and I'm so happy. While they make amazing travel projects because you can sit and relax while making them, it is so nice to know something is finished for the year and I can move on to other things. As I'm writing this the final sleeping bag is also done and will post this week as well. I guess that means I'm on to doll blankets as my travel project.

For those of you who are interested you can find the free pattern for the sleeping bag here. She has a variety of sizes of the sleeping bag as well as snuggle sacks for baby dolls. It has been an amazing addition to my doll donation project.

Notes:

I use a K hook with this pattern to get it to fit.

This takes close to 2 skeins of Red Heart Super Saver Stripe Yarn for future reference. For some reason these skeins always feel smaller than the traditional skeins.

My Life Sleeping Bag

The My Life dolls are on the board for the sleeping bag challenge of the doll donation. I am down to two more sleeping bags required for the 2025 donation. I need one more for the My Life dolls and one for the Glitter Girl.

These make great travel, waiting, sitting projects when you don't have time to read patterns but you do want something to keep your hands busy.

I usually try to finish the pillow section as it requires stuffing and counting rows. Once beyond the pillow I try to get it to where the pattern forms and then I find it is ready for a travel project. I don't bother counting rows, although I still mark the start of the row and count shells to make sure I'm on track with the pattern. I just try it on my model doll as I think I'm getting close to it being long enough to finish it off.

I got this one close to being done and put it aside this weekend while at a cookout. I didn't want it to be too long and was able to finish it off when I got home. I have another one started for the last of the My Life dolls. As I mentioned before I worked the pattern until it repeats and now it is an easy travel project ready to take with me when I'm in need of something to keep my hands busy.

The Glitter Girl pattern is slightly different as it is from Adoring Dolls and formed some what differently. I've only made it once so we will see if it is useful for a travel project.

Notes:

This is a free pattern you can find here. I used Red Heart Super Saver Ombres Violet for this bag and I would use it again for next year if they are still selling it. The color worked nicely for this project.

I need a K hook to make this work for the 18 inch dolls.

My Life Pioneer Nightgown

I haven't made this outfit in almost a decade. I suspect because it calls for yarn I don't normally buy and it is a yarn hog of a project.

You can still purchase the pattern here.

The last few years I've gotten more adventurous about trying out yarns I have on hand for projects before diving into buying special yarns where I think it will work. I decided to see if I could get this project to work with Red Heart Super Saver Artist Paints instead of the Babybee Hushabye Camo or what ever is currently available from Hobby Lobby at this point.

After close to a decade it is possible I'd still have another substitute. I love Hobby Lobby's yarns but I rarely get there and Red Heart tends to be one of my go to for affordable doll clothes.

Notes:

It took almost a skein and a half of Red Heart for this project and I started with a skein and a half so I was playing yarn chicken at the end. I ended up using a random pink to make the tie for the hat as I didn't think I had enough yarn left and I didn't plan on using ribbon. I wanted to stick with yarn.

I used the suggested I hook.

The two major changes I made were not using ribbons and adding a snap to the top back for closure instead of velcro. I've never found adding velcro to yarn to be an easy prospect so I've always used snaps or buttons.

One minor change I made do to the game of yarn chicken I was playing is I reduced the triple crochets to 5 for the bottom of the hat. I can go either way with this as the 7 looked good until I realized I was going to be short yarn, but I was also happy with the finished product of 5. The fiber difference between this outfit and the one I made before might be the reason the 5 was OK here. I'd likely experiment with more yarn to decide if it weighted down the hat too much or if I liked it with bigger shells.

While the stitches do eat yarn I love the texture it creates. I'd make this again making sure I have 2 full skeins on hand before setting out.

Both My Life Dolls have completed my 2024 Nightgown challenge.

Our Generation Boy Basketball Uniform

I've mentioned on several occasions I haven't found many crochet patterns written specifically for the boy doll. However, there are some patterns that are generic enough that they work for either the boy or girl doll. I already made the doctor scrubs and now I'm starting in on some of Adoring Doll's sports patterns. You can purchase the basketball uniform here.

Notes:

Shirt:

This is made with Caron Pounder Kelly Green, Red Heart White and Black. I wanted the specific shade of green for future reference I tend to use what ever shades/brands of white or black I have on hand.

I used an I hook for the shirt and I'd stick with that for future projects as the fit was good for getting on and off the doll.

I made the button hole while trimming the neckline and finishing the back in white.

Shorts:

The shorts lists an f hook I needed an I.

I've never been good at adding ss along the edge of something so I ss to add the yarn to the side than did a row of ss not attached to the end of the shorts and ss to the end of the shorts. I left a long end and sewed the ss to the shorts. Not the most effective method but better than the mess I was making trying to ss directly to the shorts.

Shoes:

I used the suggested G hook and followed directions as written. I would likely use an H hook if making these for the My Life Doll.

My Life Pig Nightgown

I have a couple of themes going across doll groups each year. Some are clothing related like the bathing/swim suits. Others are accessories like the Snuggle Sacks and Sleeping Bags. Some come and go. This year I've been working on nightgowns as I have a few patterns that will work for some of the dolls. Not sure this will extend to the fashion dolls as it isn't a pattern area I've explored for them. However, it does work well with the baby and other doll groups so you will likely see more as the project progresses this year.

The 16 inch baby dolls are complete. I'm combing through my 18 inch doll patterns as I have a few and I'm thinking one might fit the Rag Doll with some work.

This is Adoring Doll's Pig Pattern Gown available for purchase here. The slippers were what really sold me on this being a must make project this year. The nightgown is cute but the matching slippers just make the outfit.

Notes:

This is made with Caron Pounder Rose and Red Heart Super Saver White, Black, and Pretty in Pink.

I used an I hook for the gown and an H for the shoes but followed hook instructions for all other portions of the outfit. I would consider using buttons for the eyes next time.

Our Generation Boy Doctor

There aren't many patterns written specifically for the male 18 inch dolls but there are enough generic patterns that I'm finding myself with a fairly decent wardrobe for the Our Generation boy doll this year.

This pattern is Adoring Doll's Doctor Scrubs pattern that also comes with a lab coat I've yet to make fit. It's on my to do list but I went up a hook size and it was still small this round so I clearly have work to do when I have more time to devote to it. For now the doctor scrubs seemed a good outfit to send along. You can purchase the set here.

I made this a few years ago for the My Life doll and the notes were helpful in making the outfit again for the Our Generation Boy. I made some additional changes specific to the boy and will add the previous notes I'd made for the My Life doll as I will likely visit this pattern again.

Notes:

Shirt:

In my previous notes I suggested trying an H hook and I went with that suggestion. For future projects I'd check the length of the shirt. It feels a bit long. I used a G hook for the sleeves. The pocket for the shirt was made ith a F Hook.

Pants:

I used an H hook as I did with the My Life doll and the waist fit was good. The legs were too long and I went with 36 instead of 38 rows for the legs.

Mask:

As per my previous notes I used an H hook for the mask and a D hook for the ear loops.

Shoes:

I find Adoring Doll's shoes seem to fit with the suggested hook size so I used the G hook for the shoes.

Hat:

I had suggested trying an H hook for the hat next time and the fit was good. My main challenge was running out of Red Heart Turqua and having to subsitute Herchnerrs Worsted 4 Turquoise to finish the hat. While it worked fine for the hat it is slightly lighter than the Red Heart. I don't think the pants or the shirt would have fit had I made it with the lighter yarn.

My Life Pearly Dress

I'm getting better disiplined about returning patterns to their binders when I'm done with them for the year but every so often I find a stash of patterns that have been lost for a bit and I try to bring them back into circulation and then make sure they get back into the correct binder.

This is a free pattern you can find here.

One of the reasons I hadn't gone looking for it was I hadn't labeled the post with the pattern name. It's something I'm trying to do more often to include it in the post or the labels so it is easier to find when I'm searching the blog.

If you are looking for a dress up princess pattern for an 18 inch doll this is both free and fairly easy to make this is it.

The directions for the bodice and skirt are easy to follow. The under and overskirts are easy to make following her directions. One thing I'd really like to work on in future years is the arms. I find I'm not quite getting the look I'd like so it is something I need to work on when I have a bit more time to look at some other patterns to see if perhaps there's another approach that would work better for me.

I chose not to use pearl beads for the donation project despite the pattern title.

Notes:

I didn't write notes back in 2016 and I regreted it when I started this project.

This was a great chance to finish off some baby afghan yarn I've had for a bit. I lost a game of yarn chicken which is why the sleeves are white and the shoes grey.

I used an H hook for this project not the suggested G.

Bodice:

This has a series of button holes in the back I skipped making the button holes and closed with 2 snaps.

Skirt:

I found the underskirt was too long so I did rows 16-18 skipped row 17 and finished through row 22.

I had to eliminate rows from the overskirt to match the underskirt and keep the final row 21 which is more decorative.

Arms:

While I still need to do more work on the arms to get a style one note I made is you are working down the sc of the arm to expand. For some reason it took me several times to grasp this concept and I even underlined skip 2 sc on underarm as I misread this and had to try it a few times to get even what I got this time.

Headband:

The headband is a slightly different shade of the afghan worsted 4 baby yarn left over from the same kit that I used when I ran out of the lighter blue. The headband works up as written working around starting chain.

Shoes:

This pattern does not include shoes. The shoes are part of Sweet Silver Creations School Girl Uniform pattern that can be purchased here. I tend to use her strap shoes when possible because they stay on better but certain outfits require slip ons so I use this pattern instead when the outfit doesn't come with shoes.

Our Generation Boy Firefighter

Adoring Doll's Firefighter pattern, available for purchase here, was one of the first patterns I bought when I decided to include a male doll in the donation and oddly this is the first attempt I've made at making it.

I made the pattern out of order as I have a tendancy to do because there are certain items I need to fit to make sure I'm going to continue with a pattern.

Notes:

Turn Out Jacket:

I used an I hook for the jacket instead of the suggested H hook. In the future I'd move back to the H hook for the sleeves as the sleeves are a bit big with the larger hook.

One challenge I'm finding is some of my newer acrylic yarns from brands I've bought for years aren't as thick as previous versions and when I mix them the rows can be a little harder to keep even and I found that with the color changes in the coat I needed a finishing row to try to clean some of this up. Still didn't get quite the look I wanted but I might try to buy yarn from all the same "year" next time I make this outfit.

Turn Out Pants:

I used the suggested H hook based on previous experiences with this doll and Adoring Doll's pants patterns.

Helmet:

I ended up making 2 as the first one just wasn't right. For the second one I wrote out the repeats and the hat had a better form to it than the first one that just looked weird. I used the suggested G hook. There are directions for ridges but I couldn't get them on right and the directions were a little unclear and after having made 2 helmets I didn't want to risk destroying the second one. I was OK with how it looked without the bumps.

I do have some other fire fighter patterns around and I might look at how the hats are made to get some ideas for a better styled hat.

The boots were made with the suggested G hook.

Our Generation Doll Sleeping Bag

I did real well at the start of the donation year getting all the baby doll snuggle snacks completed. However, I seem to have stalled on the sleeping bags for the non-baby doll donations. Last week seemed like a good chance to get this project restarted finishing one I had started as a travel project.

Notes:

This was made with Caron Ombre Salmon yarn and a K hook rather than the suggested I.

You can find the free pattern here.

I have 2 to make for the My Life dolls, one for the Rag doll and I believe Barbie is the only fashion doll I still need to make a sleeping bag for this donation season. I'd like to get them finished so I could start some of my other yearly projects like the bathing suits.

I got the pillow section done for the next My Life doll so hopefully that will get some momentum started for this project.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

My Life Ready for Spring

I hadn't realized that it had been a while since I made this dress until I tried to pull up my notes from previous years for this project. With that in mind I made more detailed notes for future projects. This is one of my older 18 inch doll patterns from Maggie's crochet and it still can be purchased here.

Notes:

I used Caron One Pound Lilac for the main portion of the dress and Herrschners Worsted Baby Tiara for the contrasting color.

The gauge was a bit tricky for the dress. I made gauge with an H hook but the dress was still snug with an I hook. I'd consider making the dress with a J hook next time and reducing to a H hook after passing the hips for my next attempt.

In the past I've used contrasting kitchen cotton but I didn't have any of the appropriate colors on hand so I went with the Herrschners yarn. The outcome works but if I have the cotton in the future I'd go with the cotton it rests better.

I used a G hook for the shoes. They are a bit large. I added a chain 5 skip 1 ss trim around. Then I took a long piece of yarn and using a yarn needle threaded it around the top of the shoe starting from the front so I could tie it off in a bow in the front. I knotted the ends to keep them from fraying..

I played with the basket pattern a bit. I used one of each of the colors with an H hook. When I got past the bottome section I worked a dc in the back loop and started reducing in each row until I was happy with the shape. At this point I made a simple handle.

The headband was made with the above listed colors and a G hook. I'd consider an F hook for the next attempt.

Collar works best if the sc are worked so they face the back side of the dress as this helps when you turn to add the chains. I tried putting the sc in the standard form and I couldn't get the collar to lay flat.

Our Generation Boy Prince Charming

My Life had pretty much phased out their male dolls when I thought about adding a boy 18 inch doll to the donation. I looked to the Our Generation line and discovered Daniel.

Last year I didn't do as well as I'd hoped with his clothing. This year I decided I needed to make Daniel and Ken priorities because it takes more time to search out patterns and then make them fit the male dolls. There are fewer options and sometimes it takes patience to adapt them to the doll you are donating.

I had actually forgotten about this set which is why this year before I started the donation I made a point of returning the doll patterns to their binders and then I started going through the binders to look at real possiblities for patterns I hadn't tried or haven't done in a while.

This pattern is from Adoring Dolls Snow White set that can be purchased here. It includes Snow White, the Evil Queen, and Prince Charming. However, you can also purchase the Prince as an individual pattern here. Just a note the crown is actually part of the Evil Queen pattern but I wanted a crown for the Prince since the outfit can be used with multiple stories. I just like people to know where items come from when they want to find the items to make themselves.

Notes:

This outfit was made with Red Heart Super Saver.

I made multiple changes for fit and to make the outfit work for children rather than a display. The ability to get an outfit on and off is always important when I'm putting something together.

I used a I hook for the Pants and Shirt section. I added an additional 2 rows to the pants section. In the future I might make that 3.

The hook for the boots suggests a G and I stuck with that as the Our Generation feet generally do well or go smaller than the hook size. This was a good size for the boots.

I substituted black for brown. The browns I had on hand weren't a good fit for this project.

This is were I made a design change to the pattern for the sake of little hands getting the clothes on and off rather than displaying the doll fully dressed. The shirt and pants are made as one piece and this is easy enough to get on and off. However, the pattern calls for the boots to be attached to the pants once they are made.

This sounded like it was going to make the outfit hard to put on as boots tend to be solid not like soft footed Pj's. After making the first boot and trying it on my suspicions were confirmed. If I attached the boots to the outfit it was going to be frustrating for a child to take it on and off. However there was no reason to sew Prince Charming's boots to his pants. It works with the boots as a separate piece.

The second change I made with the boots came as a result of not sewing the boots to the pants. I worked the first round of the boot cuff in the front loop so it would bend over the top of the boot. Then I continued on with the pattern.

I ended up using a K hook for the belt. Also to make it easier to get on over layers I added a snap rather than joining the belt. It made it easier to add to the shirt/pants combo or over his tunic. I like to decrease frustration and wear on the outfit when possible. The friction of sliding the belt on and off would likely leave it with a short life span. Again the difference between a play model and a display. To fit this doll I needed to chain 50 to get the belt to fit.

I used a K hook for the tunic and a G hook for the trim.

I used Amethyst for the cape instead of Red. I wanted that Royal look and purple is royal. I needed a K hook for this item as well. I used a g for the black sections.

As I mentioned previously the crown is part of the Evil Queen pattern. Daniel's hair is pretty puffy so I'm not sure if that was the issue with needing a huge hook to get this to fit. I'm hoping to make the other patterns for the female 18 inch dolls so we will see if their heads are any smaller with their hair styles. To make this fit Daniel I need an M hook. I didn't use the red yarn. I just didn't see the need. This look suited my project.

My Life Cinderella

I have several versions of crochet Cinderalla patterns that fit the 18 inch dolls but Sweet Silver Creations is my favorite. It has a balance between being elegant and achievable for a donation project. I like the Adoring Dolls one I made for the Our Generation Doll because it is quick and easy but it lacks the elegance of this outfit. I have an Annie's one that is one my some day list but it requires more time and patience than I have at the moment.

This pattern, as do all her princess patterns, takes a significant amount of yarn. I went through a good bit of the dark shade of blue in a Caron Pounder for this project. This is a note to myself to have a Pounder on hand to start the project. I've gotten by with left over balls of the light blue for this project in previous years. This year I had a full skein and no left overs to use up.

You can purchase the pattern here. I used the shoes from her School Uniform pattern but sadly that pattern is no longer listed on her Etsy site. It's a quick and easy pattern when I don't want shoes with a strap.

Notes:

I used an H hook for the dress and an F hook for the shoes. This year despite the pattern directions I finished the back with a button hole and closed with a button instead of a snap. I just was in the mood for a button. I did use a snap for the collar.

I also choose not to follow the pattern directions for creating the arm holes. The pattern ends the yarn and continues. I skip the stitches and continue in the style I normally make arm holes. I just find this to be an easier way to create the arms. I continue to follow the directions for creating the arms in the same row the yarn is written to end. It all works out for me.

With an H hook I ended at row 20 this year as the dress had reached floor length. Not sure if I've done this on previous projects but I'm making a greater effort to record my steps for future projects.