My Life Harriet

This is another one of Darski's free patterns you can find here. I've been looking for patterns that have been sitting in my doll binders that I've either never made or not made in years. This is one I made once many years ago and never gone back to so it seemed a good time to revisit. I'm working on the companion dress hoping to make it for this year's deadline. If not next year will work as well.

This outfit was made with Caron One Pound Yarn - Medium Grey Mix and Bernat Super Value Yarn, Navy. My supply of worsted brands varies based on sales and availability and I try to "shop" from my stash whenever possible for my doll projects. These colors were both in my yarn stash so they were my go to yarns for the outfit.

I ended up adding a few rows to the top to make it slightly longer and a few to the skirt as I wanted the long skirt pictured in the pattern. Mine ended up shorter following the pattern and it was easy enough to add some rows.

I went a size up on hook size for the top but stayed with the suggested size for the skirt. I did not use elastic for the skirt. I did add a finishing row of sc to the top of the skirt.

When I make this again I'd like to remember to make the scarf. It is a nice accessory for the outfit and I always seem to forget it.

My Life Playtime Garden Dress

The Garden dress is another one of Adoring Doll's designs that can be purchased here.

This was a great chance to use up some yarns I'd had in my stash for a while and wanted to target for removal. The dress is adorable and works up quickly. While it is a garden theme it would work up just as well in other colors for play outfits for anyone looking for a quick make for 18 inch dolls.

I used an H hook for this set and found the fit to be good for the My Life doll.

For the buttons I went with daisy and sunflower buttons for the dress and strawberry buttons for the hat. I buy buttons when I find them on sale to have a selection on hand for projects so I don't have to buy as I go for doll and ami projects.

My Life Chevron Skirt and Summer Blouse

This was a unique fiber challenge for me. Both projects suggested using size 10 crochet thread for their respective patterns. In the case of one I ended up using the smaller size 20 crochet thread. In the other I was able to meet a goal of using up some Spud and Chloe sock yarn I'd won as a door prize from a fiber event years ago and have been slowly targeting for doll projects.

I purchased the Chevron skirt pattern from e-pattern central during one of their many sales. When I checked back today the pattern was no longer available. However if you are interested the designer still is selling it at Ravelry here.

I tried making the skirt with size 10 cotton thread and went down to my smallest steel hooks with no luck. This could be my issue as it looks like at least one other person has completed it on Ravelry with size 10 thread. However, I decided to try an experiment and started the skirt with size 20 thread I had left over from a Barbie project and used my Tulip Rose Steel Crochet Hook-Size 4/1.25mm. The skirt quickly showed signs of fitting better but I had to order more size 20 thread from Creative Yarn source so I put off finishing the skirt until my thread arrived.

With the right hook and thread this was actually a fairly easy pattern to follow and I like the look of the finished skirt.

While I like sending separates because the child gets to mix and match outfits to create a fashion pleasing to the child it creates a need to find more patterns. I turned to ABC Knitting's Doll Crochet section for the Elgegant Summer Blouse. You can find the free pattern here.

As I mentioned earlier this pattern also called for size 10 cotton but when I'd tried it earlier it had been too small. I remembered the sock yarn and decided it was worth a try. I used a size B hook with the sock yarn and am pleased with the fit. This might not be a bad way to use up more of the yarn and give myself tops to use with skirts and pants.

My Life Doll Dress, Hat, and Shoes

This has long been one of my favorite 18" doll patterns. It works up easily and requires only one button or in my case I use a snap to close it in the back. This pattern uses the Red Heart Fruity Stipe yarn but I've made it with a variety of colors. I even use this pattern for the 16" baby dolls as it easily adapts to their needs as well. You can find the free pattern here.

I've used the Bates Bamboo hooks for years, but recently I've been having some hand issues so I'd ordered a couple of the Bates Ergonomic soft handled hooks to use in making the doll carriers as those are the most taxing projects on my hands every year. I decided to test out the Susan Bates Ergonomic Crochet Hook 5.5"-size H8/5mmfor this project. It has a slightly different feel but I've been using the same set of hooks for years so I wasn't surprised. I did like the feel on my hands. These hooks are longer than my Bates Bamboo. I still like my Bamboo best which is good as the Bates Ergonomic seem to be disappearing like my Bates Bamboo. I don't think it hurts to switch up once and a while and work the muscles a little differently. I'm looking forward to seeing how they work on the carriers.

Back to this project the hat was just a throw together. The shoes are one of my favorite shoe patterns part of a paid pattern set that can be found here.

While I already have the Our Generation dolls purchased for the 2021 doll donation, the My Life dolls have proved to be more elusive. I was able to get a great deal on the Our Generation dolls around Thanksgiving, but not only have there been no deals on the My Life dolls they've just been sold out at the low price end that I buy for the donation. Not a huge issue as I have until next fall to get the two I need but I like to get them early. I ordered the 10 inch Lots to Love doll and an extra for next year from Walmart and was also able to buy the Lots to Love 14 inches Baby Doll around Thanksgiving so that is also ready to go.

I still need to get two small baby dolls and one "toddler" doll. The toddler and the one of the baby dolls are on back order. I was hoping the last baby doll might go on sale as well. I'll be watching the post Christmas sales to see. I have the 16" dolls after stocking up last year. However, if they drop in price I'll be putting away a few of those as well.

18 Inch Doll Girl About Town

This is another doll pattern I found in Crochet World's Best Animals, Toys, and Dolls and decided to add to the doll donation. You can purchase this digital magazine at e-pattern central here. As I mentioned in my previous post they have some amazing sales if you are patient.

I try to make a habit of listing where the patterns come from because when I go to a site I love knowing where the pattern came from so I can look for it if I choose. Free or paid, print, out of print, e-pattern or print it is nice to know where I can start the search for something I'm interested in making. When possible I try to pass this courtesy on by listing what information I have for someone else who may want to find the pattern.

Now on to my notes for the future.

This was a wonderful stash busting project. Many years ago as in the girls are now respectively in college and high school I crocheted Barbie clothes using sport yarn and I bought Red Heart Sport yarn because I could make some of the patterns with it. Eventually the girls outgrew Barbie and I had not real love for working with the tiny Barbie sized patterns which is why I don't donate the fashion sized dolls. However, the end of Barbie did not mean the end of her yarn stash. As I moved to larger dolls I had almost forgotten about this stash of yarn until I recently came across more doll patterns that needed sport weight yarn and realized that it was time to target this stash.

To get this pattern to fit with the old Red Heart Sport yarn I needed to move from the suggested g hook for the top to a G hook. I moved down to an f for the skirt but if I make this again I'd move back to the e hook. This dress works up quite easily and I would make it again and try different types of skirts to go with it. I think it is adaptable.

For the cardigan I also had to go to a g hook for the main body. However I had to return to the e hook to make the arms fit. I could see making the cardigan to add to other patterns. It works up easily enough.

18 Inch Doll Back to School

As I mentioned in a previous post I'd been looking through Crochet World's Best Animals, Toys, and Dolls for doll patterns to use for the toy donation. The first one that struck me as one to try was this Back to School pattern. It was a great chance to use up more of the Green Herrschner's worsted weight yarn I wrote about previously using in the baby doll projects. I still haven't finished it off yet. This outfit seemed to hardly make an impact. However, I'm glad I had it to use for this project. It feels good to be using up yarn that has been too long sitting in the stash pile.

The pattern called for an f hook and that worked fine with the top and the AC Moore sport yarn that I am still working through. The skirt proved to be too large and I ended up going down to a D hook. Even then I added a draw string to make it a bit tighter. The pattern calls for elastic but I'm trying to avoid using elastic at the moment.

The vest and hat worked up according to pattern instructions but I had to play with the shoes. The AC sport weight was too small for the bottom until I moved up to an H hook to fit the bottom of the doll foot. However, the tops were too large with the green Herrschner's yarn until I went down to a D hook. Even then they were still a little roomy. I think they'd have been a better fit if I'd stuck with the AC Moore yearn for the whole shoe. However, I liked the idea of trying shoes with contrasting colors so I went ahead.

The backpack worked up according to directions but I used snaps on the back of the sweater and to close the backpack.


This digital magazine is available for purchase at e-pattern central here. As I mentioned in my previous post they have some amazing sales if you are patient.