Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll Bib

I mentioned in the previous Rag Doll Post that I'd been searching the Annie's Doll DVD Rom for new patterns and come across the Needlecrafts Shop's Sweet Cuddles 971016 leaflet that I adapted to make the sweater for that doll outfit.

While I was there I noticed a pattern for a baby bib that might be my solution for a smaller baby bib that would fit the Lots to Love Babies 14" Doll instead of adapting the pattern I'd used with the JC Toys 16-inch Soft Baby Dolls .

Notes:

Baby yarn created a very small bib so I moved up to worsted weight 4 yarn. I also added a few rows to the body of the bib to make it long enough. I added the trim and then used the trim yarn to make the ties.

Pancakes Round 2

I wasn't completely happy with the pancake I made for the Valentine box so I decided I'd go back to my traditonal pattern from Tasty Crochet: A Pantry Full of Patterns for 33 Tasty Treats which works up quickly and honestly looks less like a bagel and more like a pancake. I made two with butter slabs to send off with the St. Patrick's Day box.

My Life Heart Shirt and Rib Effect Skirt

Sometimes projects just don't come together like you think they will. I made this skirt a few years back at the end of a donation cycle and not having time to make a top for it put it aside thinking I'd make s top for it for the next year's donation. It got folded in with an unfinished project and it never made it to the donation, until now. I came across it while looking for something else just after I'd frogged the thread skirt I was making to go with this heart shirt. The two seemed a good fit so here we are with another outfit made.

You can find the free pattern for the Ribbed effect Skirt here. The Heart Sweater is part of a Tee Shirt and Skirt pattern you can purchase here. If you are wondering why I was making a separate skirt when the pattern comes with one I actually started with a thread skirt pattern and was looking for a top to use with it. I wasn't happy with the skirt and opted to frog it and decide if I want to try it again at a later date. That left me with a finished top in need of a skirt. Thankfully, problem solved.

Notes:

Pattern calls for a G hook and I used an H hook I'd consider an I next year. It just felt snug and it wouldn't come close to fitting the Our Generation doll when I tried it on and I started this project thinking this would be the first item I made for the Our Generation doll this year. One of the benefits of different dolls is that it always seems to fit one. I'll have to work on something different for the Our Generation doll.

Rag Doll Top and Shorts

A friend of mine has sent me Rag dolls a few times for the donation project and I wanted to try adding one this year. I ordered 2 from CR Crafts only to find these are slightly smaller than the ones she gets from Factory Direct Craft.

I've ordered the larger ones from Factory Direct as I have some patterns that I think will fit the larger dolls better, but I am determined to outfit this doll for the donation as well. It's not like I don't send multiple sized baby dolls. Why not rag dolls?

As for the outfit for this doll, with the exception of the afghan collection, which I sadly missed out on, every time Annie's has issued a DVD Rom collection of crochet patterns I've tried to purchase them. I did miss the afghan one sadly but I did get both volumes of the Crochet World collection and the Dolls, Doll Clothes and Acessories DVD Rom. I find myself revisiting these DVD's from time to time when I am trying new things and want to see what I might not have tried before. With the addition of new dolls it seemed like it was time to see what the DVD had to offer for doll patterns I might be able to use with the new dolls.

One of the pattern sets that is included on the DVD is Needlecrafts Shop's Sweet Cuddles 971016 leaflet. This is a pattern for a soft bodied 15" baby doll as well as a wide range of clothing for the doll. I thought I had seen this offered on one of Annie's pattern sites but it was not available when I searched prior to posting this blog. If it returns I'll try to post a link.

This sweater was designed as a cardigan but do to the difference in shape and size of the dolls it fit better as a shirt. I moved from baby weight to Red Heart striped yarn and an H hook. in the future I would use an H for the first few rows of the top and switch to a g hook for the remainder of the outfit as it gets big quickly. I sewed the underarms a little more closed as it billowed out a bit more than I thought was needed.

I had intended to make the overalls pattern for this outfit but the sweater was too bulky. Shorts seemed a better alternative. I will likely revisit overalls at some point

The shorts were made by crocheting over a hair elastic and then alternating between hdc and dc rows until I had 4 rows. I chained 4 and split the legs evenly. I then crocheted for another two rows on each leg to complete the shorts.

Lots to Love 8 Inch Irish Lass

A friend of mine from Crochetville mentioned adapting 5" patterns for the 8" dolls a while back but I hadn't gotten around to trying it until recently when I was looking for a St. Patrick's Day doll outfit for my 8" Holiday doll project. I normally wait to make these dolls until I've sent out my holiday box but after packing up my Valentine decorations I really missed seeing the dolls so I decided I'd fit one in between my other projects.

Crochet World used to have Web Bonus pattern offerings from 2008-2012 and they are still available online. Amy Carrico's 5" Irish Lass Pattern can be found free here.

Since this pattern was designed for a 5" doll adaptations had to be made to make it fit the larger 8" doll. I started with worsted weight 4 yarn for the top with a D hook. The sport yarn might have worked but I've found this doll to be large at the top and the sport yarn often makes the top too small. The down side is the dress is always bulkier with the larger yarn. Do to the sizing differences I had to add two rows before the arm holes row 3 to make the top long enough that the arm holes were correctly placed.

As I moved on to the skirt it quickly became clear the skirt lost all shaping and was enormous with the worsted weight 4 green yarn. I still have a crate full of the old Red Heart Sport yarn that I'm working through and when I checked I had a skein of Paddy Green that just seemed like it had been waiting for this project. I continued on with the Red Heart Sport and a D hook.

For the underskirt, which is really a trim not a true underskirt I used white sport yarn which I'm thinking is Mary Maxim Baby yarn I bought a while back but has since lost its label. It feels like it is somewhere in the sport to DK range. I added an extra row of dc around no increases to the pattern. In the picture you can see the underskirt showing. With one row with the alterations to the pattern I found it was tucked under the green shamrocks.

I tried three different hook sizes before going back to the D hook with the sport yarn for the panties. The D hook was the right call but I was concerned they would be too large. Anything bigger and they were much too large with this brand of sport yarn. You can't tell from this picture but this pattern has ruffles on the back of the panties and those were done with the green sport yarn. I'd never crocheted anything like that so I wasn't quite clear which way the ruffles were supposed to go but I think I got it right.

I LOVE thes shoes so much that I had to take a picture so I'd remember what I did when I pack the St. Patrick's decoratiosn away and I want to make them for the donation doll outfits. These are actually fairly simple to make. I continued with the sport yarn but found the D hook was way too large. This doll has the tippy toe feet and it is one of the more challenging of the 8" dolls to fit. When you buy them online you don't get to choose the dolls you get what they send or I'd try for the dolls with more of a standing foot. Getting back to my notes to make these shoes fit the 8" doll I needed to use a B hook with the sport weight yarn. I also played a little with the placement of the straps but I'm happy overall with the outcome.

Last note to myself the shamrock buttons came from Factory Direct. I mention this because I know I'll end up wanting more of these for another project and won't remember who had them.

16 Inch Baby Doll Bib Round 2

I finished the second bib for the JC Toys 16-inch Soft Body Baby Doll and now only have to adapt the pattern to fit the JC Toys - Lots to Love Babies 14" Doll which is close it fitting but will need some adjustments. I tried this one on the 14" doll and it was too long and just a little wide. I suspect it is closer to the original free pattern found here.

After I finish the bibs I have to working on the changing pads. I'd like to see if I could design one that folds rather than rolls but we will see how that works out. If all else fails I know the roll works. I have one doll carrier started but the going is slow as working with 3 strands together is hard on the hands. I'm hoping if I spread out the work the damage to my hands will be less.

Notes:

I mentioned this in the previous post but next year when I go looking I want to make sure all the posts have the info I need to make these again if my notes go missing. To make this fit the 16" doll I need to chain 16 to start and then complete 20 rows before beginning shaping round. To make the bib ties I chain 40.

Milk

I've always been a huge believer in the value of pretend play for children. With COVID kids are even more restricted from activities and having creative play items at home just seems like a good idea to me.

I keep adding in play food and kitchen items as I have the chance. I hadn't really planned on the milk carton but I was flipping through my crochet food books and I came across 2 patterns and they both inspired me to add one to the St. Patrick's Day box.

I ended up using 2 patterns for this project. The directions came from Hooked on Amigurumi but I used the pictures from Kawaii Crochet to assemble the top as it is a little different from anything I'd made before. I used the first pattern as it starts with a magic circle. I'd be interested in trying the second pattern to see if you get more square corners the next time I make one. I liked the look of the one in the first book better but it is the beauty of owning so many crochet books you can adapt patterns once you understand how something is constructed and I am likely to be more comfortable playing with it the next time around.

Little Baker Set

I used this pattern in 2018 for the toy donation but this year it seemed like a good project to add to the St. Patrick's Day box. I've been adding play food items and accessories to provide some distraction for kids not getting out as much with COVID restrictions. This is a free set but is now only available through the Wayback machine here.

If this is a project that might be on your "someday" list I suggest you download and perhaps even print a copy as once items slip to the Wayback machine there is no way of knowing how long you will still be able to find the project there. Hopefully the designer will repost this project somewhere else and I will be able to add that link so people can find it there.

I made a couple of changes this time around. I started with mitts with 30 chains to make them a little larger. I reduced to the original number of stitches in row 10 before moving on to preparing for the thumb in row 11.

These are made from worsted cotton but are not designed for heat. I crocheted two of the hot pads together not to make them heat ready, but because when I made the previous set I found they acted more like dishcloths than hot pads in that they folded. It wasn't a huge effort to make an extra layer and crochet them together to give them the effect. I plan on adding a note to the package to remind all that they are for play only and not to be used as protection from hot pans or ovens.

My Life Fruity Stripes Dress

I'm always looking for new patterns to try for the 18 inch dolls. You can find this free pattern here.

This pattern required a little adaptation as I really try to make my donation clothes as child friendly as possible. The pattern calls for joining the dress after round 4 and I found this made the dress next to impossible to get on and off easily. There just wasn't the room to get the arms in the arm holes. To fix this I continued to crochet in rows using the mirrow stitch suggested for round 3 until I was closer to the waist line and then I joined and continued in rows. This makes the dress easier to put on and take off. Others may not consider this to be a challenge but I figure if I have trouble getting the clothing on and off I don't want a child to become frustrated with the effort.

The top of the dress starts in a unique way and it makes for an interesting top patterns. I ended up adding finishing stitches for the back as I left more of it open. I also did sc stitches around the sleeves to finish them off as well.

These are the shoes I make most often for the 18" dolls and it comes from a Sweet Silver Creations pattern Sailor Dress you can purchase here. Just a note to myself the H hook is the correct hook for these shoes. The dress pattern called for an I hook and for some reason I forgot to change hooks when I made the shoes. They are a slight bit larger than needed.

The pattern doesn't have a catchy title so I went with the Red Heart Stripy yarn color. I do enjoy working with bright colors on grey days. It cheers me up a bit.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll Romper with Tam

A very kind woman from Ravelry's charity knitting group, which does include crochet members, offered me a box of Herrschner's brand worsted and sport weight yarn.

It was one of those odd timed moments as I just finished working on the first 10" doll project and realized that while I'd been trying to kill my Herrschner's supply of yarn as part of my destashing plan it was actually the perfect yarn for the 10" doll and I was looking at ordering more in my near future.

I quickly replied yes and a box of delightful yarn showed up at my house.

This is the first outfit I've completed for the dolls but it won't be the last. I just wanted to thank her for her kindness.

This pattern is part of the free Berenguer Baby Layette pattern you can find here. The booties are not part of this pattern but are part of the pattern set so you can include them or not as you choose.

Notes:

I made a note on my previous blog about this pattern set that the booties needed a g hook not the 7 and I didn't write in on the pattern.

These booties are a little larger than they should be as a result. I have since written a note on the pattern and made a note here so that should help with future projects.

I did not add the additional 3dc in row 9 but crochet around evenly and then divided the legs after doing total of 11 rounds. I did not use elastic for the legs. This would make the openings rounder and tighter but it also is more work. This method worked for me. The button on the front is optional. I've been collecting buttons to add to projects for some time and if I don't start using them up it could become an issue.

Happy Valentine's Day

This year's Valentine Box:

First the traditional Valentine themed items:

A non-traditonal theme for the Valentine box this year I made breakfast food.

My new holiday projects:

As always what better way to celebrate than by remembering what I finished for the holiday.

16 Inch Baby Doll Bib

While the Melissa & Doug Baby Food & Bottle Setincludes a baby bib there is no guarentee it will fit the larger sized baby doll therefore I decided I will include bibs in the three doll diaper bags. I bought this set primarily for the feeding accessories that are not easily crocheted. The bib wasn't a priority.

You can find the free bib pattern here. As with most doll patterns I have to adapt it to fit the specific doll. To fit the JC Toys 16-inch Soft Body Baby Doll I need to chain 16 to start and then complete 20 rows before beginning shaping round. A note I keep forgetting to make is I chain 40 for the bib ties. I experimented this time and anything less and it is a bit tight tying it on the doll.

I'm interested to experiment to see if the original pattern will fit the JC Toys - Lots to Love Babies 14" Dollor if I will need to add stitches and rows to get it to fit.

I need one more bib for the 16" doll before I tackle the 14" Lots to Love doll.

Leprechaun

I've written about Pam's Patterns Little people patterns before. They cover a wide range of holiday themes, some of which have limited pattern options. They work up up quickly and are adaptable. I've made them in worsted weight and sport cotton depending on what yarn I had on hand. You can purchase the pattern here.

The pattern suggests using an H hook, I use a D as I amd sticking with the theme of "Little People" and wanted mine to be more of a village size than larger ami's.

I thinking I'm making decent progress on this box but I need to finish it so I can begin work on the Easter box which will need to be hopping off before I know it.

Lots to Love 14 Inch Doll Hoodie and Pants

After I made the last outfit for the Lots to Love Babies 14" Dolland I couldn't find the pattern online I did more digging and found the designer had a limited presence on Etsy. I proceeded to buy the patterns that would work for the donation dolls. She has a few bed dolls that while pretty aren't right for this donation project. I left her a message asking if she will be offering any of her other doll patterns as I would love to buy them. The two I've made so far have me hooked on her style. You can purchase the Hoodie Short set pattern here.

I used Bernat Baby Big Ball Sport Yarn in Baby Blue and the variegated Baby Baby for this outfit. The suggested e hook worked for the entire outfit.

Notes:

I did add some extra rows to the top of the pants. This doll comes wearing a diaper and with that on the pants are too short at the top but fit fine for the rest of the doll. I would consider using a smaller hook for the hood next time as I did find it was a little larger than I'd expected. I accidently shifted from hdc to sc while making the first leg so I continued this pattern into the second leg and they were even. I'd already finished off the ends with trim so frogging seemed a waste when the pants fit.

After I took the first found of pictures something struck me as being off about the finished outfit and sure enough in my rush to finish I'd forgotten to make the booties. That would have been a shame because these really are a perfect shoe for this doll. They work up quickly and they fit really well. Doll shoes are always a challenge and when you find a pair that fits the doll it is a great blessing. I left this pattern in my working binder as I may be back to use the shoes again for patterns that either don't include shoes or have shoes that don't fit well.

I have to decide what outfit to experiment with to fit the rag doll as that is the only donation doll I haven't any specific patterns set up to make. It will be an interesting experiment for this year's donation. I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

Barbie Patterns released as Digital Patterns

I don't make many Barbie clothes anymore but I suspect if requested by a family member the hooks will come out and I'll pull out my Barbie pattern binder. Yes I do have a dedicated binder devoted to nothing but Barbie crochet patterns.

When I posted about patterns I did what I could to note names of leaflets, patterns, etc. so people could search as I did to find them in secondary resale sites. What I've notcied recently is digital patterns are being released to purchase for some Barbie items. For my own records in case I do go back to making Barbie items again and for those who come here looking for Barbie patterns I decided to collect the current locations. If you see Barbie doll clothes or acessories in your future then buying them while they are available is not a bad choice. The resale for print patterns can be outrageous and there is no telling how long the digital patterns remain available. These are links to the sites that own the patterns not pirated digital links.

Barbie sizes have changed and likely will continue to change over the years. My suggestion is to find one close to the doll you will be making clothes for and adjust the patterns as you make them for the doll. This is what I ended up doing during my previous Barbie clothing adventures.

As I started to put this list together I realized many of the clothing links I had seen weren't still available but there are many of the plastic canvas patterns that have been quite expensive over the years and elusive so I listed those too. As I find more items I will continue to add them.

Crochet:

Beddoll

Annie's

Miss January 1991 Miss Deceber 1991

Miss February 1992 Cotillion July 1992

Green Pineapple

Pink Pineapple

Purple Pineapple

White Pineapple

Willow

Clothing:

Annie's

Bride Doll

Edwardian Lady Walking Suit

Gibson Girl:

January

February

October

Pearl and Lace Bride

Remembering a Princess

Wedding Gown 1

Wine and Roses

Annie Potter Presents:

Bridal Trousseau

Prince Charming and Wedding

Springtime Frocks

Summertime Fashions

Leisure Arts:

Broadway Belle

Victorian Ensemble

Wedding

Maggie's Crochet:

Enchanted Bride

Fashion Doll Wardrobe

Strappless Dress and Poncho

Mary Maxim:

Bridesmaid and Bride Pattern

Sarah

Shady Lane:

Dazzling Prom Dresses 391

Fashion Doll Sisters 187

Garden Party 688

Summer Enchantment Vol 1 797 Timeless Fashion Doll Wardrobe Vol 1

Timeless Fashion Doll Wardrobe Vol 2

Timeless Fashion Doll Wardrole Vol 3

Garden Stroll

Rendevous by the Lake

Shall We Dance?

Signs of Spring

Furniture:

Annie's

Ruffles and Ribbons

Sweetheart Bedroom

The Veranda

Knit:

Mary Maxim:

Clothing:

Fashion Doll Wardrobe

Ravelry:

Princesses

Plastic Canvas:

Annie's

Carriage

Contemporary Diamond Waterbed Suite

Country Cabin

Dolly Bassinet

Dream Castle

Fashion Doll Furniture

Little Sister Bedroom

Patio Furniture

Picnic Set

Tea Set

Vanity

Wicker Nursery

Leisure Arts:

Boudoir

The Bedroom

Dining Room

Kitchen

The Living Room

Lil Cutesies Yellow Romper

I was so excited to get Shady Lane's Crochet Gingham Toye Tykes pattern 411 for the JC Toys Lil Cutesies dolls in the mail. I don't purchase patterns much by mail these days but it has 14 pages and I knew I wanted to make all the patterns so getting the printed copy rather than printing it all seemed worth the wait. You can purchase the digital copy here. You can get the printed copy at the website here.

The leaflet has patterns for 3 doll dresses made from baby size 3 yarn and trimmed with size 10 crochet thread. It also includes the pattern for the title of the leaflet the Gingham Tote.

I stated with the yellow romper pattern because I had the yellow baby yarn so I didn't need to buy yarn to complete the pattern. The pattern calls for purple thread but I went with dark blue. The picture shows dark purple and the dark blue seemed a reasonable substitute. I like the contrast between the yellow and the blue.

Shoes are always a concern of mine. These fit really well. I would make the headband with a smaller hook next time. This headband was a little larger than needed.

I used a white flat button rather than a yellow because it was all I found locally. I wasn't going to search to far for a head band button for a doll. If I come across some other colors I may put them away for future projects but I am ok with how this one looks.

One subject this project did bring up is that I have holes in my steel thread crochet supply. Since my Bates Bamboo sterelite are not available any longer I've started researching new options for steel hooks with handles rather than the traditional steel hooks. I've never been able to hold the traditional hooks but the Bates Bamboo sterelite made thread work possible. As I try new hooks I'll keep you updated on how well the new hooks work.

Baby Doll Wipes Round 3

Well I'm pleased to say I've come to the end of my baby wipes for the donation. I added an extra one this year as I've added another larger baby doll with the Lots to Love Babies 14 inches Baby Doll as my new addition.

I've been writing about different types of acrylic yarn lately. This is Joann's Big Twist yarn and I must say I really like this yarn. It's a little lighter in weight than the other acrylics I use but I love the color options and the price is great, especially considering how often it is on sale. The other brand I've recently tried and enjoyed is Premier Basix. It's a little heavier and softer. It's also another affordable brand of acrylic and I'm enjoying the available colors.

St. Patrick's Day Cupcake

I know it isn't even Valentine's Day and I am already posting about St. Patrick's Day?? Well the reality is that if you are going to make stuff and mail it you have to start well before the holiday in question. COVID has only made the mailing situation more challenging so getting these projects finished and ready to be mailed is even more essential.

I was quite surprised to find this pattern in Kawaii Crochetas St. Patrick's Day patterns aren't all that common. This is a color themed book and I guess green was a good time to introduce a St. Patrick's Day themed item.

This pattern is designed for lighter yarn but my stock of light green cotton yarn in multiple shades was limited so I went with acrylic worsted weight yarn and I wasn't disappointed with the outcome. I used an e hook for this project.

I hope to finish a couple more St. Patrick's themed items and a few more breakfast items and then have this package on its way so it hopefully arrives before the holiday.

Peachy Keen

I've made this pattern several times now but ironically this is the first time I've had peach on hand when I decided to make the outfit.

I've been talking online with other crocheters about the difference between using yarn you consistantly use and destashing. For me destashing is targeting yarn that will leave permanantly and not be replaced. For instance in this project I used some Craft Smart Value Yarn I bought from Michael's ages ago right after AC Moore closed. I know its been that long because I don't often shop at Michaels. I've been trying different "house" brand yarns and some like Joann's Big Twist I really like. While I've read Craft Smart has improved I would not be rushing back to buy more. The skein I have is full of knots and the texture is what many who hate acrylic yarn think of when they discuss why they won't use it. However, I am determined to finish off yarn in my stash and this was peach and would work for a doll's outfit. However, to distinguish between finishing off yarn that you buy and destashing I will finish off the skein of white and replace it if not with the brand I have on hand another of similiar type. When this skein of Craft Smart is done I will likely get more peach at some point but it won't be this brand.

I love this pattern. It does remind me of my childhood when we still had dress coats for church and play coats for being outside in the mud. Our "dress" coats might be home made or hand me downs but they were easily distinguishable as the coat you wore to Church on Sunday as were the shoes. I think I was in Jr. High or High School before I slipped into church in sneakers.

This pattern works up quickly despite the layered look. I used a flower button instead of crocheting one. I did not add one tot he hat.

Notes:

I added additional rows to the skirt and then forgot to add them to the coat. This required me to pull out the edging and add rows to the coat before finishing as the coat looks better when it is longer than the skirt.

The shoes require an I hook to fit the JC Toys 16-inch Baby Doll or they are too tight. I added an extra row at the top before making the shoe strap and the shoes fit better.

This time I did have the 7 hook to use instead of the H and the fit was better. The pattern alternates between a G, 7, and a H hook. The last time I made this I'd misplaced my 7 and went with the H. The 7 makes for a better fit.

As an additional note the buttons I've been using from a long ago swap no longer have a complete set of larger sized buttons that can be used for this coat. I put this note here to remind myself when I pull this up next year to buy coat buttons or there won't be any to finish this project. I've been very blessed that the supply has held out this long but as with all things they do come to an end.