Camping Pocket Pal

I sometimes buy patterns for a specific project and they never get made. Then along comes a charity drive that needs small items to fill bags and I have the perfect set of projects.

I absolutely love this pattern which you can purchase here.

Many playsets require plastic canvas or cardboard and for perfectly good reasons.

However, it is time I don't always want to invest in a project. This little tent requires nothing but old fashioned crochet and sewing in ends. It stands up on its own and I couldn't be happier. The only additional item required was a tiny bit of stuffing for the sleeping bag pillow but this could be left out as one of my other sleeping bag patterns offers as an option.

I tested it to see if other toys might fit and the smaller Calico Critters fit tightly. If I was going to add this to their donation next year I'd use heavier yarn to make the tent bigger and test how well it stands. I know the sleeping bags I made this year for them will not fit in this tent and they couldn't possibly fit in the sleeping bag designed for this ami.

I do think as is that other small play figures would fit in nicely.

Notes:

As I mentioned on the Rabbit in a Carrot post I've been trying to use up a large stash of Sinfonia cotton that I'm slowly replacing with Cotton Fair. I needed Cotton Fair for the doll's face and the tent. Everything else helped me with my project to finish off the old stash.

This set was made with a 3mm hook.

I chose to sew eyes instead of using safety eyes as the head is rather small.

A note to self to turn sleeping bag inside out before crocheting sides together. This one is made slightly different from the others.

This is going in my binder for this charity as it has quickly become one of my favorite patterns I've made so far. I can also see stealing some of the accessory patterns for both the Calico Critters and Chelsea. Not sure I can get the tent to be big enough while still holding its shape but the fire would be a cute addition to her sleeping bag.

Rabbit in a Carrot

I've been splitting my crochet time between doll clothes and parts of finger puppets and small amis. I've been completing a portion of a finger puppet or ami, storing it in a plasic baggie and then when I'm close to finishing I'll assemble the item. In this case I also had the sleeping bag to make as well.

This is one of Laura Sutcliffe's patterns that can be purchased here.

Notes:

I'm going for small sized items for this donation. When I made this last in 2020 it wasn't as big an issue.

The pattern calls for DK yarn I went with Sinfonia cotton I am trying to use up and replace with Cotton Fair. They each have pros and cons but I have come to prefer the Cotton Fair for my small ami projects. This was a great project to hit my stash of old cotton I refuse to abandon.

I used a size 2mm hook for all items.

In my previous project notes I mentioned that the carrot needed to be wider to make it easier to get the bunny in and out of it for small hands. I increased the width following the pattern to 26 stitches.

I mistakenly read the front directions for the back and increased the length to make it long enough for the bunny but missed the shaping of the top for the carrot. After having finished the piece I was not redoing it but added the trim.

My note to myself on the pattern is to follow the lower directions and make the back piece first as this will determine I've made it wide enough and long enough for my rabbit. Then the front which is the first direction can be made and adjusted to fit the back.

This is going to be part of my Kits for Kids rotation.

Chick in an Egg Sleeping Bag

This is one of Laura Suttcliffe's patterns that can be purchased here that I received for my birthday.

I've collected her patterns over the years as they make delightful small playsets for family. However recently, I've returned to them as she has many that will fit in the Kits for Kids bags and add a little extra to the small stuffed toy. Last year I made the dog with his bed and this year I'm hoping to work through her catalog of playsets to add extras to the bags going out in the Spring.

Notes:

This was made with Big Twist Yellow and Orange and Red Heart Super Saver White. The black is left over Cotton Faire from the finger puppets. The pattern suggests DK but I have a small supply of DK I'm holding on to for doll clothes so I wasn't quite ready to dig into that for my ami projects.

I did decrease the hook size to E as it was too large when I started with a G for the size I need for this donation.

Like the finger puppets I made this in pieces between doll outfits. I've recently started storing the in progress pieces in a plastic baggie until assembly as the small pieces can easily go missing.

I love the way her patterns are laid out in boxes, including the accompanying pictures. I sometimes lose my place in a pattern but these are easy to see just where you are in the pattern.

It was easier for me to assemble body, head and wings. I attached the wings to the body, finished the head and attached the head to the body. This is not the order of the pattern but it made working the pattern easier for me. I finished off by making the tail and adding it.

Other than the order of assembly I followed the directions as written.

Mermaid in a Shell Playset

This is another Laura Sutcliffe playset. You can purchase the pattern here.

This pattern is designed so you can make your mermaid as a doll dressing up as a mermaid or as a mermaid. I opted for the mermaid as there are fewer pieces to lose later. I have been making more of my ami sets with sport cotton but my hands needed a break so I wanted with worsted weight and a g hook. The designer suggests DK weight but I didn't have any suitable colors in my stash so I went with worsted 4. If I make this again I would think about the sport cotton and a smaller hook size. I like the finished set but I think it would be cuter if smaller and the shell would be sturdier in cotton.

One of the reasons I don't make many "dolls" is I really don't enjoy making hair. This was a fun wig that is sewn on and it is a great altenative to trying to "root" hair.

If you choose to go with the doll that dresses up as a mermaid there is an additional dress pattern for the doll to wear.

This set works up quickly and was a nice additional playset to add to my ocean theme birthday box.

Bee with Blanket

This is my final bee project, for now at least. I promised I'd make a second bee. You can find that free pattern here. The blanket is part of the Beehive playset I posted about earlier. I wanted to include it in this final post with the bee so I waited to make it until I started the bee. You can purchase the Beehive playset here.

The bee is made with Omega Sinfonia sport cotton and a B hook. The flower is made with worsted weight acrylic and a G hook.

Beehive Playset

When I went looking for ideas to make bee and honey themed items for this project I was thrilled to discover one of my favorite play set designers Laura Sutcliffe had a Beehive set. You can purchase it here. I've collected quite a few of her play set patterns and if you follow this blog you will have noticed she figures quite prominetly into holiday and birthday boxes. Her patterns are fun to make and always add a little extra fun play to a gift.

While this play set comes with a bee, for this project I already had my bee design. I finished the first one back in March using a free pattern from another favorite designer Aradiya Toys you can findt the free pattern here. The bee was a huge hit and there was a request for a second.

This set also comes with a flower blanket for the bee. I'm working on that now and will post it when I finish the last bee.

If I make this set again I might use Sugar and Creme cotton or use two strands together to give the hive a little more sturdieness since you can't stuff it and it isn't well suited to adding plastic canvas or another type of interior support to make it stand out on its own. Other than that I think it is adorable and honestly if a child was playing with it I don't think they'd care. Since this is designed to be displayed I'd consider stuffing it if I didn't think they'd want the bottom to open.

Notes:

I used the suggested g hook for this project with the exception of the bees. The bees were made with sport cotton and a c hook.