My Life Ready for Spring

I hadn't realized that it had been a while since I made this dress until I tried to pull up my notes from previous years for this project. With that in mind I made more detailed notes for future projects. This is one of my older 18 inch doll patterns from Maggie's crochet and it still can be purchased here.

Notes:

I used Caron One Pound Lilac for the main portion of the dress and Herrschners Worsted Baby Tiara for the contrasting color.

The gauge was a bit tricky for the dress. I made gauge with an H hook but the dress was still snug with an I hook. I'd consider making the dress with a J hook next time and reducing to a H hook after passing the hips for my next attempt.

In the past I've used contrasting kitchen cotton but I didn't have any of the appropriate colors on hand so I went with the Herrschners yarn. The outcome works but if I have the cotton in the future I'd go with the cotton it rests better.

I used a G hook for the shoes. They are a bit large. I added a chain 5 skip 1 ss trim around. Then I took a long piece of yarn and using a yarn needle threaded it around the top of the shoe starting from the front so I could tie it off in a bow in the front. I knotted the ends to keep them from fraying..

I played with the basket pattern a bit. I used one of each of the colors with an H hook. When I got past the bottome section I worked a dc in the back loop and started reducing in each row until I was happy with the shape. At this point I made a simple handle.

The headband was made with the above listed colors and a G hook. I'd consider an F hook for the next attempt.

Collar works best if the sc are worked so they face the back side of the dress as this helps when you turn to add the chains. I tried putting the sc in the standard form and I couldn't get the collar to lay flat.

Chelsea Summer Play Set

I've been working on a few more complicated doll outfits so to give myself a break I've been throwing in a quick Chelsea outfit when I reach a "milestone" on a bigger project.

I found this free Amelia Thimble pattern a few years back and while the outfit wasn't a complete match for Chelsea, I was able to turn the top into a dress for Chelsea. It has become a great quick project and adds another item to Chelsea's donation bag.

You can find the free pattern here. Notes:

This pattern is the base for the Chelsea dress but do to the differences in dolls I've made significant changes.

The pattern calls for size 30 thread I use size 10 for Chelsea with a 1.8mm thread hook.

I follow rows 1-4 of the pattern as written with the changes in thread and hook size.

Following row 4 I continue row 4 for an additional 4 rows joining after completing 8 rows.

I changed the pattern's written row 5's V stitch to 2dc ch1 2 dc instead of dc ch1 dc I kept the skip stitch in place.

The dolls are different sizes and I never counted the skirt rows. I continue until the dress fits passed the doll's knees.

To close the back I use a snap after finishing the back with sc.

Skipper Sleeping Bag

I'm slowly working my way through the sleeping bags using them as my travel/waiting/appointment projects. I've been rotating between the Barbie family and the 18 inch dolls and it was time for Skipper to have hers.

Every year I try to finish off balls or small skeins not yet made into balls left over from previous projects. I don't remember the brand this particular yarn came from but it was used on several different projects before being finished off for Skipper's sleeping bag. The yarn has an odd striping pattern and it had some large patches and other small ones. It was a bit of a game of yarn chicken and I did end up adding some purple to the bottom to finish off the sleeping bag when I lost the game. However, it was worth it have another partial skein turned ball finished off.

This is a free pattern for a fashion doll slepping bag found here.

I used an I hook for this project and wished I had read my project notes from last year as I wrote it needed to be 12 inches long but not knowing I had previously measured I ended up carrying Skipper with me on my various outings.

This makes a great travel/waiting project. I had it almost complete after my last outing and decided to finish it off Sunday night so I could start on one for one of the larger 18 inch dolls. They are less great as travel projects when they get to the end as you have to be more careful about not making them too long and then finishing them off. It is easier to travel with a project that is past the pillow stage where it needs to be stuffed and before you reach the toes where you have to start being careful as to where to end. That's when I tend to pull it out of the bag and finish it off. I still have a few more to make so I will have travel sleeping bags for a little while longer.

Stacie Winter Outfit

As I mentioned yesterday with my post about Ken's winter clothing I wanted to see if I could get the Christmas Sister pattern to fit Stacie.

I am no Barbie expert. My interest first was in finding outfits that would fit my nieces' dolls and in recent years finding patterns that I could make that would fit the current models I could donate. I know the names, sizes, and availabilities of the Barbie family have changed over the years, but mostly I try to find patterns that I think I can work with for the models I'm currently using.

The current Stacie model I'm using is around 9 inches tall. The Chelsea model is around 6 inches tall. The Christmas Playtime set from JudysDollandPatterns has a 7 1/2 inch sister and brother pattern. I hope to adapt both for Stacie and Chelsea.

You can purchase the Christmas Playtime set here.

Notes:

I originally tried the 1.8mm hook and size 10 thread that had worked for Ken thinking that while the doll may be taller how much bigger is she? This proved a bad choice. The skirt didn't come close to fitting at the waist. My mistake was not trying it on Chelsea. I'm currently trying the pattern with Chelsea now with adaptations because she is not as tall as the doll in the pattern.

I tried adjusting hooks but size 10 was clearly not the answer. I decided to try Knit Picks Palette which is a fingering weight yarn and my 2mm thread hook. This made for a slightly bulkier look but it is a winter outfit. After experimenting with a Chelsea outfit, I plan to try for another outfit for Stacie using size 3 thread. I had started it but changed to the palette as I needed more time to experiment with hook sizes because it wasn't flowing at all.

Unlike the Ken pattern the sweater forms the arms as you go not sewing them together after the fact. I generally prefer this but the challenge for this pattern is the ribbing instead of being formed as you go is added at the end which seemed a bit strange. That being said I was able to add the collar which I couldn't do for Ken since the neck area was more even.

Just a note about the ribbing, I'm already reducing the number of stitches for the ribbing for Chelsea as it is just too big. I'd do that for Stacie and Ken for the next time I make these outfits. I like the ribbing but it's just too large for the overall outfit.

I changed the skirt pattern. First I didn't want a full length skirt. Even if I had been going for a full length with the fingering yarn the texture changes weren't as smooth as they might have been with thread so I decided to end the skirt after the 5dc row. I tried adding the next row and the texture just wasn't right.

The hat only has one row completed because it just became too big with the yarn. I realized the ties as written wouldn't tie after I made the first side and decided to treat it more like a scarf wrapped around the head for warmth and closed it with a snap.

I'm currently trying to adapt this with size 10 thread for Chelsea and experimenting with size 3 or maybe 5 for Stacie to give her an additional outfit in different colors for the donation. I lack many options for Stacie so exploring options for something different is important.

At some point I'd like to try out the sweater and skirt for Barbie. I'd likely try Ken's hat on her to see if it would fit. I'm not as crazy about her hat pattern.

Ken Winter Clothes

I'm always on the look out for patterns for the Barbie family that I think I will actually make. I especially wanted this pattern for Ken and possibly Stacie as I lack patterns for both. There is a Todd pattern with him wearing overalls that may also fit Stacie since the version I have is a camping doll she's clearly active. There are parts of the Barbie pattern I like and I may make that as well. Lately I have also had luck getting stuff to fit Skipper from the Barbie side so we will see.

This is JudysDollandPatterns Christmas Playtime Pattern that can be purchased here.

While I often include holiday themed outfits in the donation. I find them fun to make and I hope the kids enjoy being able to dress their dolls for the holidays, I try to make sure the dolls have enough daily outfits before focusing on the holiday treats. This seemed like it would be a great option for a winter outfit for Ken if I avoided the Christmas colors. It hopefully allows more potential for these pieces to be mixed and matched with other Ken items.

I made a "ski" outfit for him a few years back with Knit Picks fingering yarn and I'm thinking about pulling that out of print pattern out and giving Ken a nice winter wardrobe.

Notes:

I used various brands of size 10 crochet thread for this project.

I used my Tulip Etimo 1.8mm hook for everything but the sweater sleaves when I went down to a 1.5mm hook as the sleeves were too bulky.

While the sweater appears large in the front it isn't in the back where I added the snaps to close it. I added a finishing row and it closes but it is a nice close. I'd experiment with a 1.5mm next time to see how the fit works perhaps going up in sizes in certain places and using a smaller hook in others.

I suspect I had an issue when I made the shoulders for ths pattern because the arms are made and joined and I couldn't get the arm to set. I then reverted to sc around the armhole and made the arm going down from the shoulder. If this is a problem in the future I suggest making the cuffs ahead and adding them at the end. In this instance I alternated with dcfp and dcbp to get some texture for the cuffs. It would be easier to make them and join.

Had a similiar problem with the collar and used the same solution. For next time I would suggest sc around the collar to even it out and count how many rows of the collar I'm going to need to make it fit.

I chose not to add the fringe to the scarf or hat. I had no intention to try with the hat but I did try with the scarf and wasn't thrilled with the look so I pulled it out.

Regarding labels for dolls Ken is listed as Christmas Boy with size (12") listed under title. This confused me until I saw the 12". I likely will make this same mistake next year so a note is useful. Barbie is Christmas Girl, Stacie, Christmas Sister and Todd, Christmas brother.

Our Generation Boy Harry Potter

I was gifted Adoring Doll's Harry Potter set back in 2022. I made Hermione for the My Life Doll for the 2022 donation and haven't been back to the pattern since. This year as I was searching my pattern binders for patterns for the Our Generation Boy, Harry Potter came up as an option. You can purchase the pattern set here.

This project has multiple pieces so I've been working on it as I made other clothes. I started with his scarf which looks simple enough but with multiple color changes there are plenty of ends to sew in before it is finished. I moved on to the hat and shoes. Finally I attacked the coat, finishing with the sweater.

Notes:

Pants:

I used an H hook for the pants. I only needed 25 rows for the legs. I finished with a ss seam. This keeps legs from catching on shoes.

Shoes:

It's been my recent experience that I need a smaller hook for shoes with the Our Generation doll than with the My Life doll. This proved to be the case here I used the suggested G hook.

Shirt:

I started with an I hook for the sweater but it proved to be tight, I found the K hook worked best for the outfit. I used an I hook for the sleeves to keep them from being too large. Coat:

I needed a K hook to get the coat to fit. I used an H hook for the finishing outside trim.

Scarf:

I used the suggested G hook for the scarf. Just a reminder to myself there are 19 sections.

Hat:

I used an H hook for the hat with the suggested dark grey. I used black last time and I will go back to that the next time I make either outfit. It looks better.

Chelsea Drop Waist Dress with Flared Skirt

This is on of Char's Pattern for Chelsea that can be purchased here.

I made this one two years ago with Creative Yarn Source solid colors as I didn't have any Lizbeth size 20 on hand. I couldn't find Watermelon when I did finally order but I did get a variety of variegated colors.

Oddly when I searched for Lizbeth 20 this year it isn't really available. I don't know if it has been discontinued or if it is a supply issue but it is kind of sad. While Creative Yarn Source has lots of amazing solid colors the don't the same mix of colors in their striped thread. Their stripes tend to have limited colors for size 20. Not exactly what I want for these projects. The fashion doll projects don't take much thread so I'm hopeful my size 20 Lizbeth supply will hold out for a bit.

When I made this last time it was a bit larger than I wanted. This year I opted for a .9mm Tulip Etimo Thread Crochet Hook. I've made a habit of recording the mm of the hook for the thread hooks rather than the size as I find the thread hooks vary far more between brands for the thread hooks than they do for the larger yarn hooks.

Notes:

When I made this previously I made it with all solid colors from Creative Yarn Source. This time I mixed Lizbeth and Creative Yarn Source. I found when I went to add white trim with the Creative Yarn Source size 20 yarn it seemed bulkier than the Lizbeth and I pulled it out as it looked fine without the arm trim.

The pattern includes a dress, hat, panties, and shoes. Last year I made the hat, but this year I just found it was akward trying to get it fit over Chelsea's hair and opted to frog it and not include it with the donation. The outfit is cute without it.

Our Generation Madison

Darski's Madison pattern from her Howdy Neighbor pattern set has become a go to pattern for both the Our Generation and the My Life doll. It is a quick and easy pattern but with the spike stitches it has a fun summer look to it.

You can find the free pattern set with additional patterns here. The shoes are part of a pattern set no longer available from Sweet Silver Creations.

Notes:

I use a J hook for the bodice section of the dress returning to an I hook once the dress has been joined. The skirt gets very puffy if I continue with a J.

Row 3 should read sc 9 not 19 as the numbers do not work for the stitch count without this change. I love it when there are stitch counts.

Row 11: Row 10 sadly doesn't have a stitch count so having made this a number of times now I'm making this note for myself others may find it works differently for them. I dc in 5 in order to get a stitch count of 55.

Rows 12-16 I increased to 20 for the length I wanted. Thus making row 17 row 21

Bodice trim and strap changes:

Instead of slst in 5 I sc in 5 then I chained 8 for the arm strap. This was just a better look and feel for me. This changes the next chain direction to chain 8 ending with sc 5 at end.

I chose to finish back with green not white trim. I also closed it with a snap which is why the sc are more important at the top as it gives a better spot for snaps to sit.

I feel like I'm getting a bit more balanced in finishing outfits for all the dolls rather than focusing on certain dolls and leaving some neglected.

16 Inch Baby Doll Dress, Hat and Shoes

This outfit was made from free patterns. The dress and hat patterns are available from Linmary Knits here. The shoes are my go to pattern for the JC 16 Inch Baby doll from the Peachy Keen pattern found here.

For the Linmary pattern I used Bernat Baby Big Ball sport yellow and white. The shoes require a heavier worsted 4 yarn so I used Red Heart Super Saver Lemon.

Notes:

I used the suggested hook sizes through out the pattern and this year it worked.

The pattern uses English (British) crochet terms so if you are used to American crochet terms you will need to remember. I've actually written the US changes on top of the English terms as I tend to forget when I'm tired.

In past years I wrote instructions for the row repeats for the dress, this year I finally wrote them for the hat. Still not sure I have the hat exactly as written but it works for my project intentions.

Ken Farmer

My motivation to learn to crochet was having both a niece and a great niece who got into dressing their dolls about the same time. In some cases there really wasn't much available at the time to buy for the dolls. In other cases what was available was a bit pricey for kids who weren't happy with a few outfits but wanted complete wardrobes. When they outgrew dolls I started donating dolls and clothes because I had found a hobby I really enjoyed.

Shirley Jean Wright was one of the first designers of Barbie clothes I tried because the clothes were made with bulkier worsted yarn and not thread, which at the time I didn't have the proper hooks to make working with thread practical for me. After I stopped making clothes for the nieces I moved more towards the larger dolls for donation as the outfits were easier to make.

I believe it was 2021 when I finally started donating Barbie's family and started returning to my binders to find projects that would work for the dolls. However, I never did go back to these patterns, likely because I had discovered thread. Thread is great but finished outfits are still a better option for kids who like to dress up dolls.

As I was looking for ways to add items to Ken's donation this year I came across a free out of print pattern for called Ken's Overalls that is still available through the Wayback machine.

She has a huge treasure chest of Barbie and Ken outfits still available through the Wayback machine. The downside is the Wayback Machine doesn't have the pictures for the patterns. I'm trying to locate the patterns I originally downloaded so I can continue making more of them, but I may have to think about resorting to trying some without the pictures if I can't find the Ken ones as I really don't have many Ken patterns to begin with and many are just not quick and easy. I tend to rely on pictures when I crochet to confirm I'm following the directions so I'm hoping that somewhere in my Barbie binders I have the copies of the patterns.

With help from the Wayback machine you can find Ken's Overalls pattern here.

Notes:

I would make this again for the donation. It fits my quick and easy project goal. I would think about another shirt for this project just because this pattern is bulky but it works.

I used a D hook with Red Heart Super Saver for the Overalls and the Shirt. The hat is made with Herschnerrs Baby Worsted Peachy.

To get enough length in the legs I went from 14 rows to 17 rows.

I used a C hook for the hat and ended up playing with the pattern to get a look I liked. After row 4 I did a row of dc post stitches. It gave the hat a little more form.

Our Generation Boy Prince Charming

My Life had pretty much phased out their male dolls when I thought about adding a boy 18 inch doll to the donation. I looked to the Our Generation line and discovered Daniel.

Last year I didn't do as well as I'd hoped with his clothing. This year I decided I needed to make Daniel and Ken priorities because it takes more time to search out patterns and then make them fit the male dolls. There are fewer options and sometimes it takes patience to adapt them to the doll you are donating.

I had actually forgotten about this set which is why this year before I started the donation I made a point of returning the doll patterns to their binders and then I started going through the binders to look at real possiblities for patterns I hadn't tried or haven't done in a while.

This pattern is from Adoring Dolls Snow White set that can be purchased here. It includes Snow White, the Evil Queen, and Prince Charming. However, you can also purchase the Prince as an individual pattern here. Just a note the crown is actually part of the Evil Queen pattern but I wanted a crown for the Prince since the outfit can be used with multiple stories. I just like people to know where items come from when they want to find the items to make themselves.

Notes:

This outfit was made with Red Heart Super Saver.

I made multiple changes for fit and to make the outfit work for children rather than a display. The ability to get an outfit on and off is always important when I'm putting something together.

I used a I hook for the Pants and Shirt section. I added an additional 2 rows to the pants section. In the future I might make that 3.

The hook for the boots suggests a G and I stuck with that as the Our Generation feet generally do well or go smaller than the hook size. This was a good size for the boots.

I substituted black for brown. The browns I had on hand weren't a good fit for this project.

This is were I made a design change to the pattern for the sake of little hands getting the clothes on and off rather than displaying the doll fully dressed. The shirt and pants are made as one piece and this is easy enough to get on and off. However, the pattern calls for the boots to be attached to the pants once they are made.

This sounded like it was going to make the outfit hard to put on as boots tend to be solid not like soft footed Pj's. After making the first boot and trying it on my suspicions were confirmed. If I attached the boots to the outfit it was going to be frustrating for a child to take it on and off. However there was no reason to sew Prince Charming's boots to his pants. It works with the boots as a separate piece.

The second change I made with the boots came as a result of not sewing the boots to the pants. I worked the first round of the boot cuff in the front loop so it would bend over the top of the boot. Then I continued on with the pattern.

I ended up using a K hook for the belt. Also to make it easier to get on over layers I added a snap rather than joining the belt. It made it easier to add to the shirt/pants combo or over his tunic. I like to decrease frustration and wear on the outfit when possible. The friction of sliding the belt on and off would likely leave it with a short life span. Again the difference between a play model and a display. To fit this doll I needed to chain 50 to get the belt to fit.

I used a K hook for the tunic and a G hook for the trim.

I used Amethyst for the cape instead of Red. I wanted that Royal look and purple is royal. I needed a K hook for this item as well. I used a g for the black sections.

As I mentioned previously the crown is part of the Evil Queen pattern. Daniel's hair is pretty puffy so I'm not sure if that was the issue with needing a huge hook to get this to fit. I'm hoping to make the other patterns for the female 18 inch dolls so we will see if their heads are any smaller with their hair styles. To make this fit Daniel I need an M hook. I didn't use the red yarn. I just didn't see the need. This look suited my project.

Chelsea Mint Dress

I mentioned in last week's post that I was experimenting with the pattern I used to make Chelsea's Valentine Dress. I haven't had the outcome I wanted but no loss as Chelsea now has more outfits for her donation bag.

You can purchase the pattern for the dress here.

Notes:

As I mentioned in the St. Patrick's Day post I moved to using Thread Art's size 3 crochet thread rather than 2 strands of size 10 crochet thread together for these last two dresses. Just for the record while I called this a mint dress, when I checked the color on the website it is Aqua.

After making the St. Patrick's Day dress changing the stitches I decided to go back and try a single colored outfit using size 3 crochet thread rather than 2 strands of size 10 thread together. I have never achieved the texture shown in the picture for the pattern, but I've liked the look of the dresses for Chelsea and they have the benefit of being easy to play around with and quick to finish to add more outfits to her donation bag.

16 Inch Baby Doll I Feel Pretty

The main part of this outfit for the JC 16 inch Baby Doll comes from Darski's free I Feel Pretty Pattern found here. The shoes are part of another of her free pattern sets found here.

Notes:

I used an H hook for the dress and panties. I used a G and F hook for the hat. The shoes are from the Peachy Keen pattern and I needed an I hook.

I used Herrschners Worsted 8 and Worsted Baby for everything but the shoes. The shoes require a heavier worsted so I used Red Heart for the shoes.

The hat doesn't list chains for the ties I used 30 and it was just a bit long I'd try 25 next time.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll Summer Dress

I discovered this pattern last year and it was a great outfit for the Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby doll. You can purchase the pattern here.

I've been fortunate to catch some shipping coupons from Herrschners as they sell some of my favorite yarns for the smaller baby dolls.

This outfit is made using their worsted 8 yarn. I've also bought their Worsted Baby, Baby, and Afghan yarn for my doll projects when I can get it on sale with a shipping coupon. It isn't my favorite for human projects but it works up well for doll projects. I can often find colors, especially in baby, that I can't get in traditional brands.

Notes:

I used an H hook for this project with the exception of the shoes where I used the suggested G hook.

In the future I would use the H for the Dress and panties and the G for the Hat and shoes.

I've been doing this more with patterns but when I started the skirt row, I marked the chain spaces. This just made finding them in the next row much easier for me. Also the shells alternate in row 5. I believe I missed this when I made the pattern previously. It didn't change the outfit in a big way but something to note for accuracy. I believe this is the only row I need to note for my next project.

I tend to finish the neck and back unless there is a reason not to regarless of pattern directions. Reminder to myself that this pattern has very good directions for finishing the neck on final page of dress directions. I almost missed them. I finished back on my own.

I made this with pink and yellow last year which I really liked. However, I've always had a fondness for the summer watermelon colors of pink and green. Both stick to the summer theme of the outfit. While I often reuse patterns from year to year it is fun to change it up a bit with color.

Glitter Girl Purple Dress

Adoring Doll Clothes has several patterns that are designed for both the 18 inch and the 14.5 inch dolls. While the Glitter Girl is listed at being 14 inches tall I've found that most of the patterns designed for the Wellie Wishers dolls seem to fit well. You can purchase this pattern here.

Notes:

The pattern is designed for summer white but I find keeping anything white clean that gets played with frequently is challenging. I use it as an accent color and I use it for the baby diapers but I rarely make a whole outfit in white just for this reason.

I'm not sure which brand of acrylic worsted this purple is as I pulled it from my left overs to be finished pile. It's a softer yarn so I'm thinking it may be I Love this Yarn but I would have no idea what color I'd be looking for if I wanted to make this again with this shade.

I used a G hook for the dress and an e hook for all the accessories.

For Row 2 of the dress I could only skip one stitch to get the count to come out correctly.

This was a nice quick project to make after the more detailed Cinderella dress I made for the My Life doll.

My Life Cinderella

I have several versions of crochet Cinderalla patterns that fit the 18 inch dolls but Sweet Silver Creations is my favorite. It has a balance between being elegant and achievable for a donation project. I like the Adoring Dolls one I made for the Our Generation Doll because it is quick and easy but it lacks the elegance of this outfit. I have an Annie's one that is one my some day list but it requires more time and patience than I have at the moment.

This pattern, as do all her princess patterns, takes a significant amount of yarn. I went through a good bit of the dark shade of blue in a Caron Pounder for this project. This is a note to myself to have a Pounder on hand to start the project. I've gotten by with left over balls of the light blue for this project in previous years. This year I had a full skein and no left overs to use up.

You can purchase the pattern here. I used the shoes from her School Uniform pattern but sadly that pattern is no longer listed on her Etsy site. It's a quick and easy pattern when I don't want shoes with a strap.

Notes:

I used an H hook for the dress and an F hook for the shoes. This year despite the pattern directions I finished the back with a button hole and closed with a button instead of a snap. I just was in the mood for a button. I did use a snap for the collar.

I also choose not to follow the pattern directions for creating the arm holes. The pattern ends the yarn and continues. I skip the stitches and continue in the style I normally make arm holes. I just find this to be an easier way to create the arms. I continue to follow the directions for creating the arms in the same row the yarn is written to end. It all works out for me.

With an H hook I ended at row 20 this year as the dress had reached floor length. Not sure if I've done this on previous projects but I'm making a greater effort to record my steps for future projects.

Chelsea St. Patrick's Day

I've been experimenting with the pattern I made for Chelsea's Valentine dress. You can purchase the pattern here.

I was trying to achieve the texture found in the original pattern so I decided to use hdc and dc instead of sc and hdc. I crocheted between the stitches and came a little closer to the look found in the picture for the pattern. At this point I've decided a few extra dresses for Chelsea aren't a bad choice.

Notes:

I used Thread Art's size 3 thread to avoid using two size 10 crochet thread strands together. It also allowed me to use the variegated garden greens yarn to give me a bit of holiday colors for St. Patrick's Day.

The hook for this project was E.