Rag Doll Autumn Lace Dress

I've updated my crochet thread hooks with the idea of taking on some doll thread projects this year. I'd lost some of my Bates Bamboo Steelite hooks which sadly have been retired. I've been filling in my lost thread sizes with Tulip Etimo and Armour hooks.

I went to ABC Knitting, the home of most of my doll thread crochet projects, looking for a project to test my new hooks and settled on the Wellie Wishers Doll Autumn Lace Dress free pattern you can find here.

I've never actullay seen a Wellie Wishers doll but from what I read I was hoping the doll would be close enough to adapt the clothing to the smaller 13 3/4" rag doll. The pattern calls for Aunty Lydia's size #10 Crochet Thread and a 1.5mm hook. I did the swatch for guage at the beginning and I was fine. My testing point for fit for a shirt or dress is usually the arm holes. By that point you get a good feel for the fit of the outfit. Using this hook the outfit didn't even fit the 8" baby doll. By the time I reached a 2mm thread hook the stitches were far too loose. I needed to change fiber.

I decided to try Bernat Baby yarn and for the ombre I used an old house brand sport yarn from AC Moore which sadly is no longer available. I started with a D hook and found again the dress too small for the doll but much closer. The E hook proved a good match. I did add a row of dc in purple around the arm holes as they lacked a finished look without them. I did not need the full number of rows to complete the dress as I was using different yarn. The pattern also does not indicate when to switch colors. You will need to decide where to do that yourself.