16 Inch Baby Doll A-Line Dress Part 2

With the 18 inch dolls I have enough patterns that I don't have to revist each pattern to make enough outfits to send each doll off with a decent wardrobe. I do send some out because I like the outfit or its a quick add but often they leave with very different wardrobes. However, for the 16 inch Baby dolls I have fewer patterns to outfit the two dolls and most patterns are repeated once proven to be succesful.

The A-Line dress was a new addition this year as I continue to explore the out of print Margaret Funk's Baby Doll Fashions to Crochet to adapt them to the dolls I donate. I liked the first outfit I made but I made a note that trying it with lighter baby yarn would be a better fit and I do believe I will keep with that option when I make this next year.

Notes:

I used Baby Bernat Sport yarn with an I hook for this outfit. As with the previous outfit to fit this doll it requires additional rows to cover the white leg coverings.

The back is closed with a snap.

Darski's free Peachy Keen pattern is my go to shoe pattern and you can find that here.

St. Patrick's Day Ornaments

Friends have a holiday tree in their place of business that they keep decorated for various holidays. I've been trying to make ornaments to add to the holiday cheer. I made hearts last month based on the pattern from one of the doll sweaters. This month I'm working on some St. Patrick's Day ornaments. This was my first set I delivered Saturday.

The first shamrock was made converting a no longer available free shamrock potholder pattern. Since I didn't want it potholder size and I wanted it to be a bit more dainty for the tree I went to size 10 thread and a B hook. The original pattern was from Pricilla's Crochet.

The second was made from a no longer Orble pattern. I used an e hook and chose to crochet a gold "mound" rather than the suggested gold coins since it was hanging from a tree and I was concerned the coins would fall out and be lost.

Rag Doll Summer Dress

I bought these blond haird Rag Dolls from Factory Direct for several years for the donation after someone sent me one they had dressed for the donation and I took on the challenge of trying to dress one. The last time I ordered my replacement dolls they came in a version that I had replaced when I found these. The hair is thinner and a bright orange/yellow color. I tried finding a replacement for this doll but I it is not meant to be. If my inventory is correct the Rag Dolls I ordered will see me through 2026 as I don't wish to waste what I ordered. However, I've already started working on adding the Calico Critters this year which will eventually replace the Rag Dolls in the donation rotation.

Notes:

This is an adaptation of the baby doll summer dress from Margaret Funk's House of White Birches Baby Doll Fashions to Crochet.

I need to add an additional sc row before starting the changed directions for the 16 inch baby doll that I've documented several times.

I started with an E hook and repeated row 5 once. Thus rows 3-6 follow the original directions for 3-5 moving each row directions down one. For the original row 6 now row 7 that starts the skirt I moved to a D hook to decrease the skirt size as it is too large with the E hook.

The top is slightly large for this doll so I finish the top and the arm holes with a sc 4 decrease around. It isn't even but it does help make the outfit fit better.

This was made with Lion Brand Ice Cream Cookies and Cream Yarn.

Calico Critter Dad Overalls

I've been trying to rotate through the Calico family to make sure everyone leaves with something to wear beyond what clothing was in the box. As is ususal with most crochet doll patterns it is easier to find patterns for the girls than the boys.

This is one of On a Calico Day's Patterns that can be purchased here. It includes an outfit for Mom and Dad. For those interested her patterns do frequently have sales.

Notes:

I looked up my notes from making patterns from this designer previously and I realized despite making gauge my clothes were rather large when I made them previously. I had not made this outfit but after starting with the suggested hook size and thread I checked my notes and realized I needed to adjust for a better fit.

These are made with size 20 thread and a 1mm hook. These notes are just for my purposes. You may find the pattern as written works for your toys.

There are two options for the legs, one has cuffs the other does not, I chose the straight legs pattern.

Even with the smaller hook and thread I found for the full length leg I followed the capri directions for the Dad. The pants were at the bottom of the leg at that row count.

I had bought a bunch of micro buttons for Barbie patterns a few years back. I still thankfully have a significant supply. I'm sorry to see Joann's go as it was a major supplier for my doll project.

Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll Snuggle Sack

With the Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll Snuggle Sack I have to move to Suzie's Blog larger free doll pattern found here.

This leaves me with just the 16 inch baby doll snuggle sacks and the sleeping bags to make for the 2025 donation.

Notes:

I used a J hook and Red Heart Stripes Retro Stripe for this project.

As with all these sacks I try them on as I reach the end to check for length.

Skipper Valentine Doll Dress

I actually started this outfit much closer to Valentine's Day but ran out of thread and had to wait for my order to arrive to finish the dress. I originally intended the outfit for Barbie but with the adjustments I made it was a better fit for Skipper.

Notes:

This pattern comes from an out of print Annie's Crochet Newsletter, the January/February 1995 edition.

The pattern calls for size 10 crochet thread but even reducing down to my smallest thread hooks it was too large for Barbie with size 10. This then became a Golilocks challenge.

I reduced my thread to size 20 with a 1.25 mm hook and the top was tight for Barbie but a decent fit for Skipper. I might experiment with the fit for Skipper if I make this again with hook size as it was an interesting fit large in the top but tighter at the waist. I suspect Barbie would need closer to a 1.5 mm to make it fit with the size 20 thread.

I reduced to a 1mm hook for the skirt.

While I'd consider the flower trim at the neck for Barbie it was too much for Skipper.

I've been challenging myself to try more patterns that are sitting in my binders that I've never made so I'm glad I tried this one. Not sure it will be a yearly addition as it consumes a great deal of size 20 thread and it takes more time than my average Barbie family project. I plan to continue to try some of these more challenging projects and perhaps I will be back again to revisit some of them again.

Our Generation Dress with Ribbed Waist

While this is a new to me pattern this year I suspect it will become a staple for the 18 inch doll donation for years to come. I have one more to make for the other My Life doll and I will be done for the 2025 donation. You can find the free pattern here.

This was another attack on the yarn stash I found hidden in my donation pile. I still have a ways to go to finish off the skein but I will be targeting this during the donation year. For the final My Life doll outfit I want to try some Herschnerrs Worsted 4 as I don't often have Caron Simply Soft in my stash and I'd like to know if this would work as well as the Caron has done. No yarn is specified but the Caron worked well for both dolls.

The shoes are made from Sweet Silver Creation's Sailor Dress Pattern that can be purchased here. I use a G hook for the Our Generation Dolls. I went with traditional worsted weight acrylic as I wasn't thrilled with how the shoes worked up with the last outfit using Caron Simply Soft.

Notes:

I used an I hook for this project with an H to finish the back.

I didn't have the problems with row 1 I had previously but it may have to do with making the dress so soon after the first one. I'll leave my previous note as a reminder the stitch count is correct don't count the V in the V stitches.

I use a snap to close the dress in the back.

I add trim for finishing the arms.

Calico Critters Sister Shell Dress

This was one of the earliest Calico Critters free patterns I discovered when I set out to make clothes for family. Now that I've returned to donate them it seemed wise to return to something I'd previously had success making.

You can find the free pattern which gives directions for the Sister and the Mother for this dress here.

Notes:

This is the Artiste Multi-Colored Box of sample threads from Hobby Lobby I discussed in yesterday's post. I suspect it will be quite useful for the Calico projects.

I used the 1.25mm hook I had previously used when I made this outfit for the Mouse I was gifting. Not sure if it is the change in character, thread, or my gauge but the top was slightly tight to add the snap. The bottom was fine.

My suggestion for the future is to experiment with a larger hook for the top and return to the 1.25 for skirt. This will also likely provide a bigger hole for the tail which was also slightly tight. The mouse tail is long and thin so this also was not likely and issue for fitting it when I made it last.

Lil Cutesies Dress, Shorts, Hairband and Booties

I've been working with Petite Designs patterns for the smaller dolls for a while now but I've always been slightly concerned that even using baby yarn the items sometimes seem bulky. This time even decreasing the yarn to baby yarn with the suggested hook size the item was too large. I tried size 3 crochet thread before moving to size 10 but keeping the B crochet hook. For the first time I had the detail and lacked the bulkiness I wanted for her designs.

I credit this completely to my gauge issues and not her designs. I'm just glad I found a workable solution. I'm looking forward to trying this on some of her other small doll patterns I own.

Notes:

As mentioned this is one of Petite Creative Designs Patterns that can be purchased here.

I used Thread Art's size 10 Bright Green for the Lil Cutesie outfit. I'm hoping to make a second for the Lots to Love 8 inch doll.

In recent years I've been branching out to find different thread providers as Aunt Lydia's color and size availability has become more limited. I find it a helpful reminder as I post these projects to post which brand I used when I know so I can go back and find it later.

The flower is made from Hobby Lobby's Artiste size 10 threads. A while back I got a boxed of multi-colored hand died threads from them. They are small but they are perfect for small projects to add multi-colored options to a project. It can be hard to find these options sold as individual items. I am starting to use this box for some of my Calico Critter projects as well.

One change I've made to all of these style of patterns is I join all rows. I find the outfit slides on and off the doll and it is a cleaner option for me.

While the stitch count works on the dress moving to thread the pants did not and I had to move to a chain of 64 to get the pants to fit. I eventually reduced it to 62 as I progressed making each leg count 31.

The bottom of the pants are supposed to have a picot trim. It was late at night I read the directions incorrectly and the pants have a sc chain 3 trim. I've added note on the pattern to avoid a future mistake and I'm noting it here to hopefully make the reminder stick.

Booties worked as written with the thread and fit fine.

Headband read row 3 for directions that provide texture to the headband. I clearly missed this and hope to catch it for the Lots to Love 8 inch Baby doll.

Lil Cutesies Snuggle Sack

With this project complete for the Lil Cutesies Doll it leaves me with just the three larger baby doll sleep sacks to finish for the 2025 donation. It means this pattern can return to my small baby doll binder for the season. You can find the pattern here.

Notes:

I used a G hook with what I believe to be Red Heart Ombres Sea Coral Yarn that was in my stash. I've been trying to use up yarn on hand for these projects.

I've moved yarn and hook into my travel bag to start the Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll Sack. It would be nice to have the last three finished before Spring.

Calico Critters Bay Creek Knits Crochet Mother Dress

The last order I placed for the Rag Dolls was disapointing because I didn't realize they had changed the quality of the dolls. The previous dolls had cute hair the current dolls have much cheaper hair in a less attractive color. I don't wish to waste them so I will make the clothes and donate them but once gone I won't order them again.

I looked online to find a replacement but I didn't find anything that was similiar in the price range for a replacement. I decided to revisit a project I had worked on for some family members. As a result of that project, I had collected patterns and looking online found some additional ones. This seemed like a great time to introduce a new member of the doll donation.

This year's donation will be the Milk Rabbit Family. The set here are my models. An unopened box will go to the donation. I found mine at an unexpected location, Barnes and Noble. I generally don't think to look for toys there but I have had luck finding the Calico Critters online there at a reasonable cost.

This is a free pattern found here.

Notes:

I used size 10 thread with a B hook as suggested by the pattern.

I did not use a foundation chain to start and it worked fine.

I have never been good with surface crochet so I did follow the directions after row 4 for moving the main color thread back into place to continue the project. However, before starting row 5 I did a row of ss into the starting row to avoid having to surface crochet later. I made row 5 by crocheting behind ss. It worked for me, although it was challenging finding the 25 stitches required to start the skirt. It took me a few trys but it was worth it to avoid the surface crochet.

My Life Dress with Ribbed Waist

After making the Ribbed Skirt I realized it had been a while since I checked the designers store to see if I had all the patterns I wanted for the donation. For some reason I had missed downloading the free pattern for this dress. You can find it here.

I needed a break from adapting Barbie patterns and this seemed like a great break as it is a very straight forward pattern.

Notes:

I used an I hook for this pattern.

This was a chance to use some of the yarn I found stashed behind my donations that I have vowed to use up this year. I believe this is Caron Simply Soft.

An additional note related to that I likely would think about using an H hook with a heavier yarn like Super Saver or Pounder. Herschnerrs likely would need the I hook. I can't ever remember being able to use the suggested G hook for the 18 inch doll and getting it to fit on any pattern. It's all about our own gauge.

Another personal note the count for Row 1 is correct. Don't count the spaces in the V stitches as this throws it off. I add notes for myself because I will sometimes be fine the next time I make a project or sometimes it becomes a chronic issue I need to remind myself to watch.

There is no pattern for the hairband but having made another one recently I kept chaining until I could make a bow I liked. I know it was slightly less than 200.

I finished the back with an H hook and used a snap to close the dress.

The shoes are my go to shoes for the 18 inch dolls and come from Sweet Silver Creation's Sailor Doll Pattern that can be purchased here. It was slightly more challenging with the lighter Caron yarn but I didn't have heavier yarn that would work with this color. I use an H hook for the shoes. The pattern calls for sport yarn which I use for the dress but the shoes don't fit for me unless I use worsted 4, clearly not on the lighter side of 4.

Ken Sweater and Slacks

Years ago long before the donation I had my Aunt teach me to crochet so I could make doll clothes for my now adult nieces' dolls. Back then I bought a Nicki Epstein Crochet for Barbie book but I never made anything from it. I couldn't find any of the yarns in the book and it was before I discovered Yarn Sub which has truly helped me since then to find althernatives when designers list a yarn nobody seems to sell by the time I've purchased the pattern.

I've challenged myself in the last few years to tackle patterns that I've purchased but never made. I was looking for a Valentine outfit for Barbie and remembered there was a sweater with hearts in this book and it might be worth looking at it.

I checked Yarn Sub but it even shrugged when I put the yarn name in and that's when I decided to experiment with what I know about Barbie clothes. It didn't sound like this was made with size 10 thread so I decided to try an experiment. I used size 3 what I believe was Knit Picks Curio thread but I couldn't find this shade of green when I looked. I chose not to add the chart as this style of pattern was different from the way I usually make shirts and I wanted to focus on construction without needing to deal with a chart as well. I chose green rather than pink because as it happened if it was too large green was a better choice for Ken.

I've chosen to try size 10 yarn for Barbie. Not having lots of patterns for Ken sweaters I'd try this again but I might try size 5 thread as this one is still bulky with size 3. I suspect it would be tight with size 10. I could also try a smaller hook size.

I used the suggested C hook for this project

The pants are simple construction I've been using across the doll brands. I measured elastic for Ken's wasit, sewed it together and then sc around it with no longer available Red Heart Sport Yarn. I then dc rows until I hit the crotch decreasing rows until I reached 30 stitches. Each leg then had 15 stitches and I continued the legs for I believe a total top to bottom of slacks of 17 rows. However I measured the first leg until it was a length I was happy with and then counted from the top down and completed the second leg to match. I finished the slack legs with ss around..

Glitter Girl Valentine Sweetheart Dress

When this posts Valentine's Day will have passed. However, when these dolls are distributed Valentine's Day will still be in the future so making holiday outfits passed this current holiday isn't an issue.

I'd forgotten I had Adoring Doll's Valentine pattern for the Glitter Girl Doll until I found it searching through my binder looking for something else. It was a welcome addition to my Valentine's project. You can purchase the pattern for the dress here. There is also the same pattern in the larger size for the 18 inch dolls available.

Notes:

Shoes:

The pattern calls for a 3.0 hook which I don't have. I used an E hook for this attempt in the future I'd use a D hook as they were slightly larger than I'd prefer.

Dress:

I don't have a note that I changed from an E hook that was suggested.

Row 10 it is very important to skip between the 3DC as the skirt becomes huge when you don't. The directions are there I just missed it and am likely to miss again. So it's on the pattern and here in my pattern notes.

I added two rows for length as the skirt was short when I finished the suggested rows prior to adding trim.

Waist trim:

I like the bow but for this size doll I think I'd skip the hearts or do them in size 10 thread next time. They are a bit large for this doll. It might work better on the larger doll. I think the bow alone would be fine.

Hair Tie: I went with the suggested chains I'd go longer to make it easier to tie next time.

Our Generation Boy Heart Sweater, Pants and Hat

Happy Valentine's Day.

There are not many crochet clothing patterns designed for the 18 inch boy dolls. Most tend to be costumes. I've learned to pick the girl items that I think are generic enough and adapt them to fit the boy doll.

This outfit is a combination of pants I've just been making for years, a Tara Cousins' Girl Heart Sweater and Shoes pattern, and the Hat from an Adoring Doll Easter pattern for the Boy doll.

Notes:

I've been playing with doll pants for years and still experimenting. This pair was made by crocheting over a hair elastic with an H hook for the waist and then crocheting in rounds until I reached the waist. I went a row too long for the waist I believe. I increased rows hdc 5 inch for 3 rows I believe as the top section was snug to slide on and off. I split with a chain four. At this point with the increases the legs had to be decreased to 21 stitches per leg. These are my notes for future reference and not designed as a pattern to share.

The sweater and shoes are from a Tara Cousins pattern that can be purchased here.

I used an I hook for the sweater and added a row of hdc with some decreases around the collar to fill in the off the shoulder look for the boy.

Looking at my records I'm not sure I've ever made the long sleeved version of this sweater before. I know I've made the short sleeved one several times.

I chose to close the back of the sweater with buttons. She uses a different method that didn't seem practical for little hands.

I finished the back of the sweater and added buttons and holes. The winter shoes work up with the suggested g hook as written.

The Hat is from Adoring Doll's Easter Outfit for the Boy that can be purchased here. I'm hoping to make the Easter outfit to add to the donation later.

I need to work on the brim for the hat. I don't think I'm quite joining this correctly but hopefully this will work out better with the Easter outfit.

While the holiday will have passed with the donation in the future I'm still working on Valentine's outfits for some of the other dolls. One of the advantages of the Valentine theme is hearts can be worn year round making them a little more practical for doll clothes.

Our Generation Back to School

I actually consulted my notes from last year's project and knew I wanted most of the pieces from Adoring Doll's Back to School pattern for the Our Generation Valentine outfit but I wanted a replacement skirt. You can purchase the pattern here.

I hadn't liked the construction when I made the one from this pattern last year. Looking at previous skirt projects I decided to go with one of my favorite free skirt patterns the Gored Ribbed Effect Skirt that you can find here.

Notes:

I'm going to start my notes with the Adoring Doll Pattern and then move on to the substitute skirt. The pictures below are for me. For some reason this shirt challenges my brain and seeing the visual makes a difference because once I got to the joining stage it made sense but up to that point I was not quite sure of my outcome.

I used the suggested G hook for the boots. I tend to have to use a larger hook for the My Life dolls but the Our Generation seem to fit as suggested.

The shirt and jacket required an I hook.

A reminder for my next attempt the math for row one of the shirt is correct despite it not always feeling correct. When in doubt start again.

Skirt:

I used a hair elastic for the skirt waist and crocheted around it.

The pattern suggested an H hook and it worked for me.

I'd consider using Herschner's worsted 4 for a future project where the colors weren't the issue as they were for this project. I'm thinking the FPTR might not be quite as bulky. I still love the look of this skirt, I just think it is worth trying to see how it looks as I'm thinking of adding a few more of these skirts for both types of 18 inch dolls.

My Life Valentine Outfit

This is one of the oldest Adoring Doll Patterns I still regurally rotate through my donation. I am a huge supporter of her work. I found this one back when she was just starting to introduce her work on her blog and I followed her on to Etsy where I can say I own most of her stuff that I use frequently for the donation. The patterns are varied in theme but easy to follow. They have stayed affordable over the years and she still puts them on sale. For someone who donates what they make this is a huge plus.

You can purchase this Valentine set here.

Notes:

I used an I hook for most of this pattern.

In order to get the slip stitches in I added them slightly differently than the designer.

After row 1 return to the start of row 1 and complete a row of pink slip stitches finish off pink and continue on with white and row 2.

After row 2 I repeated above for second set of ss.

At the end of row 9 repeat this for ss that heart will sit on.

There are portions of text that can be challenging to read while working. I started marking the end of each row of text with a stitch marker. This just made it easy to go back to a section if I got interrupted, the count seemed off, etc. I've tried writing out the text in different ways over the years and this worked for getting through some of the longer sections.

After reading last year's notes I did use the heart pattern from Adoring Doll's Back to School Pattern which I'm using for the Our Generation Valentine outfit. You can purchase that here. I used the heart pattern to make some heart ornaments. It is the easiest heart pattern I've found.

I finished off the back and neck with a row of sc adding a button hole for the dress.

Hat and shoes were made with I hook.

Sweater:

I hook

I added 2 sc rows to arms and finished them with a sc chain 3 skip on around

I finished complete edge of sweater in process of making suggested button hole I just preffered a finished look.

My Life Hearts and Flowers

This is one of the first Valentine's outfits I make each year. It is a free Darski pattern that can be found here.

Notes:

I use a K hook for the first 4 rows of this dress as with my odd guage it is the only way I can get the dress to slide on and off. I use an I hook for the rest of the this pattern. I used an H for the the shoes. I returned to row 9 using an I and reduced last sc row of top.

Reminder to join all rows. I have made this dress so many times but for some reason I missed this one this year so when I make a mistake I add a note.

Stop when you finish row 9 and return to row 1. (I do a sc reduction row after row 9 but usually at the end after I've tried on the dress for fit.) Row 1 is the waist line not the top. Row 9 is the completed top not the waist. Return to Row 1 and start Row 10 to complete the skirt portion of the dress. I didn't read this note from last year and paniced when I needed the reduction row but I added it and all was well.

Another new note for this year is to read directions for Heart Cluster on first page. I ended up with a different path that worked but oddly reading directions works.

I use a different strategy for the flower and the rose joining. I changed the design to have the dress tie at the neck and use the flower to attach the tie at the front so it covers the attachment. This just works for me.

The shoes are from Sweet Silver Creations Sailor pattern that can be purchased here. I used an H hook as I had previously for the My Life Doll but when I make these again I would use a G hook. Gauge can be funny. These were a bit larger than I had hoped.

Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll Sweet Baby Mine Dress

This was the last outfit I finished in January. It was the month for baby dolls.

The main portion of the outfit for the Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll is made using Darski's free pattern set Sweet Baby Mine found here. I chose to use the booties from a Petite Design's pattern that can be purchased here.

Notes:

The main yarn for this dress is Walmart's Mainstay's Pink Blend. I found this in my stash last year and actually plan on picking up some additional skeins as I like the look for this outfit and I think it might work for some patterns I picked up last year that require a striping yarn.

I tend to stick with Red Heart or Caron for my worsted weight but this works for this outfit. The pink is Red Heart Pretty and Pink. The Rose is an unknown brand. I'm leaning towards left over Caron but I'm not sure. I don't remember finding Red Heart in this shade previously.

The booties required a lighter weight yarn. I may try them with worsted next time as they might fit better with a heavier yarn. I believe this is left over Mary Maxim baby yarn that I'd used on another project.

I plan to finish the pattern set for this doll but I'm taking a brief break from the baby dolls to make some Valentine outfits for the 18 inch dolls. I realize none of the dolls will use their holiday outfits until 2026 but there is something fun about making them in season when I can.

Ken Loom Hat

I've been experimenting with looms and still need to get beyond my basic practice lessons. However these little doll projects are a great way to try out the skills I do have.

Living in New England I like adding winter clothing to the doll donations when possible. I just recently made some small Ken sized crochet hats for some skeletons and honestly I wasn't looking forward to making another set.

I thought about putting off the challenge until Spring but I saw Michael's had a Mini Loom Set. It has a 2 inch, 3.5 inch, and a 5 inch loom as part of the set. I was most interested in the first and the last. I hoped the smallest would work for my Barbie collection and I was hoping the largest would be a solution for my Blue Knifty Knitter which has some lose pegs. I don't plan on dumping it but I suspect if over used it will not be with me forever. Having alternatives was not a bad choice. I was fortunate to find coupons which made the purchase reasonable for my experiment.

Notes:

The gauge on these is similiar to my Knifty Knitter looms and requires thicker yarn or I suspect double worsted 4 to get the project to work.

I had scraps from Premier Puzzle Yarn so I decided to play with that to see if I could get a Barbie sized hat for one of the dolls. I eventually settled on Ken to start with because his hair is molded to his head making it easier to get on and off.

I learned with the 2 inch 10 peg loom that I couldn't make the traditional e-wrap brim pattern as it was just too tight to make it around the doll's head. However, if I e-wrapped the hat without the brim it fit. This was an experiment in how long to make the hat. It is a bit longer than I thought it would be when I was looming it. I'd go with fewer rounds for my next attempt.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll Moses Basket

I love when I finish off a specific project type for a donation year. With this moses basket for the Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll all the small doll carriers are finished.

I don't make them for the larger dolls anymore as the multiple yarn strands are too hard on my hands. I wait for the sales and pick up carriers for the Lots to Love 14 Inch Doll and the 2 JC 16 inch Dolls.

Notes:

The Moses Basket is from Annie Potter's Sweet Baby Layette Leaflet. I don't have a link I'm comfortable with at the moment for her website so as I mentioned on the Lil Cutesies notes I leave you with the pattern title and if you are interested it's a starting point to search for it.

The blanket is the standard pattern I use for this rather than the one that comes with the set. I just have found it fits better. It is from Darski's free BBL pattern found here.

The basket is made using Premier Puzzle Yarn in Maze and an I hook. I alternated the fp and bp for more of a "basket" look this time but I think I'd go back to fp in fp and bp in bp next time. It just seemed to work better.

When I can get shipping deals I try to pick up different baby yarns from companies as I like different colors and brands that are available. I just dread the high cost of shipping. I believe the blanket yarn is from Mary Maxim as I stocked up last year when I had a coupon.

I used an I hook with this yarn. I go back and forth on the size of the hook. With the larger doll the larger hook seemed like a good choice to get the blanket to fit.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll Romper with Tam

Some what unintentionally the Lots to Love 10 inch Baby Doll has jumped into the early lead in the clothing donation race. I've been working through pattern sets for this doll rather than completing an outfit and generally not getting back to finishing the outfits I use from the set as I've done in previous years.

This is part of Darski's free BBL set found here.

Notes:

I used Herrschners Worsted 4 for this project. Still one of my favorite yarns for the smaller dolls.

The romper calls for a size 7 hook I used an H and the fit was fine.

It could just be the year, certain projects work wonderful one year and confound me another but I ended up playing a good deal with the romper this year. I'm not going to document all the changes because I suspect coming back to it with fresh eyes would be helpful in either completing as written or documenting the accurate changes.

I used an f hook for the Tam hat. I added a note this year not to increase in rows 6-7 but to follow the pattern as established without the increases. DC in the dc and fp in the fp.

I included a set of booties with this outfit using the altered directions I decided from the previous outfit.

I used a D hook for the booties repeating row 5 once before completing them with rows 6-7. I found the additional row makes the booties stay on a bit better.

I'm using the blanket pattern from this set to finish the last Moses basket for the small dolls and then I will be done with all the Moses Baskets and the BBL set for the year!

16 Inch Baby Doll A-Line Dress

Having found a second copy of Margaret Funk's Baby Doll Fashion's to Crochet, I promised myself this year I was going to work at adapting more of the patterns to use with the donation. For my notes this is the A-Line Dress pattern found on page 16 designed for a 16 inch baby doll.

I used Herschnerrs Worsted 4 Yarn for this dress. I need a second dress for the second 16 inch baby doll so I'm planning to try the lighter baby yarn I have on hand. This worked but still feels heavier than I had hoped. For a previous outfit from this leaflet I used Lion Brand's Ice Cream Yarn, so I'm hoping a lighter sport weight baby yarn will work for the second outfit.

Notes:

I used a g hook for this outfit and needed to add rows as I like to cover the white leg section of the doll when I make outfits for it. I suspect the dress is designed to be slightly shorter.

I also chose to finish the arms with a sc round around the arms. I didn't like the look with the unfinished rows. I would continue this practice in further outfits.

The headband was a oops from a previous Lots to Love 10 inch Baby Doll project which came out larger than expected. It seemed a wise choice to repurpose for the larger doll.

The shoes are my go to pattern for the 16 inch baby doll and can be found in Darsk's free Peach Keen pattern here.

Lots to Love 8 Inch Cuddle Up Romper

After my oops that resulted in last week's Lots to Love 10 inch version of this pattern I decided not only to focus on making this work for the doll it was designed for but to document my path through it so I could repeat this for next year's doll.

This is an Amy Carrico pattern that she is not currently offering called Cuddle Up Romper. My first time through it this year it ended up rather large using the suggested D hook, thus it becoming an outfit for the larger baby doll.

Notes:

The yarn for this project was Baby Bernat Sport Yellow and Pink.

Shirt:

I used a C hook for the shirt for everything but the sleeves. I used a B hook for the sleeves to keep them from becoming too large.

I followed the rest of the directions as written.

Pants:

I used a B hook for the pants. Oddly with the smaller hook the legs joined easier than when the pants were larger. Not sure why. Amy's footed pj type pants are the rare occasion I don't make my pants top down regardless of the way a pattern is written. It really isn't practical to make these feeted pj type pants from the top down thus the need to join the legs.

Reminder to myself to follow all the waist directions including waist band to get to correct decreases for fit.

Headband:

I believe I used the D hook for the handband and it fit as suggested.

Winter Warmer Donations

I generally don't make lots of human clothes. I do occasionally make shawls, hats, and scarves. A group of friends were collecting hats, scarves, and mittens for a local family shelter from December to January and I decided this was something I should not only make time for now but I'm commiting to working on as I do my doll's clothes to be ready for the next collection.

The hats were all made using a free Premier Yarns pattern found here.

One of my goals for this project was to use up yarns I had on hand where possible. All but two of these hats were made with Premier Puzzle Yarn that I had thought I'd make shawls with but never ended up making. The light colored one was made with Premier Chunky Bloom. The solid purple one was made with Homespun Aster. It's getting harder to find Puzzle Yarn locally. I wanted to experiment with the Bloom Yarn so I picked up a single skein to try. I used the left overs for a loom knit doll hat.

I used an I hook with all yarns. I liked the first purple hat so much that I used the left over yarn I had to make myself a hat as it got really cold during this drive and I didn't have a winter hat myself. This hat was a little loser around my glasses which I really liked as I hate when a hat pushes my glasses into the side of my head.

I went looking for free scarf patterns on Ravelry that were more than just a single stitch pattern but also not overally complicated and would used yarn I had on hand. The first pattern was free when I got my copy but there appears to be a charge for it now. You can find the pattern for V-Stitch Puzzle Scarf here.

Notes: I used an I hook with Puzzle Yarn for this project.

I needed 2 skeins as I needed to complete 2 more sections with second skein. A partial skein would work for second skein.

I made the scarf 70" long.

I numbered the repeat rows and I used a stitch marker to mark row ends.

This was made with Backgammon.

These are quite warm. I had some Premier Basics Emberand forest green. I had 3 skeins of the red on hand but foolishly started with a single skein of green. Since I refused to buy more green I ended up finishing off with a partial skein of Red Heart Hunter Green Yarn. It wasn't ideal but it is warm.

I used a K hook with this project. As written with the worsted 4 yarn I had, this pattern was more like a scarf shawl which was not what I wanted. I decreased the stitch count to 20 stitches of the stitch pattern which measured about 6 inches which with this pattern made it easier to wrap around the face and neck for warmth. The waffle style stitch makes for a nice warm scarf.

Hunter's Warm and Comfy Scarf Free Pattern found here.

I had some time in January before these were due so I decided to explore my Knifty Knitter looms that hadn't been used in some time.

I started with a basic e wrap hat with Lion Brand Hometown Yarn which is a thickness of 6. I used the adult purple loom with this project.

I'm still working on learning to count the size of the looms but a friend told me the purple was the correct size for an adult donation hat so I started here. I'm working on learning the terms as I go.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll Cuddle Up Romper

One of the advantages to dressing and donating multiple sized dolls is when something doesn't fit one doll you have a shot it will fit another rather than having wasted all your effort and time on an outfit.

This is Amy Carrico's Cuddle Up Romper pattern for the Lots to Love 8 inch doll which is not currently available. According to my records I haven't made it since 2021 and I didn't write much about my experience back then.

However this year following the suggested hook size the outfit was huge. The shirt would have been big but OK but I had to decrease the waist just to fit the Lots to Love 10 inch doll despite the stitch count being right so clearly something wasn't OK.

Notes:

I used a D hook with Bernat Baby Sport White and Pink.

I had to fiddle with joining the legs to get the stitch count to match and the legs to join.

Later I did additional reduction rounds above what the pattern suggested at the waist as the pants were large even for this doll.

I needed to make a larger starting chain for the headband as the original pattern does fit the smaller doll.

Not all a loss as I know have this set up to use with the larger doll. I am playing with my hook size to see what I need to adjust for a better fit for the smaller doll.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll BBL Sweater Set

This has become one of the classic donation patterns for the Lots to Love 10 inch Baby doll. I love this sweater set. It originally used up a huge stash of left over yarn and now I have been finding a new set of yarn to continue the tradition.

This is part of Darski's free BBL set that you can find here.

Notes:

Sweater:

I used an H hook for the sweater. The brand is a Herschnerrs worsted that I will need to find more of as I think I have one more sweater set left in the stash I have.

The sweater required an H hook. I only use one button.

Bonnet:

I used a G hook for the bonnet.

I ended up with a slightly different front this time. I'd look at this again to see what happened as I do prefer the original look.

Booties:

I've been struggling with these booties for years so I decided to try a few different things that improved the fit.

I used a D hook making them smaller.

I added a row including decreases before rows 6 and 7. This made the boots higher and more stable on the foot. I've been struggling for years to keep these booties on the doll's feet and this fixes seem to work.

Pants:

I do not use Darski's pants patterns. I used an elastic hair band and crocheted around it for the waist. This time I used hdc for the pattern and when the waist was long enough split for the legs.

Lil Cutesies Dress, Headband and Shoes

This has become one of my go to patterns for the yearly doll donation for the Lil Cutesies doll. It works up quickly and is not too demanding. You can purchase Petite Designs Pattern here.

Notes:

I used a B hook for the entire pattern. In the future the only change I'd make is a larger hook for the flower.

I would love to try this with size 3 thread at some point to see if I could make the panties fit better. They are still big for this outfit.

I join the back rather than using a tie. The doll slides in easily enough.

This is made with Bernat Baby Sport in White, Pink, and Lavendar.

I missed this direction this year and had to pull it out. I leave a row off of the knickers that is added back in when I start to work on the bodice. The pants are long as it is and this helps decrease how long they sag. This let me use the actual first row of the bodice to crochet the row in back loops to allow me to use the front loops later for my my skirt row. Others may not find this necessary but I found it was much easier to get an even starter row for the skirt all around.

I've made notes for years about reading the directions that the first and second skirt directions are different. Oddly this year I followed that direction without an issue. I'll keep it here because each year what I miss is different.

Last year I made the two flowers this year I followed the directions making just one flower. I rather like the two flower look and would consider returning to it in the future.

The shoes continue to be a work in progress. Her feet never change but my crocheting clearly does and each year where I break to add the strap changes and adapts as somehow the shoe isn't fitting. I actually frogged the second shoe and remade it still fiddling with the pattern but I made it work.