Aztec Wishes Donations 2021 Have Been Delivered

I am so thrilled that the tech high school is back doing Aztec Wishes for 2021. While we were able to donate directly to the charity last year working with the high school students makes this project so much more fun.

Secondly I want to send out a THANK YOU to all my friends at Crochetville for their thoughful and creative donations that make this project work. I am always blown away by their generous hearts and sprirts as they donate to this project. I also had a kind new Blogger join the efforts from Canada this year and I send out a thank you to her as well. This is a tough year for many families and we made Christmas a little brighter for a few children. Thank you all.

We packed 16 boxes into my husbands car. He's decided 16 is the cut off point before items get pushed to the next year's donation. Once again thank all of you who donated and on to 2022!!

Lots to Love 10 Inch Moses Basket

I'm slowly finishing off the doll carriers for this year's donation. After completing this one for the 10 inch Lots to Love Doll I need one for the Lil Cutesies Baby Doll and one for the second JC Toys - 16-inch Baby Doll and I'll be good for another donation year.

The pattern for the carrier is part of Annie Potter's Sweet Baby Doll Layette and can be purchased here. I tend to add rows as I like the carrier to be a little deeper so the doll doesn't roll out. I thought I had enough yarn to finish this one off but lost the game of chicken and had to pick up more RED HEART Super Saver , Amethyst to finish the job. I just didn't have another color in duplicate that would finish the job as I did with the previous basket.

To keep projects interesting I like to add or change something where I can so for this basket I used the blanket from the free pattern set Berenguer Baby Layette found here. This is a mesh style blanket that works up quickly and was a great addition to the doll carrier.

The blanket is made with the no longer available Red Heart Sport Comfort Yarn and a J hook.

Lil Cutesies Sweater Set

This was actually intended to be an outfit for the Lots to Love 8 inch baby doll. I was adapting the sweater set from the free Berenguer Baby Layette pattern for the Lots to Love 10 inch doll found here using sport yarn but it was too big for the 8inch doll but thankfully not too large for the Lil Cutesies Baby Doll . I was planning on making one for that doll later so it all worked out.

For my own records this was made with the no longer available Red Heart Sport Comfort yarn and an E hook. The shoes are from a Shady Lane Pattern set for the Lil Cutesie dolls that can be purchased here. While I adapted the booties for the 8 inch doll I know these shoes fit the Lil Cutesie dolls really well so I went with what works.

The bonnet was too large for the head even with the lighter yarn and smaller hook size. I stopped working in the round when the back of the head was covered and began working in rows to keep the bonnet from becoming overally large. I used chain 3 trim on the arms.

I made simple pants for under the sweater by crocheting over a pony tail band until I got to the crotch and splitting at that point for the legs. The legs have a chain 3 crochet trim around each leg.

Ken Tennis Outfit

I'd been looking for Annie's out of print Fashion Doll His and Hers 87D15 since I started making Barbie clothes again and realized it wasn't in my collection. I wanted this book because the patterns are all casual clothes and thus perfect for the types of clothes I wanted to include with my donation. When it arrived it seemed like it would be fun to see if I could adapt the tennis outfit to fit Ken. I still need to make a top for Skipper but I'll get there at some point.

This outfit is made with Red Heart Crochet, Thread Size 10 White. While the pattern calls for a size 7 hook I needed to use my Tulip Etimo Steel Crochet Hook-.9mm to get the outfit to fit this modern Ken doll.

I changed the pattern for the headband and the wrist bands. Instead of weaving the elastic through the finished bands I measured the elastic to fit this doll, sewed it together and then crocheted over the over the band in sc to cover the elastic. This made it easier than trying to figure out the differences between the old and new Ken's heads. I was able to quickly make these last accessories for the outfit.

Barbie Bathing Suit

I started working through the Summertime Blues Fashion Doll pattern set designed by Lori Zeller and found in Crochet World June 2009 when I made Ken's swim trunks. Summertime Blues which includes Ken's swim trunks and beach accessories is found on Dolls, Doll Clothes and Accessories, an Annie's CD Rom, it is also on the Crochet World Collection 2001-2010 DVD computer disk if you happen to own those.

I've been using these smaller projects between other projects I'm working on. Along with Barbie's swim suit I'm also working on the beach accessories to add to the donation as well. I plan on posting them as a set when they are finished.

While I had to use a considerably smaller hook to fit Ken I returned to my Tulip Etimo Steel Hook-Size 4/1.25mm for Barbie's outfit. I decided on Aunt Lydia Crochet Thread Size 10, Maize because I've almost finished off this cone and I hate having left over fiber. These small projects are a great way to use up the thread so it doesn't end up getting lost in the stash and wasted.

I've been hunting out of print books and leaflets recently. I was thrilled when my second hand copy of Bathtime Buddies arrived in the mail today. I've been searching for weeks for an affordable copy in good condition and I found one in great condition that wasn't a library discard. It took forever to ship but I can now return my library copy! I had a back up PDF copy which I plan to print the patterns to cut out the cloth sections of the animals but I really didn't want to print the books or work from a computer screen. This solves that problem. I also got a copy of an out of print Annie's Fashion Doll book that I'd been hunting for a while this week. I'm pleased with my finds.

Ken Ski Outfit

It's supposed to be in the 80's this week so what better time to think cold and create winter wear for Ken. I've also been flipping through my collection of Barbie patterns trying to find casual wear for Ken to crochet. I'm amazed at how many patterns for wedding and swim attire there are for Ken, but I'm looking to expand his options for dress up play.

One of the leaflets I came across from my decade ago pattern buying spree was a House of White Birches newsprint set with black and white pictures and typesetting I haven't seen in years. The patterns however are quite good for my purposes of creating clothing for kids to play with the dolls rather than display, although I suspect there are a few outfits that might work for that as well.

The leaflet is called Crochet Wardrobe for 11 1/2" Fashion Dolls(Including a complete Wedding Ensemble and Trousseau.)It was published in 1982. If you are interested in finding it I've seen it listed quite a bit recently as I've looked for other out of print fashion doll patterns. Despite the age it is out there.

I didn't recognize the yarn listed in the pattern, which is not unusual these days in modern patterns let alone those dating back to the 1980's. When I looked it up on yarn sub it appeared to be a fingering yarn. Since this Ken doll is a fairly small doll I originally started with thread thinking the pants would be too large. I had tried another pattern in the book that called for bedspread yarn and a size 7 hook. After getting down to a size .4mm hook I ordered some size 20 yarn to experiment with later and moved on to the ski outfit.

The thread proved to be too small and I moved on to a stash of Knit Picks Palette yarn which is a wool fingering yarn that I'd had from previous doll projects. While the pattern called for an e hook I found a C hook was the adjustment required to make the outfit fit the smaller Ken doll.

The one increase in size I needed to make on the pattern to get it to fit was the hat. I found the hat was too small to fit over this Ken's molded hair. I just added and increase row and the hat fit.

Stacie Dress

This is an adaptation of the Pastel Sundress pattern from the Annie's Crochet Fashion Doll Crochet Club Play Set Pattern FC20-03. This pattern is one of the Fashion Doll Crochet Club patterns that focuses primarily on on Barbie's sisters. There are 4 sister patterns and no Barbie patterns in the set.

The pattern for this dress has a huge ruffle skirt and I wanted to see if I could make something with a more traditional skirt. This is still a little larger than I had planned for but it was a good first attempt for where I want to head. I'm also thinking this pattern could be used to make a romper for the doll as well.

I am continuing to use up my AC Moore sports yarn collection. This yarn has the silky feel of Caron Simply soft at a sport weight. It was a little heavier than the previous yarn I used so I used Tulip Etimo 2/2mm Crochet Hook when I found my Bates Bamboo B hook was bending under the strain. My Tulip hooks are a little hardier in the smaller ranges. To complete the skirt I went back to a C hook.

Notes:

Another change I made was using a single strap for the shoulder. The double strap was too thick in the previous dress. I like this look better.

15 Inch Rag Doll Sweater Set

I mentioned when I was working on the smaller rag doll that I had intended originally to purchase this larger doll and picked the smaller one up by accident. The problem now corrected I had to set about adjusting patterns to fit her so I could get her ready to donate.

Back in the 1980's Annie's created a series of soft sculptured dolls similar in looks to the Cabbage Patch dolls. Like the Cabbage Patch dolls they had baby dolls and older child dolls the most prominent in that line being Debbie Ann. The original Debbie Ann pattern came with a pattern for the doll and a dress. Later outfits were released to fit her. I believe there is also a male sibling doll and as I mentioned there are baby dolls in the line as well. Over the years I've picked up vintage copies of many of these outfits thinking they'd be useful for other doll projects. I don't see myself making the dolls but as I recently learned when I found myslef purchasing Barbies, never say never.

While the Debbie Ann patterns were only available in the second hand market for years, Annie's has released and retired and released the patterns on the Annie's site and their second site e-pattern central. I mention the release and retire because I went and checked and while I have a vintage copy I also bought a digital copy as a back up for this pattern should I lose the original. While I still own the digital copy on Annie's site Debbie Ann's Sweater Set 87F43, is no longer available on either site. That is not to say it won't come back, but if you are looking for it I've given you the pattern number that can help you with your search.

Notes:

As with many of my doll projects this pattern is not designed to fit this doll but with some adaptations it did fit. I started with the suggested worsted weight yarn and moved to a D hook for the skirt. This will result in a later post about the JC Toys - 16-inch Baby Doll | as it proved to be too big for the Rag doll but I think with some work will turn into a nice outfit for the baby doll and it means my work wasn't wasted.

Realizing I had two challenges the weight of the yarn and the softness of the waist line, it wouldn't hold up the skirt I made some changes for my next skirt. I kept the D hook but switched to Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn Sport Weight. I also used a Hair Elastic for the waist band. If you haven't used pony tail holders as waist bands in your crochet they can be effective tools and they are easy enough to crochet over. I find they don't bend and twist the way regular elastic sometimes can when I use it in doll clothing. The challenge is that it has to fit the section of the doll as unlike elastic you can't cut to fit as easily.

One of the things you can't tell from my pictures or the picture on the pattern cover is that the panties for this outfit are crocheted on to the skirt. This is a neat little technique and I won't divulge the secret, but it is a simple add on that I can see using in other proejcts as it eliminates the added bulk of underwear at the waist of an outfit but still gives that added modesty that keeps all parts covered when the doll might other wise be exposed.

I've always loved back post and front post stitches so this sweater was a joy. I loved the texture it created and with a D hook and Red Heart Sport cotton, now unavailable, I found the sweater fit the Rag doll quite well. I crocheted the arms as I went and required fewer rows as the doll has shorter thinner arms than Debbie Ann. I did 7 pattern rows before finishing with a dc row followed by a sc row. This just seemed easier to fit to the doll than crocheting the arm and adding as it would be harder to determine fit when the arm was not attached.

Hats are going to be a challenge with this doll due to her rather prominent pig tails. I did play a little bit with this hat and liked how it looked in a modified format.

The pattern does include a cute shoe pattern. However, as the Rag Doll comes with attached shoes I did not require or attempt the shoes.

The Rag Doll was purchased from Factory Direct for those of you who may want to find one.

18 Inch Doll Cable Link Sweater and Skirt

I am pleased that I'm making progress on my efforts to create separates and non-costumed outfits this year. While I love making the doll themed outfits and already have a few lined up on my to do list there is more to outfiting a doll than themed costumes. Having the basics is important too. However, I sometimes neglect making those in favor of the themed costumes for the dolls. This year I am trying to do better.

This is actually my second try at the skirt from the free pattern Dovetailed found here. I'll be posting about the finished project I made for the Our Generation doll next week. I thought I had enough yarn to make a second outfit for the My Life Doll using the blue yarn but I clearly underestimated how much yarn I had on hand. I had enough for a skirt but not enough to complete the outfit. Just a note for myself, the skirt fits the My Life Doll better with a g hook if you don't use elastic.

Now I needed a top so I turned to my out of print Sweater Trio pattern published by Fibre Craft in 1999 FCM494 for those who might want to search for it. I've made this pattern for several years but it has always felt a bit bulky to me.

I've tried making it with an e hook and that helped a little but it still had that feel of wearing an bigger sister's wardrobe. This year I decided to go back to that purple baby yarn you may have seen across several projects now that I've been trying to use up. I swear it multiplies at night. I used the required f hook instead of going down to the e as I had before, but with the lighter 3 yarn it fit better.

While you can't see it in this picture the sweater pattern includes a headband pattern that also uses the cable loops which for some reason I find to be fun to put together. It is not something I get to do frequently in crochet, but it is a fun little exercise when making this project.

Baby Doll Sundress with Shell Trim

I was reading a post a Crochetville about stretching yarn and hoping it would last for to finish a project. I ran into that making doll blankets this year.

However, this specific yarn seems to be endless. I thought I'd easily finish it off making the two sundresses but there is quite a bit more left in this skein and while searching for yarn for another project what should I find but another skein of this yarn that needs to be finished off this year. It is going to be a very purple donation.

That being said it is fun to try to change things just a little with these patterns to keep them interesting since they do get repeated so many times.

This is an out of print free pattern still available through use of the Wayback machine here.

The dress is a simple pattern which it is why I love it so much. It works up quickly and has adapted well to the changes in doll sizes over the years. That being said this year I've found myself looking to add to it just a little to challenge myself.

This time I added a shell border with some baby yarn that also has proven remarkably hard to finish off. It is a small skein and I was sure it would be done by now as it has trimmed a few items but it has proven remarkably stubborn.

For the hat I changed to dc after the 2sc in each row. This gave the hat a different look. Then I also did a shell border on the hat. As I said not huge changes but something to keep it interesting.

Baby Doll Carrier

Most years I have to buy yarn specifically for this project as it requires the equivalent of 3 skeins of Red Heart Super Saver all in the same color to complete the task. This year while cleaning the yarn room I found three Caron One Pounders in purple and they were more than suited to this task. I'm still hunting for the 3 skeins I need for the second carrier, but since my hands and arms need a rest before tackling that one, I have time to see if I can't find 3 more matching skeins in my stash to complete the second carrier.

This is a free pattern available on Ravelry here.

I love adding accessories to the donation, so I do include this project with the donation every year. The challenge I find is working the three strands in the round. It isn't just hard on the hands but I feel it all the way up the arms. The pattern isn't complicated it just is sometimes hard getting the yarn worked through.

I have had to adapt the pattern to meet my needs and I like to record my notes in case I lose my paper copy and have to download a new one. These may or may not prove useful to others making this doll basket.

The pattern calls for a K hook. I found this made for a huge basket almostt a real baby size. To change that I did the first 10 foundation rows with an I hook, then I returned to the K hook to finish the rest of the basket. The bigger hook does help with manipulating the 3 strands of yarn which ultimately give the basket a more solid form that holds the doll inside the basket.

Doll Donations

I have been blessed with amazing fairy Godmothers on Crochetville who have been supporting my doll donation project. These should have been posted months ago, but I am thrilled I have them posted now. I love being able to go back and look at previous year's donations and it is harder to do when I don't post things.

My MO FGM has blessed me with beautiful blankets and doll clothes this year.

My MS Fairy Godmother sent me doll blankets that are just so pretty. I would never make blankets as good as the ones people send me. The kids are so blessed by all of you.

16 Inch Baby Doll Sundress and Hat

I think this is one off the patterns I've been using the longest for the doll donation. Sadly you need the wayback machine to find it as the blog is gone. However as of writing this it was still there. As always I'd suggest downloading it and saving your copy as these links can go any time. You can find it here.

One of the reasons I like this outfit is that it isn't only just easy to make but it is also easy for little hands for to take the outfit on and off.

For my own notes I make this with worsted weight yarn and in order to make it fit the rounded soft bodied doll it requires a K hook. In order to avoid sewing I join after the first row

American Girl Little Flamenco Dress

Happy New Year's Eve everyone. Hope all of you have a fun and happy night to ring in the New Year.

I finally located some Red Heart Fruity striped yarn so I could complete this outfit. While not a traditional Flamenco dress I do love the colors and the style of this dress. As an added bonus this is a quick and easy dress to make. You can find the free pattern here.

Winter is often my best time for filling up my donation bags and it fills good to be completing some outfits for the donation.

Now for my pattern notes. I used a G hook for the top of the dress and a H hook for the bottom of the dress. I also added some rows to the bottom of the dress to make it a little longer. Red Heart Fruity Stripes is the yarn that I prefer for this pattern as it gets the color blend I prefer. I use snaps instead of buttons to close the back of the dress. I find them easier for little hands to open and close.

Edwardian 18 Inch Crochet Outfit

I fell in love with this outfit a while back and it has been on my list of outfits to try for a while. My hands had been tight after working on a series of amis so I decided it was time to get to work on the 2019 doll project. You can find Elseth's free pattern here.

This was a fun choice for my first pattern of the year. I loved the color and the textures. I find the end of the old year and the beginning of the New Year are some of my most productive times to finish doll donations so I'm hoping this is a good sign.

Mary Maxim American Girl Summertime Capri Set

This was the second outfit from the Mary Maxim Summertime 18 Inch Doll kit. There is a shrug and a purse I finished for this set, but somewhere on the way to the shoot for this blog, she seems to have lost them. Thankfully, I found them sitting on the couch and they've been bundled up in the package to go with the donation, but I didn't have time for a reshoot, so you'll have to imagine the rest. If you are interested in the kit you can find it at Mary Maxim here. To make it clear this was a birthday gift from DH and I have no association with Mary Maxim other than I am a customer. I am hopeful they make more 18 inch kits as having bought both their kits and Herschnerrs I tend to like the yarn and pattern directions in Mary Maxim's kits better than those I've bought from Herschnerrs. I will say Herschnerr's has had some adorable designs I've liked and bought, but I've not loved the yarn and I have several uncompleted kits because I found myself rewriting the directions as I went and it was frustrating when I had other patterns I could turn to and complete more quickly.

With that I turn to the second pattern from this kit and say honestly I was not as pleased with the second set as I was with the first. Other than the shoes I really liked the overall design of the first pattern. With the second, I LOVED the capris and will be using that pattern with worsted weight yarn so I don't have to increase the hook size to make the pants fit. The pants were adorable and I can see me making them with different tops. I didn't like the top. It was overally complicated to make for something I really didn't like when it was done. The shrug was a nice finish for the outfit. The purse was an easy to make accessory that I'd make again. The kerchief would have been better if there was an explanation about how it went together.

As with the previous outfit I opted out of the sandals. I found they didn't work well for me and instead made the shoes from another pattern I'd purchased here.

I am hopeful Mary Maxim will continue to make these kits as I do like their yarn and the price point is fair if you can get a deal on shipping. I would like to see some themed outfits in the way they've branched out with the 5" dolls.

Mary Maxim American Girl Summertime Dress

Mary Maxim's Summer Time Doll Kit for the 18 inch dolls was one of my birthday presents this year. While I love Mary Maxim's yarn and their doll kits, I do find their shipping to be a bit pricey. So, I catch their free shipping when I can and gift giving times are a great time to ask for a gift from them.

As I was making this outfit I realized how much I do like their yarn for light weight projects and after a search was pleased to find you can get it at JoAnn's online. Since they have more frequent yarn sales and shipping offers I do think there may be more Mary Maxim yarn in my doll project futures.

This first pattern worked up very quickly. I did upsize to an H hook. I had no issue with the dress, hat, or poncho. I was not happy with the sandals. I just couldn't get them to fit. So instead of worrying about the sandals I went back to my fall back shoe pattern from a Sun Dress Pattern I purchased here.

This kit comes with 2 outfits so I hope to finish the second one soon.

American Girl Little Bluebell Nightgown

As I mentioned last week I discovered a free 18 inch doll designer and I'm finding the patterns work for both the 18 inch doll and the 16 inch baby doll. I love when I find patterns that will work for both. You can find the pattern here.

This pattern works up quickly and I used Bernat Super Value Yarn. In order to make gauge I needed an H hook.

American Girl Flamenco Dress

This is not a traditional Flamenco dress but I respect the titles people give their patterns. I missed out on the chance to buy a crochet Flamenco pattern when a designer closed her pattern shop a few years ago. This is a bright and easy free pattern found here. This pattern does not come with shoes I used the pattern from the Sun Dress I wrote about yesterday to finish this outfit. You can find the pattern here.


Pattern notes:

There was no yarn specified on this pattern, but I used Red Heart Super Saver Fruity Stripe for my doll dress and I liked the look. In order to make gauge I used an H hook.

This pattern works up really quickly if you need a doll dress. I tried it on the 16 inch baby doll and I think this pattern will work for the baby doll, too. I will change the colors to more baby friendly colors.

I want to thank the designer for offering up her patterns for free. I've completed two so far and have another one printed to make.

American Girl Sun Dress

Sweet Silver Creations has always been one of my favorite 18 inch doll designers. Over the years I've collected most of her 18 inch doll patterns. They've generally appear on my Christmas and birthday lists. I'm hoping some new ones will be coming out soon. This is my first attempt at making this one. You can find the pattern here.

I loved the dress and the shoes. I wasn't as happy with the hat.

Pattern notes:

I used worsted weight instead of sport weight yarn. The H hook worked with the worsted weight to make the outfit fit.