Ken PJ's and Robe

I tend to buy multiples of Barbies, Ken's etc. so I can adapt patterns and donate them for a few years without having to start over with a new doll and new dimensions.

I stil have a few more years with the Ken Dentist Doll and then I'll have to hunt for a new model as I suspect he'll have been retired. I looked this year just out of curiousity and picked up a few Barbie Zoologists as my doll when I run out of Barbie Vet dolls. I was concerned as I looked at the dimensions for the Ken professional dolls that he keeps getting smaller. This makes fitting clothes for him from the old Ken patterns increasingly more challenging.

This is another pattern I found in the out of print Crochet World's Fashion Doll Showcase #1.

There is always a challenge when you adapt older patterns for dolls but with the changing sizes of the Barbie doll family there is an additional challenge that it just isn't a change in available fibers it also means you are adapting for different sizes not just in height but in other proportions as well. This is why when possible I do try to buy several versions of a specific doll to donate so when I adapt a pattern I get to use it for a couple of years before having to refit it to a new model.

I needed my Tulip Etimo Steel .9mm Hook to make this fit Ken. The original pattern calls for a C hook to give you an idea of contrast. I used Red Heart's Size 10 Thread White and Aunt Lydia's Size 10 Delft

The pants were easy to make and I'm thinking these would make great sweat pants in another color with a shirt. I struggled last year to find enough patterns that would fit Ken so I'm going to expand where I can on patterns that fit.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Doll Sweetly Dress

You might have noticed I've been working alternating between the smaller baby dolls and Barbie's clan to make sure I catch up on donations for these dolls. This is another outfit from the free Sweetly pattern set found here.

Guage has been kind of funny this year with this set but while I've used smaller hooks for other patterns in the set this year I went with a g hook as suggested for everything but the shoes and I adapted the shoes using an f hook. I turned the bootie pattern into shoes. I've found they stay on the doll a bit easier.

I went with a contrasting yellow for this set because I'd made a pink bonnet for the other set I'm sending with the 10 inch doll and thought some variety might be nice. The pink worked better than the yellow with the variegated yarn I wanted to use, but the yellow was a nice contrast for the bonnet, panties, and shoes. There's one more set with another bonnet so I'm going to have to see what colors I have left to make a different colored bonnet so the child ends up with mix and match options for dressing the doll.

Stacie Sunday Best

I have a preposted donation list to help me track all the items made to keep me on track. I started it last year late in the year and this year I started it from the first project made and it has helped me to focus on dolls in need of dressing.

I started out well with Barbie's clan in January. Barbie and Chelsea have a good start. This is promising since last year poor Chelsea left with only one outfit. However, Stacie prior to this project had but one outfit and Ken and Skipper still have only the clothes they came in so I have some work to do not to have that what was I thinking moment in the fall when I realize I've forgotten to include enough outfits for a doll.

I started making Barbie clothes for my now adult nieces before moving on adding Barbies to the donation recently. During the years my nieces were younger I hunted the Internet searching for out of print leaflets and magazines devoted to crocheting for Barbie and her clan. While adjustments sometimes have to be made for the changes in doll sizes, available yarn/thread, and my own guage, I find I'm often able to make the patterns work for even the modern Barbie line.

This pattern comes Crochet World's Fashion Doll Showcase #1 published in 1988. It has a wide range of patterns from leisure to more formal outfits. I started with this one because I wanted something for Stacie and I thought it would give me an idea of what I was working with for guage.

The pattern calls for Knit-Cro-Sheen and a Size 1 steel crochet hook. I used Aunt Lydia's and Red Heart Thread and traded back between my Tulip thread hooks 1.8mm and 1.25mm.

The pattern shows the picture for the dress but not the coat. I shortened the coat because I found the longer coat didn't fit well over the dress. Without a picture to see how the designer intended it to fit it was hard to determine how it was supposed to fit but I liked the short sweater look for the outfit.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Doll Sweetly Sweater Set

One reason for writing this blog is it gives me notes about how I approached a project the last time I made it. However, it doesn't mean those directions will apply again. I looked up my project notes for this outfit and found myself abandoning them as the outfit didn't even fit the 8 inch Lots to Love doll when I was done. So either my directions were wrong, the yarn was not what I thought I had used, or my guage was really weird last year for this project.

Anyways this year I used Bernat Baby Sport yarn and an f hook for the outift.

The sweater and bonnet pattern I followed as written other than using an f hook and baby yarn. Other than Amy Carrico's footed pajama's I tend to make my pants top down splitting for the crotch and I did that for these pants as well.

I did change the shoe pattern as for some reason the booties weren't working for me. I crocheted the first 3 rounds using an f hook. Round 4 was done in sc in back loops. I did another round in sc. Then I decreased 4 times around the toes with sc for rest of last row.

16 Inch Baby Doll Bib Pink

I was sorting finished outfits into the correct doll bags and took the time to do a little inventory. I realized I still need one doll carrier, which I've sinced order since my hands won't be up to crocheting the last one this year. While I have one extra baby doll diaper bag left over from last year, and I ordered one, I still have one more to purchase. However, in the how did I miss this category, I realized when I left off making diaper bag items in March I missed making the last baby doll bib. Since this is a fairly quick project, I decided to get this off my to do list.

This is based on a free pattern found here that I've adapted to fit the larger baby doll I donate. The pattern has additional items you can make, but as time has gone on with this donation I've been focusing on the things I can make that have the most play value and opting to find substitutes when my efforts don't really translate into the play value I feel they should.

In order to get this to fit JC Toys 16 Inch Baby Doll I did the following with an F Hook:

Start with a chain 16

Continue pattern for 20 rows

Row 21 do row 11 neck shaping

Chain 40 stitches for ties

Just a note to self because I did forget this time don't stop at row 20 but continue with white until you finish row 21

Lots to Love 8 Inch Doll Sweetly Nightgown

This is project was made using Darksi's free Sweetly pattern found here.

Not sure why I went with an e hook instead of an f but for future reference an e hook with baby yarn fits the 8 inch Lots to Love doll nicely. I did need to reduce rows as the doll is shorter but the basic pattern format works well for this doll as well as the bigger 10 inch doll. I didn't change stitch count at all just the number of rows.

16 Inch Baby Doll I Feel Pretty

Over the years I've found that Herrschners house brands of yarn work well for my doll projects that need a little lighter weight yarns than I can normally find at my local stores. Their worsted 4 weight yarns for instance are a little lighter than a traditional 4 weight and I find this often works well for certain patterns where the doll or pattern are not right for baby or sport yarn but also find the traditional worsted 4 just a bit heavy for the project. While the price for the acrylic yarn is affordable for the doll projects, although often in smaller quantities than other worsted brands the shipping can be a bit daunting. Therefore I tend to buy when they send me shipping coupons.

That is what brought about the color choices for this outfit. I knew I wanted some additional lighter weight variegated Herrschners worsted 4 yarns for doll projects and I ordered some the last time I had a coupon. One of the challenges that happens when you order online, especially with variegated colors is can't always be sure of the colors you are ordering. This is Prism and while I like the look for this dress this wasn't quite the color I thought I'd ordered and when I went back and looked again I still don't quite see this as the outcome but it works.

This is one of Darski's free doll patterns I Feel Pretty you can find here. The shoes are my go to free shoe pattern from Darski found in her Peachy Keen pattern here.

Lots to Love 14 Inch Doll Sweet Little Girl Romper

This is another one of Amy Carrico's doll patterns. She has a tendancy to rotate patterns she sells. This one is not currently available. As I've done previously should she list it again, I will add it to this post for anyone who might be interested in purchasing the pattern.

I titled this one Little Girl because she has another pattern with a similiar name that has a sweater and has the title Sweet Baby Boy Romper. When I made it the pattern was no longer available but later became available after I posted a blog about making the outfit in pink and yellow. When I saw it come online again I added the link to the post.

There are some designers that just seem to write the way I crochet. Amy's patterns for the most part seem to fall into that category. While I generally don't love crocheting pants with the legs first and joining, I can make it work for her footed pants when I've failed with other opened pants patterns.

I used Bernat Baby Sport yarn for this outfit with an E hook. The only adjustment I made was using an F hook for the headband as it was slightly challenging to get on and off with the e hook.

Lots to Love 8 Inch Doll Spring Set

After trying and failing to get the size right and passing the attempt on to the Lil Cutesies doll I tried again sticking strictly to Bernat Baby Sport yarn and I had success getting the outfit to fit. I did find myself alternating between a b and c hook to get the outfit to fit but I am pleased with the outcome.

This is one of Amy Carrico's patterns and can be purchased here.

Lil Cutesies Spring Set

I set out to make Amy Carrico's Spring Set for the Lots to Love 8 inch doll. As has been my issue lately it didn't quite fit the 8 inch doll. Thankfully, the Lil Cuties doll is a bit larger and the dress fit better, so I added the dress to her donation and finished the outfit to fit her.

I'd made this for the 8 inch doll with different yarn brands before so I'll be experimenting to get this outfit to donate for the Lots to Love doll as well. I tried using a smaller hook only to find the dress was too small so I suspect using different yarn was likely my challenge.

Project notes:

I used baby yarn for this project.

I alternated between a b and c hook for the dress and sweater. I used a C hook for the bodice of the dress as a b made the dress too small for even the 8 inch Lots to Love Doll. I used a b hook for the skirt. I used a C hook for the body of the sweater and a b hook for the arms. The shoes were made with a b hook. The Little Cutesies dolls have a significantly larger head than the Lots to Love dolls so I needed to go up to a G hook to get the headband to fit.

I made a note the last time I made this dress that the buttons were no longer available. I checked as of this writing and the La Mode 5 pk 1/4in Round Pearl Buttons are available again at Joann's. I am half way through this card so I will order some on my next Joann's order.

The pattern is available for purchase here.

16 Inch Baby Doll Dress with Straps

I donate 2 of the JC 16 inch Baby dolls each year and to make the donations even I do repeat some outfits. My goal is by donation day the two dolls have an equal number of outfits to wear. When I do repeat patterns I tend to use different colors to keep it a little more interesting. I've been trying to use up this green so I kept that from the first outfit I made in March and paired it with an orphan skein of I believe Lion Brand that has been living in my stash for far too long.

Notes:

I used an I hook for the bodice of the dress and switched to hdc instead of sc as it made for a better fit. I switched to an H hook for the skirt as I've done previously. I joined all rows. The straps were made with a g hook and I used 18 rows.

I used an H hook for the hat and alternated fpdc and bpdc for several rows to give it a textured look at the bottom of the hat. I finished the bottom with in the contrasting color with a round of fpsc stitches.

Both patterns used in this outfit are free patterns. Recycled Cindy created the pattern for a 14 inch doll that I've adapted for multiple dolls and you can find that pattern here. The shoes are from Darski's Peachy Keen pattern set here.

16 Inch Baby Doll Dress, Hat, and Shoes

In previous years I've resisted having to repeat patterns. As I return to this project I find myself instead attracted to finding ways to make the same pattern fit as many dolls as possible once I've found success with it. Sometimes our habits change.

The dress and hat are from a Petite Designs Patterns that can be purchased here. The shoes are one part of one of Darski's free patterns that can be found here.

After finishing this pattern for the Rag Doll I tried it on the 16 Inch Baby doll to see if it would work. It was a little large in the top so I kept with the baby yarn and moved to an H hook and the fit was good. I realized after posting this to the ongoing completed post that this is the same yarn I used for the bathing suit.

Rag Doll Dress

After finishing Petite Doll Baby Dress pattern available for purchase here, I tried it on the Rag Doll to see if it might be possible to adapt it for another outfit. It was a remarkably good fit for a pattern not designed for the doll so I decided to proceed on with making it for the Rag Doll.

I used an I hook and 2 types of baby yarn to complete this project.

Rag Doll Dress with Straps

I mentioned in a previous post that I was trying to work on clothes for the Lots to Love 14 inch Baby doll donation. I started working on Recycled Cindy's free Baby Doll Dress that I frequently use with the larger 16 inch dolls. However, both the 16 inch dolls and the Rag doll have flatter bodies. The Lots to Love doll falls more into the chunky baby doll and sometimes it is actually easier to take a pattern written for the Lots to Love doll and adapt it to fit the flatter dolls than the other way around. I took a chance with this pattern and we know have another item to put in the Rag Doll donation bag.

Recently it looks like her donations have been failed attempts at other projects but there are no real dedicated patterns for this doll so everything is always an adaptation or a item that didn't fit another doll.

You can find the free pattern here.

To make this work for the Rag Doll I used an I hook for the bodice of the outfit with sport yarn. I switched to a no longer available Red Heart comfort sport yarn and an H Hook. As I do with the larger dolls I added rows to the bodice to make it long enough. I considered adding a snap to close the back but in the end sewed the back closed. In the future I'd crochet in the round. I didn't originally because it would have had to have used a snap to get it to fit the rounder baby doll. I used a G hook for the straps and 18 rows. I based the skirt on length I didn't count rows.

Lots to Love 14 Inch Doll Dress, Hat, and Shoe Set

This has been a bit of a crazy year for getting either my gift or charity crocheting done but I'm still pushing forward when I can. I keep looking at my preposted finished donation page to get an overall perspective of what I've made and what has yet to be done. I noticed the Lots to Love 14" Doll was lacking clothing so it seemed like a good time to pull some patterns and focus on getting the doll dressed.

This pattern can be purchased from Petite Creative Designs here.

I used Bernat Big Baby Yarn and Herschnerrs Baby Yarn for the outfit. I'm finding myself using more of Herschners yarns for my smaller doll projects as even their worsted weight yarns are slightly lighter than what I tend to think of as worsted weight and often work for projects where a traditional worsted weight yarn would be too heavy. They often have colors I find challenging to find in the various weights I need as well. The yarns are generally inexpensive, the challenge is waiting for shipping deals as the shipping even prior to COVID has always been expensive.

My Life Green Christmas

I remember being so nervous the first time I made this outfit because I'd never worked with metallic yarn before. I loved the outfit and it is a fun holiday outfit to add to the donation.

Reading an old post back from 2014 I realized I've come a long way when it comes to adding trim as well.

This is made with Bernat Happy Holidays Yarn in Green. I haven't bought any in years so I'm not even sure the yarn is still available. I've just recently decided I need to add this dress back into the rotation to finish off my supply. It had gotten buried in my yarn stash and I refuse to let it become a long lost orphan yarn.

Rag Doll Patriotic

Like the Glitter Girl Christmas dress this project started as an outfit for the My Life Doll and after playing with hook sizes it seemed like it was a better fit for the Rag Doll than the 18-inch My Life Doll.

I used a G hook for the pants and an I hook for the top. The stars required a C hook.

While I was disappointed the outfit didn't work out for the My Life doll I was glad to find another outfit for the Rag Doll as it is always a matter of finding patterns that will fit the doll. There are no patterns for this doll so it is always a matter of adapting patterns. When one fits like this, it is always a blessing not to waste the work.

Pattern Note:

The pattern calls for sewing on one side of the strap and sewing buttons a button on the inside of one strap and sewing buttons to the front for show on the bib. Instead I used a snap as I figured it would be easier for a child to attach.

My Life Casual Sweater Set

While I love including fancy outfits with the doll donations I also try to include simple outfits that a child can mix and match to have options for individual styles for the doll. This was a quick set to make that added some fun touches.

The pants are more of a leggings style than the pants I generally make for the doll as they fit a little more snuggly. I suspect kids will relate to the style. The boots were another cute touch to the outfit and these items will mix and match with other items that will be a part of the donation.

This was made using Adoring Doll's Casual Sweater Set that can be purchased here. I used an H hook for this project and various brands of acrylic worsted weight 4 yarn. I keep buying buttons when I find them on sale or need an additional item to make minimal shipping charges so I thankfully had heart buttons to use for this project.

Glitter Girl Green Christmas

My computer was down for a bit and I got busy doing other things. However, I really do like having my blog to refer to regarding finished projects and ideas for future projects so it seemed like a good idea to get back to it once my computer was up and going again.

I'm sure many of us who do yarn crafts find we inherit yarn from others when they are looking to find homes for it. That was the case with this yarn. I thought it was similiar to Bernat's metallic yarn but it is a lighter weight yarn closer to a 3 than a 4.

I started out with the intent to make Darski's Green Christmas pattern found here for the My Life Doll and I even tried putting two strands together as I have a large bag of the yarn. However, the two strands didn't work and I wondered if I could make it work with a single strand for the Glitter Girl doll.

It took an I hook to get this to fit the Glitter Girl doll. I chose not to add the additional trims as I felt this would overwhelm the smaller doll.