Calico Critter Dad Swim Trunks

I've had this in the Critter folder for a bit and never made it until I was going through my Critter folder and realized this wasn't a pants pattern but supposed to be swim trunks. I needed to shorten them to make them look less like pants and more like swim trunks to meet my swim challenge.

You can find the free pattern here.

This pattern has directions for the Dad and Brother. I hope to get back to the Brother soon.

So I will remember this pattern does not join until the legs are formed.

I followed the upper portion of the trunks as written. I decreased the leg rows to one additional leg row to keep them at short length rather than pants.

The designer does include directions for a tail hole and the back closes with a snap.

Calico Critter Mom V-Stitch Sundress

Every so often as I'm looking at patterns on Ravelry I find one from a designer I missed. This is designed for the sister and baby. However, I found I had to change the sister pattern to fit the Mom as it was huge on the Mom. I'm planning to adjust it to fit the sister.

You can find this free pattern here.

Notes:

I used a 1mm hook and size 10 crochet thread for this project.

I started this project twice learning from my first mistake. I try to make my doll clothes easy to put on and off. The pattern suggests joining the project from the first row. I did this and almost lost the bunny tail as I was working on the top section of the bodice. This made me rethink the project and I frogged my first attempt.

For my second attempt I chose not to join until making the skirt which includes a pattern trick for leaving a tail hole. This works better to slide the dress on and off with the top open until closed by a snap. I stopped damaging Mom's cotton tail.

Just a note by not joining I need an extra starting chain of 29 not 28.

I repeated Round 2 once for the skirt to get it to the same length as pictured for the sister Critter.

The headband only required 30 chains. Over the years I've collected a number of On A Calico Day's crochet patterns. They come with embellishment patterns. This is where I found the flower for the headband.

My Life Cat Short Set

I was hoping to get this posted Friday but decided to put it up on Saturday and keep pushing to complete my projects for the donation. It seems impossible but that deadline is now approaching rather than far off in the distant future.

This is one of Pamela Yarborough's patterns that can be purchased here.

I've been following her patterns long enough that my copy is from her origins of posting free patterns to her website to give her a following to start selling her patterns.

As with many of my doll projects this year this is another pattern that has been sitting in my doll binder for years until I came up with a more balanced approach for rotating through making clothes for all of the dolls rather than randomly picking which doll I felt like working on today. This has actually helped me to reach more deeply into all my doll folders and try some patterns I've not used in years or like this one, never tried.

Note:

This is made with Red Heart Super Saver Amethyst and White. The Pink and Grey are Herrschners. The black is sport yarn left over from the ami's.

I started with the hat and the shoes making them between other doll projects so they wouldn't need to be made after the outfit.

The hat was made using an H hook and I left a note on the pattern to try an I hook the next time.

The shoes were made with an H hook.

The top fits but it is snug with the suggested H hook. With anything that has to slide on and off the doll I like a little room so I'd use an I hook the next time for the shirt. A reminder to myself to pull the yarn up from the bottom for the ss.

I used the suggested F hook for the cat face and that was the right choice.

The shorts are snug with an H hook but my concern is getting them to stay up if I move to an I hook.